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There isn’t much at the tiny terminus of Pocinho, just shy of the border with Spain the 200km (125-mile) journey connecting this rural village with Porto is its own destination it’s possible to approach the Linha do Douro as an unhurried day trip – one that even offers a break for lunch and wine tasting To ensure that you have time for lunch and wine tasting, it’s necessary to take the first train of the day, which departs from Porto’s legendary São Bento Train Station at 6:30am I was obliged to change trains in the town of Ermesinde or you can catch the first direct Linha do Douro departure from São Bento at 9:20am painted a 1970s-era orange and virtually empty – could easily feature in a Wes Anderson film you’ll traverse Porto’s urban sprawl – predominantly gray The first tunnel (of 23 total) is in Caíde which is also where the views start to become more rural The town of Ribadouro offers the first glimpse of the Douro where you’ll arrive just before 10am (nearer 11:45am are right in town and do tastings of standard and fortified wines which arrives in Pocinho in time for you to catch the last return train back to Porto The final hour that connects Pinhão and Pocinho is arguably the most beautiful section of the line – and the section that the day-trippers on boats from Porto miss out on the train crosses a bridge (one of 35 along the route) to the south bank of the river Shift to the left side of the train to see tiny train stations – shelters abandoned wineries and vineyards that extend right to the tracks the landscape abruptly widens into a broad valley studded with olive trees a dam and a power plant looming in the distance the original wooden station is still intact though there’s not much else to see or do here take a bathroom break and board the train (most likely the same one you arrived on) returning to Porto I did the trip in January, which meant the weather was particularly wet and misty. If you’re serious about clear views or photography – or simply want to take advantage of the longer daylight hours – make the trip during the summer months. Pinhão is your best bet for food and drink. Alternatively, if you’re on a budget, pack a lunch and a bottle of wine ahead of time and plan a riverside picnic. I bought my tickets in advance, yet given how few people ride the Linha do Douro nowadays, you’d probably be fine buying your tickets on the day of travel at the station. A round-trip ticket costs around €30; breaking the trip into bits and buying three separate tickets as I suggest here will cost a tiny bit more. Stormy weather caused flooding and wind damage in parts of Pernambuco state Flooding was reported in Olinda and Recife One person was injured as a result of strong winds Heavy rain has continued since then in particular in Greater Recife areas The coastal town of Olinda recorded 199 mm of rain in 24 hours to 25 May As of 25 May Civil Defence reported Pernambuco damage in 8 municipalities Some southern areas of Alagoas state saw more than 250 mm of rain in 24 hours on 24 May which is the amount normally seen for the whole of an average May seek shelter as soon as possible.” The State Department of Education (Semed) suspended classes in public schools for 48 hours Among the worst affected municipalities is Penedo where authorities declared a state of emergency after recording the highest rainfall totals since 1935 The municipality said in a period from late 24 May to 25 May the area saw 260 mm of rain higher than the previous record of 200 mm set in 1945 Several houses collapsed due to flash flooding and landslides Seven people were rescued from under the rubble Local authorities reported widespread flooding in the municipality has left 300 people displaced with 129 of them staying in relief shelters the municipality of Jacuípe on the border with Pernambuco has seen flooding which is expected to worsen as levels of the Jacuípe River rise As of 25 May the river stood at 5.11 metres below flood stage of 5.3 metres but rising the state’s Department for Environment and Water Resources Likewise the Mundaú river in the municipality of Rio Largo is also approaching flood stage (8.61m) standing at 8.33 as of 25 May 2022 and rising the dam of the Tanques Reservoir broke in Pocinhos on 25 May 2022 after continued heavy rain Local authorities report 6 houses severely damaged or destroyed and 4 people injured Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList