Sleep in a Giant Wine Barrel at Portugal's Quinta da Pacheca Estate

Have you ever loved a wine so much you wished you could just live inside the bottle? Well, good news: There’s a place for oenophiles to experience their favorite wine from the wine’s perspective — sort of.

At the Quinta da Pacheca estate in Portugal's wine-centric Douro Valley, guests at the vineyard can stay in giant, luxuriously appointed glamping pods designed to look exactly like wine barrels.

Glamping in a Wine Barrel

The 10 barrels were designed by property owners Paulo Pereira and Maria do Céu Gonçalves and sit near a hotel and spa on the vineyard's 140-acre estate. Each barrel is about 270 square feet and includes an elegant bedroom fit for a spa, a private bathroom with modern fixtures, a walk-in shower, a skylight for stargazing, a private terrace, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning. On the outside, each pod resembles an actual wine barrel, from its cylindrical shape and pine paneling to the metal hoops holding it together.

Booking a barrel costs upwards of £250 (about $270 USD) per night.

About Quinta da Pacheca

For more than 100 years, Quinta da Pacheca has been making Douro DOC and Port wines. In fact, it was the first in the region to bottle DOC wines back in the '70s. Over the years, the vineyard has opened its doors to tourism, welcoming visitors to shop, taste, and stay over at its 18th-century manor house-turned-Wine House Hotel. Guests are treated to world-class wine, dining, and hospitality.

Michelin describes Quinta da Pacheca as a "winery that combines classic charm with contemporary interior design and up-to-date boutique-era comforts." There's even an on-site spa whose treatments are inspired by winemaking (think "vineyard baths" and massages with grapeseed oil).

Things to Do at and Around the Estate

During your stay at the vineyard, you can enjoy wine tastings and sign up for experiences such as a cooking class or picnic. The hotel also has a gorgeous restaurant, winemaking facilities that guests can tour, and an extensive menu of spa treatments. Exploring the century-old estate’s vineyard and grounds is as easy as walking out your barrel door.

Quinta da Pacheca sits in the Douro Valley, a famous and UNESCO-listed wine region. Off the estate, you can go on organized wine tours, visit the various vineyards on your own, and learn about local winemaking traditions at the Museu do Douro. Activities not wine-related include kayaking and cruising the Douro River, taking in panoramic views from the São Salvador do Mundo viewpoint, driving the scenic Estrada Nacional 222, visiting the Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley, and hiking in the Douro International Natural Park, one of Portugal's largest protected areas.