In the 13th century, the Douro was the main means of transporting fruit and Port wine, thanks to the "Barcos Rabelos", flat-bottomed boats with no keel, a single mast and a square sail. They were the fastest and most efficient way of transporting barrels of wine from the Douro Valley to the city of Porto. From there, the wine was marketed and exported all over the world. Then, at the end of the 19th century, a railway line was built along the Douro, followed by carriage roads during the 20th century.
The activity began to decline and almost disappeared from 1961 onwards with the new hydroelectric programme, with several dams set up throughout Portugal to produce electricity and create water reserves to irrigate the land. At that time, there were only 6 barges left in operation, and today they have all been transformed into tourist activities with mini-cruises or just on display in front of the Porto wine cellars. On 24 June, St John's Day, if you are in Porto, you can relive this era with a regatta of barcos rabelos, to be seen in the afternoon on the Douro river.
