Porto: Douro River Cruise in a small Group With Port Wine

During the tour, you will have the opportunity to visit the most emblematic areas of both cities, from the sea. Some of the iconic elements you will view are the Wine Caves, the Ouro Street, Clerics Church, the Rabelo Boats (used to carry the wine barrels from the north of the river) and also the Douro Estuary, a protected area with a lot of wildlife.

Douro Marina opened to public in February 2012. Altogether, the work corresponded to an investment of 8.5 million euros, 2.5 million of which were allocated to floating equipment. The dock has the capacity to accommodate 300 vessels, up to 20 meters. The port has an area for boat repair and maintenance, shops, restaurants and some companies related to water sports.

Afurada is situated on the edge of the river Douro, almost next to the mouth and has an area of 6.500 inhabitants. Its first inhabitants were dedicated to fishing, being the same the almost and only economic activity.

The Arrábida Bridge is an arch bridge over the Douro River that connects Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia. Since the 1930s, it was necessary to create alternative connections to the old bridges (D. Maria Pia and Luís I bridges) in order to respond to the increasing flow of traffic. At the time of its construction in 1963, the bridge had the largest reinforced concrete arch of any bridge in the world. The Arrábida bridge was the second bridge between Porto and V. N. Gaia to be built for road traffic, being one of six bridges in the city of Porto. They are, in order of construction - Luís I Bridge, the Arrábida Bridge itself, the São João Bridge, the Freixo Bridge, and the Infante Bridge. On 22nd June 1963, the Arrábida Bridge was finally inaugurated, during the mandate of Nuno Pinheiro Torres, with four lifts so that pedestrians could overcome the distance of seventy meters from the river to the board, making pedestrian crossing much easier. In the mid-1990s, the lifts stopped working.

Founded in 1992, with the aim of preserving and displaying a large collection of electric cars and other vehicles, with great historical and heritage value, the Tram Museum provides visitors the possibility of getting to know up close the history and development of public transport on rails in the city of Porto. It is located in a building where the Massarelos Thermoelectric Plant used to operate, which was built in 1915 to produce energy for the electric vehicles that circulated in the city. Entering the tram is like plunging into the past. Its interior remains faithful to the design of the early 20th century, where wood and iron reign supreme. The backs of the seats have a peculiar characteristic: they move, allowing the passenger to choose which way to turn during the journey. When visiting Porto, be sure to board Line 1 and be amazed by the wonderful scenery of this unforgettable route.

It was built in 1776 and is divided in three parts, by pilasters: in the central part, a gate with a broken pediment, with a niche in which we can see the image of the patron saint, S. Pedro Gonçalves Telmo, and two columns topped with Corinthian capitals. At the top, two side windows and a circular window. At the sides, the bell towers are topped with ornaments on each side and topped by an iron cross. There is a clock between the bell towers and the cupola. The facade is covered with tiles.

Built in the second half of the 19th century, the New Customs building was designed by the French architect Jean Colson, following the strong mercantile dynamism that then characterized Oporto, centered on the banks of the Douro. The New Customs Building is then inaugurated, with a notorious contrast with the architecture of the old 15th century buildings, characteristic of Ribeira. Composed of a central body and two symmetrical side bodies, Colson essentially used iron in its construction, but with the particularity of adding other materials such as stone, small bricks and wood. However, as construction progressed, modifications and various types of structure were introduced: ashlar pillars and stone vaults on the ground floors, iron columns and vaults on the intermediate floors to metal and wooden structures. In the central body, the top floor is topped by a unique Riga oak roof. It is one of the largest and most awarded Congress Centre in the country

The Virtudes Municipal Park is located in what used to be the “Companhia Hortícola Portuense”. Designed by José Marques Loureiro (1830-1898), it was bought in 1965 by Porto City Hall and renovated in 1998. One of the peculiarities of this garden is that it is vertical, in other words, it develops in terraces down the slope, so that almost everywhere you have a unique view of the Alfândega, the Douro River, and Vila Nova de Gaia. O Palácio de Cristal, da autoria do arquitecto inglês Thomas Dillen Jones, foi construído em granito, ferro e vidro, tendo o Crystal Palace londrino por modelo. Instalados no centro do Porto, estes jardins foram projetados pelo berlinense Emil David (1839-1873), no âmbito da construção do próprio edifício do Palácio de Cristal.

