Feast of São Domingos de Gusmão in Vale de Mendiz
The winegrowing village of Vale de Mendiz, just a few kilometres above Pinhão, celebrates its patron saint São Domingos de Gusmão on 4 August. A traditional Douro festivity with mass, procession and village conviviality among the vine terraces.
Every year on 4 August, the small village of Vale de Mendiz — perched about five kilometres above Pinhão on the Port Wine Route — comes alive to honour its patron saint, São Domingos de Gusmão. This celebration, listed by the official Alijó Municipal Tourism office, is one of the many festas and romarias that animate the municipality throughout the summer, and it offers visitors to the Douro a rare chance to experience the religious traditions and warm hospitality of the region's people.
The festivity follows the classic pattern of Douro and Trás-os-Montes village celebrations: a solemn mass in honour of the saint, a procession through the village streets with flower-decked litters, followed by the arraial — an open-air party with music, regional snacks and, inevitably, a glass of Douro or Port wine produced on the very slopes that surround the village. Vale de Mendiz belongs to the united parish of Vale de Mendiz, Casal de Loivos and Vilarinho de Cotas, set in the heart of the Alto Douro Wine Region, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape.
For travellers staying in Pinhão, the trip is short and the scenery alone justifies it: the road climbing from Pinhão towards Vale de Mendiz and Casal de Loivos passes some of the most spectacular viewpoints in the entire Douro Valley, with the river winding between endless terraced vineyards. August is also pre-harvest season, when the vines are heavy with grapes and the landscape is at its most glorious.
Admission is free, as tradition dictates for village festas. It is advisable to confirm the detailed programme with the Alijó tourism office (+351 259 957 100), as the times of religious ceremonies and musical performances can vary from year to year. Combine your visit with a wine tasting at one of the nearby estates, such as Quinta do Bomfim or Quinta de la Rosa in Pinhão, for a perfect Douro day out.
