Delfim Douro Hotel

The stretch of the Douro around Peso da Régua is where the valley starts to look like the photographs: terraces stacked up both banks, the river turning below. Delfim Douro sits above one of those bends, at Samodães in the parish of Lamego, on a hillside with the water in view.

The building is modern, put up in 2012, and makes no claim to history. What it offers instead is position and price. There are 42 rooms across five floors, most with river views and many with balconies, straightforwardly finished with minibars, safes and blackout curtains. A number connect, which suits families.

There is a seasonal outdoor pool with a bar beside it, a rooftop terrace, a restaurant working with regional cooking, a games room and a massage room. Breakfast is included, parking is free, and the whole thing runs at a rate well below the converted quintas along the same stretch of river.

For touring, this is a reasonable base. The Douro Museum at Peso da Régua is about seven minutes by car, Lamego with its cathedral and the great baroque stairway up to Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is a short drive, and the São Leonardo de Galafura viewpoint, one of the best in the valley, is around 27 minutes. Pinhão and the upper Douro are further east.

You will need a car. The hotel is on a hill outside town and there is nothing within walking distance.