Designed by the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni, the Clérigos Tower is more than 75 meters long and was completed in 1763. Initially its function was to be a bell tower, but over the years it has also been used as an orientation point for boats, as well as a strategic point for military battles. The visit to Clérigos Tower includes a walk of 225 steps to the top where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Porto and Gaia.

Vila Nova de Gaia waterfront has been an important shipyard and trading post since the 18th century. The Gaia Quay is famous for Port Wine, since it was here, for centuries, that the river port was located, from where various goods were exported and imported. The Rabelo boats would anchor here, and the barrels of wine would be unloaded to be aged in the cellars of the more than 50 wine companies in Gaia, where the already formed wine would be bottled and ready to be exported. Due to a major refurbishment, that ended in 2003, and made this quay even more attractive for leisure and tourism, this space won the 'Tourism Award - Enhancement of Public Space'. This is the area where all the Port Wine cellars are located. Most of them offer guided tours where they explain how the wine is made, stored and distributed, and teach how to distinguish different types of port wine through a tasting. There are about 30 different cellars.

Rabelo boats are typical from Douro River. For decades they transported the famous Port Wine between the remote wine region and the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Since there were no roads or railways, the producing farms had only the river as a means of transporting the barrels. At that time no dams had been built, so the Douro River was very treacherous, with fast currents that became more dangerous in the narrows and gorges. The task of sailing thus required experienced sailors who could bring the precious nectar to a safe port. With the completion of the railway line, it is believed that the last voyage of these vessels for the transportation of Port Wine took place in 1964.

The Ribeira is one of the oldest, most popular and typical places in the city. It is part of the Historical Center of Porto, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of medieval origin. It has always been an area of much commerce and movement of people, due to the proximity of the river. In this part of the city lived one of the most striking and charismatic personalities of the city, the Ribeira’s Duque, who became known for having saved several people from drowning. For this achievement, after his death a tribute was paid to him. The square next to the pillar of Luís I Bridge is named after him and has a memorial stone.

Situated by the upper deck of Luís I bridge, next to Serra do Pilar, Morro Garden presents an abundant green area, a children's playground and an open-air auditorium, frequently hosting shows. It also has a belvedere with panoramic views over the city of Porto and the Douro River.

The Serra do Pilar Monastery is an austere 17th century church that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. The church, classified as a National Monument, stands out for its circular floor plan, covered by an imposing hemispherical vault, surrounded by a balcony and crowned by a lantern. Inside, the gilded and white carved woodwork stands out. It preserves a beautiful cloister, also classified as a National Monument, with a circular vault with a central rib supported by 36 Ionic columns. This Mannerist monastery is a unique example in Portugal, as the church and cloister are circular in plan, a model that comes from civil architecture. Its geographical location was crucial in 1809 during the invasions by Napoleonic troops and in 1832-33 as a military base during the liberal struggles. Elevated to fortress status, it has since been converted into an artillery barracks.

Luís I bridge is the main connection between Porto and the neighbouring city of Vila Nova de Gaia. Made of metal, the bridge measures approximately 395 meters long and 8 meters wide, and is divided into two decks connecting both the upper and lower parts of the city. The man responsible for its construction is Théophile Seyrig, who built it on the orders of King Louis I, after whom it is named. Seyrig had already worked with Gustave Eiffel on the D. Maria Pia bridge and followed the architectural style of his master. Completed in 1888, the Luís I bridge is still today one of the most emblematic points of the city of Porto.

With 66.35 hectares, the Local Nature Reserve of the Douro Estuary is on the south bank of the river mouth, near the fishing village of Afurada and includes Cabedelo and São Paio Bay. Among the natural values it protects, the highlight goes to the birds that live here or pass through here and that can easily be observed, as it is located in the migratory corridor known as the “East Atlantic Route”. The visit can be made freely through the suspended walkway.

The Passeio Alegre Garden was designed in the late 19th century and is classified as a Public Interest Property. It was designed by the architect Émile David, who is also the architect of the Crystal Palace Gardens. It is a space rich in flora, and many of the trees here are centuries old. Visitors can enjoy the shade and admire the place where the waters of the Douro River merge with those of the Atlantic Ocean. You can find a granite fountain, designed by the architect Nicolau Nasoni, the author of Torre dos Clerigos. Known as the "turtle fountain", it was built in the 18th century to adorn the gardens of Quinta da Prelada, and only in the 20th century was it transferred to the Passeio Alegre Garden. The two obelisks, which mark one of the entrances to the garden, were also designed by Nasoni. Don't miss the bandstand, which is occasionally used as a stage for various concerts, and the public toilets, built in 1910.