Mr & Mrs Smith

My husband and I decided to take a well deserved second honeymoon, but we were undecided as to where would be suitable for a week’s break. We contacted Mr & Mrs Smith and we were absolute thrilled with the excellent customer service we received. They really took the time to work through our requirements and find us the perfect location. Aquapura is on oasis of calm, luxurious and decadent surroundings, where the staff are extremely helpful and attentive to your every need. This is a truly wonderful hotel and spa and we would wholeheartedly recommend it for a romantic break.

Top tip for Aquapura based on our visit in September 2010:

- The wine and river tour organised by the hotel is a must. There is no better way to see the beauty of the Duoro valley than to take a cruise down the river from Pinhao. The hillsides, covered in vines, descend elegantly into the water, with beautiful vistas unfolding at each turn. If you are lucky, you might even get a chance to pilot the boat for a stretch! But it was the lunch at Niepoort that really made our experience special. Not knowing what to expect, we were immediately welcomed and sat at a long table to join the staff lunch. Course after delicious homemade course came without end from the kitchen. And the host, Duoro Boy Dirk Niepoort, was more than generous with both stories of his wine making adventures as well as tastings of the wine itself. All in all a great day and a unique way to learn about this special region.

Not having a hire car needn't hamper a visit to the Douro Valley. The hotel arranged cheap, local taxis whenever we wanted them and, in all fairness, the drivers were far more blasé about the precarious mountain roads than we would ever have been. One Wednesday (market day, by good fortune) we visited a typical, no-frills Douro town called Lamego. For the energetic, it is worth climbing the steps to the sky-scraping cathedral, with its murals, fountains and breath-taking views of the valley. The hike took two reasonably fit 30-somethings precisely 28 minutes and a litre of water to reach the top, but it was worth it for the view alone. Oh, and the well-earned cheese sandwich and ice-cold white wine which waited at a small butcher's bar off the little high street – the best cheese sandwich and white wine in the world.