Octant Douro’s cantilevered design, set amid the botany of green wine terraces and with gasp-inducing vistas of the UNESCO-protected Douro Valley, is extraordinary. There are 59 rooms, four suites and 20 spacious private residences, some with picturesque plunge pools which meld into the Douro’s natural surrounds. We stayed in a two-bedroom house with a private plunge pool, which was like our own Douro residence in terms of both space and style. Lisbon-based interior designer Cristina Jorge de Carvalho led the hotel’s makeover with a focus on earthy hues, plenty of natural light and Portuguese handcrafted furnishings, art, tiles and crockery (with a nod to local stoneware company Costa Nova). There are two restaurants on site – À Terra and Raiva. The latter is the jewel in the hotel’s crown, helmed by chef Dárcio Henriques and a love story to the local produce and culture – lobster and crab-filled tortellini; poached seabass plucked straight from the glistening river, Bisaro pork paired with sparkling Douro wine. At the spa there are three glassy swimming pools – including two bonny outdoor locations – a hydrotherapy circuit, Turkish bath and spa treatments with natural, vegan Moss of the Isles and seaweed-based VOYA skincare products. The Douro Valley is one of the world’s oldest demarcated wine regions, so one of the best things to do is visit the nearby vineyards, spanning from Port to gooseberry-crisp Vinho Verde. To see more of the area, guests can also book the Octant boat, which offers one- or two-hour journeys past the region’s green terraces and farms. Rachel Everett
Price: Rooms from around £270 per night.
