PARKS AND BEACHES
1. Praia dos Ingleses
Foz do Douro • Open daily
Chic cafés and bars line the seafront promenade along this long, sandy beach at the mouth of the Douro. Praia dos Ingleses is the nearest beach to the centre of the city, so it is very popular with locals on summer weekends. It makes much of its Blue Flag status, which certifies that the water is safe and unpolluted.
Beachgoers on the Praia dos Ingleses
2. Jardim do Morro
Palm trees lend an exotic air to the Jardim de Morro in Vila Nova de Gaia. High above the river, it can be reached by cable car. It is also a fabulous place to watch sunsets, with a stunning view over the Douro, and is a popular spot for young locals to hang out.
View from the Jardim do Morro
3. Jardim de Cordoaria
Campo dos Martires da Patria • Open daily
Tree-lined walks surround a pond and lawns in this city park. Also known as the Jardim João Chagas, it was laid out in 1865. Look out for Spanish sculptor Juan Muñoz’s four groups of life-size figures, comprising the charming work Thirteen Laughing at Each Other, which was installed in the park in 2001.
4. Jardim Botânico do Porto
In the grounds of a former quinta (vineyard), Porto’s botanical gardens (see Jardim Botânico do Porto) form a lush haven where camellias blossom and tropical, sub-tropical and desert plants flourish among the neatly trimmed hedges and cool ponds and fountains.
5. Jardim do Passeio Alegre
This municipal park (see Jardim do Passeio Alegre), with tall trees and shaded avenues, was laid out in the 19th century next to the mouth of the Douro. The mini-golf course makes it a favourite with local families, and the resident flock of noisy green parakeets gives it a slightly tropical feel.
6. Parque da Cidade do Porto
The vast Parque da Cidade (see Parque da Cidade do Porto) is Porto’s biggest public green space and the largest city park in Portugal. A sprawling 83-ha (205-acre) expanse of decorative lakes, woodland, paths and cycle trails overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, it was laid out during the 1990s and landscaped to evoke the ruggedly verdant, boulder-strewn landscapes of northern Portugal’s Minho region.
7. Parque de Serralves
The manicured lawns, topiary and cypress-lined avenues of this aristocratic garden (see Parque de Serralves) were laid out in the 1920s by Carlos Alberto Cabral, Count of Vizela, and since 1996 have provided a verdant setting for the striking Modernist buildings of the Museu de Serralves. More than 200 species of exotic and native trees and flowering shrubs provide resplendent colour and greenery all year round.
8. Praia do Molhe
Although popular with locals, Praia do Molhe (see Praia do Molhe), with its Atlantic combers, rocks and less than 200 m (600 ft) of coarse pebbly sand, is a beach for looking at or strolling along rather than for swimming or sunbathing. Happily, there are plenty of cafés and bars from which to admire the fine view and the sunset.
9. Jardim das Virtudes
This pocket paradise is tucked away above the river. The garden (see Jardim das Virtudes) rises in a series of terraces and, as it faces west, it is a great place to watch the sun set over the Atlantic; it attracts crowds of locals for just that reason. There are plenty of restaurant options nearby.
10. Jardim do Palácio de Cristal
Built in 1861 in emulation of the legendary Crystal Palace created in London for the Great Exhibition of 1851, Porto’s Palácio de Cristal (see Jardim do Palácio de Cristal) was, sadly, demolished in the 1950s. Its formal gardens, however, survive, and their wide avenues of trees, fountains and neatly trimmed topiary make them a favourite spot for tourists and locals.
Fountain, Jardim do Palácio de Cristal
