Saga launches second 2016 singles river cruise

Saga’s first river cruise for solo passengers sold out so quickly that a second all-inclusive sailing has been created to meet demand.

The Saga-exclusive Douro Discovery cruise on November 3rd, 2016, offers single travellers the opportunity to admire beautiful landscapes and quaint towns on a sailing through Portugal and Spain.

Guests fly to Oporto to meet their river cruise ship, Douro Princess at Vila Nova de Gaia on the south bank.

After an overnight mooring, guests start the cruise in style with lunch at the 14th-century former Monastery of Alpendurada, before sailing to Régua.

Next on the itinerary is a visit to the ancient city of Lamego to view the elaborate Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, which overlooks the town.

Douro Princess cruises on to Pinhão for a wine tasting at nearby Quinta do Seixo and an excursion to Figueira Castelo de Rodrigo, a medieval village set atop a hill beside the River Côa.

After an overnight mooring in Vega de Térron, guests can prepare for a full-day’s excursion to Salamanca, in Spain, where the old town has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The tour includes viewing the city’s twin cathedrals and pretty main square.

The next day’s tour takes guests ashore for lunch at the family-owned winery of Quinta da Avessada in the heart of the Douro region, followed by a visit to the 18th-century Casa de Mateus Palace and gardens, which features on the Mateus rosé wine label.

After an overnight mooring in Régua, the intimate 40-cabin Douro Princess sails to beautiful Oporto, on the Douro estuary, this is crossed by several magnificent bridges, including the Dom Luis, designed by Gustave Eiffel.

No visit to Oporto is complete without a tour of a port wine cellar for a tasting and the chance to take home a bottle as a memento of this special solo travellers’ cruise.