Porto : Douro River Cruise with Local Wine Tasting

The Arrábida Bridge is a bridge over the river Douro that connects Porto with Villa Nova de Gaia. Since the 1930s it was necessary to create alternative connections to the old bridges (Pontes D. Maria Pia and Pontes Louis I) to respond to the growing flow of traffic. At the time of its construction, in 1963, the bridge had the largest armed concrete bow of all the bridges 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 the six bridges in the city of Porto. They are, by order of construction - Louis I Bridge, the Arrábida Bridge itself, the São João Bridge, the Freixo Bridge and the Infante Bridge. On June 22, 1963, Nuno Pinheiro Torres finally inaugurated the Arrábida Bridge, with four elevators so that the pedestrians could cross the distance of seventy meters from the river to the board, making pedestrian crossing much easier.

Congress Center

Ribeira is one of the oldest, most popular and typical sites in the city. It is part of the Historic Center of Porto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of medieval origin. It has always been a zone of much trade and movement of people, due to the proximity of the river. In this area of the city lived one of the most prominent and charismatic personalities of the city, the Duke of Ribeira, who became known for having saved several people from drowning. For this achievement, after his death he was given a tribute. The square next to the Pillar of the Louis I Bridge bears its name and has a memorial

The Louis I bridge is the main connection between Porto and the neighboring town of Villa Nova de Gaia. Made of metal, the bridge measures approximately 395 meters long and 8 meters wide and is divided into two boards connecting the upper and lower parts of the city. The man responsible for its construction is Théophile Seyrig, who built it on the order of King Louis I, from whom it was 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 Louis I bridge is still today one of the most iconic points of the city.

With 66.35 hectares, the Douro Estuary Local Natural Reservation is on the south bank of the river foz, near the Afurada fishing villa 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 be easily observed, because it is located in the migratory corridor known as “Route of the East Atlantic”. The visit can be made freely through the suspended pavement.

Rabelo boats are typical of the Douro River. For decades they transported the famous Port Wine between the remote wine region and the cellars of Villa 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 river Douro was very treacherous, with rapid currents that became more dangerous in the narrow streams. The task of sailing therefore required experienced sailors who could carry the precious nectar to a safe harbor. With the completion of the railway line, it is thought that the last voyage of these vessels for transportation of Port Wine took place in 1964

Founded in 1992, with the aim of preserving and exposing a vast array of electric cars and other vehicles, of great historical and heritage value, the Electric Car Museum provides the visitor with the possibility to get to know the history and development of public transport on rails. in the city of Porto. It is installed in a building where the Massarelos Thermoelectric Central operated, built in 1915 to produce electricity for the electric vehicles that circulated in the city. Getting in the tram is like dive into the past. Its interior remains true to the design of the early 20th century, where wood and iron reign supreme. The seat backs have a peculiar feature: they move, allowing the passenger to choose which side to turn to during the journey. When visiting Porto do not fail to embark on Line 1 and be surprised by the wonderful landscapes of this unforgettable route.