Waterfront Villa by Douro

Douro Garden spreads across two floors linked by a solid-wood spiral staircase. Upstairs, the social floor holds a living room with a contemporary fireplace, sofas and a dining table beneath modern artwork, while French doors open onto balconies over the river; the kitchen's corner windows look out to the opposite bank. Downstairs, four air-conditioned bedrooms with wooden flooring include a master suite with a private bathroom, bathtub and granite vanity, two further doubles, and a family room with bunk beds, books and games.

The house sits on the southern bank of the Douro in Avintes, a quiet parish known for its dark Broa de Avintes bread, sold in local bakeries. Porto and the wine cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia are 15 minutes away.

Mornings suit coffee on the balcony, river below, before a walk down the terraced garden. Evenings gather at the tile-decorated barbecue area, charcoal going, dinner laid outside as the water darkens.