"Wellness and wine may not seem like a natural fit—at least not if you go by the ascetic, alcohol-free programs of other health-focused retreats. But at this hotel, set amid the rolling vineyards of Portugal’s Douro Valley, they go together perfectly. Spend your days in the sunshine, luxuriating by the outdoor pool (or the indoor one, if the weather doesn’t cooperate), followed by an antioxidant grape facial or a deep tissue massage in one of its spa’s 10 treatment rooms; or sign up for one of the dozens of experiences on offer, including a jaunt to the local villages (via Tesla), where you can see the recently restored 12th-century Cistercian monasteries of S. João de Tarouca and Salzedas, followed by a tour of Quinta Viscondes da Várzea, an 18th-century manor house, and take a cooking class in its old school kitchen. There’s plenty to get you all the way outdoors, too, including helicopter tours, kayaking on the namesake river, and even good old-fashioned tree climbing, complete with climbing gear. And of course, there are ample opportunities to sample the local vino, both on property and off: for the former, book a session in the hotel’s wine library, where you can learn the basics of wine making and try a few yourself; for the latter, take a coordinated visit to some of the area’s boutique wineries, and try something new together." - CNT Editors, Betsy Blumenthal
