Day trips into Porto & Gaia

The twin cities of Porto and Gaia, are separated and joined by the Douro River. Perfect for a day visit, they are just 20 minutes way by train from our house and offer many attractions to visitors.

The suggestions above provide a few options, covering culture, food and sightseeing.

Different walks through downtown Porto:

• Travel to Porto – São Bento.
• From São Bento go up to the Batalha square, then along Rua Sta Catarina (check the Café Majestic), then pass by the Bolhão Market and into the Av dos Aliados, where the City Hall (Stadthaus) is located. Stop by the Café Guarani.
• From the Av dos Aliados, go up the Rua de Ceuta into the Praça Carlos Alberto, Igreja do Carmo (check the tiled walls outside), University of Porto and then towards the Clérigos tower (which you can climb). Nearby is the Portuguese Photography Center, in the old main jailhouse (interesting building with different exhibitions).
• From the Clérigos area, check the Parque das Virtudes (with a stupendous view to the riverside), then go towards Mercado Ferreira Borges. Nearby, visit the Arab Room in the Palácio da Bolsa (highly recommended) and the Church of S. Francisco or Casa do Infante.
• From here you can go down to the Riverside / Ponte D. Luís. Or you can also go up to the Main cathedral (Sé) through the really old neighbourhoods.

Gaia Wine Cellars and Porto’s Riverside

• Take the train to Gaia – General Torres. Once you come up from the train station, there is a very nice classical villa (casa Barbot).
• From here, you have two options to reach the riverside of Gaia:
  1. walk down the main Avenue until you reach the bridge D. Luis. On the right, there is Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar (great viewpoint); on the left, the Jardim do Morro. There is a cable car station (Göndoli) that travels over the dockside until the Cais de Gaia. You can also walk down along the streets, down the hill, a very nice alternative.
  2. From General Torres, you can go straight down the Rua de Camões, and down to the river. This takes you through the old wine cellars, typical neighbourhoods and some very interesting buildings.
• Once you’re on the riverside, you can visit the wine cellars and try to get lost in the small streets of the main tourist parts (check the Convento Corpus Christi, for example).
• From the riverside of Gaia, you can walk up to the Ponte D. Luis, and cross the lower level to the Ribeira, the riverside of Porto. From there, you can walk up to Porto São Bento.

From Downtown to the seaside

• From the Palácio da Bolsa, walk along the river to the World of Discoveries (15min walk). From there, you can travel with the Eléctrico (old tram cars) Linha 1 along the river until the Passeio alegre by the Foz, the seaside (very nice!).
  1. Across the street from the World of Discoveries are also the Museu dos Transportes e Comunicações (Transportation Museum) and the old Alfândega (Zollhaus). Further along is the Port Wine Museum (very small). Along the way with the Eléctrico you can also stop at the Museu do Carro Elétrico.
• At the Passeio Alegre, Foz, you have the Park (with minigolf) and the Fortress. From there, you can go along the seaside for circa 2km until Castelo do Queijo. Along the way, you have several beaches and nice restaurants/cafés (Praia do Ourigo/Praia da Luz). This part of the city (Foz and Boavista) is one of the traditional upscale areas of Porto.

Seafood & Arts

• Travel to Matosinhos, where the fishing docks are, in the morning. Visit the fish market, walk around the old part. Go for lunch in one of the seafood restaurants. Afterwards, you can walk along the beach/seaside to Castelo do Queijo. You will pass by the Cruise Harbour, the Sealife Aquarium and the City Park (a very nice green area).
• From the Castelo do Queijo, you can take the bus up the Av da Boavista and go visit the Casa de Serralves and the gardens (very recommended!).
• Afterwards, you can travel further up the Av da Boavista to the Casa da Música (it is worth taking the tour inside). For a light snack/light meal, you have the Casa da Boavista across the street (and old classical villa with an amazing interior & decoration). Afterwards, you can take the tram back to Av dos Aliados/São Bento train station, and from there go back to Gaia.