Gaia Waterfront route

On this route, you will be enchanted by the left bank of the Douro River down to the sea. Along the way, we will pass through some historical neighborhoods that border the river, from historical areas, through S. Pedro da Afurada, to Miramar. We start the tour at the historic center of Porto, and continue to Gaia, on the south bank of the Douro River. We pause at the Serra do Pilar viewpoint and marvel at the view of the riverfronts of the two cities. This is a special spot to watch the sunset. We follow our route through the twisting streets of Gaia's historic center, passing by the Port Wine Cellars. We arrive at the river bank and observe the last Rabelo shipyard, still in activity. We follow the road that borders the Douro, with a stunning view over the city of Porto. We pass under the famous Arrábida Bridge and we meet the fishermen's quarter, São Pedro de Afurada. In this picturesque neighborhood of Gaia, we can observe the typical houses of the fishermen's families, the market, and the public washinghouse. Next door we have the modern Douro Marina, followed by the Local Natural Reserve of the Douro Estuary, where we take a short break. After birdwatching at the Reserve, we continue our trip down to the mouth of the Douro River, stopping at Cabedelo Beach to observe the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean and the river, we can see on the north bank, the Foz do Douro district. At the Atlantic coast, we will appreciate the white sand beaches, all blue flagged, during 15 km of coastline, until we reach Miramar. We will visit the Capela do Senhor da Pedra (Chapel), built in 1686, in the 17th century and renovated in the 1930s.