FOZ DO DOURO
For a great day out, foodies, window-shoppers and beachgoers love to ride the vintage Line 1 tram, which rattles along the riverside from the city centre to Foz do Douro, where the river meets the sea and Atlantic combers break on a string of sandy beaches and rocky shores. The original fishing village of Foz Velha, with its pretty old houses, has evolved into an upmarket neighbourhood dotted with trendy boutiques and galleries. The cafés and beach bars scattered along the west-facing waterfront boulevards are perfect places to catch some rays or watch the sun set over the ocean. A wide city park and a riverside garden add splashes of greenery, while for history buffs there are historic lighthouses and an imposing fortress. In the very heart of the district, a lively market has become a social hub filled with food stalls and cafés, and a stunning public art installation by Janet Echelman.
1. Parque da Cidade do Porto
Ave da Boavista • 225 320 080 • Open 9am–11pm Mon, 7am–midnight Tue–Sun
Porto’s biggest public park is an endlessly charming mix of lawns, ponds and landscaped lakes where ducks, geese and swans paddle, and wilder sections of woodland designed and planted to resemble the lovely landscapes of the city’s northern Minho hinterland. Walking trails and cycle paths loop through these green expanses, so the park is a favourite getaway for joggers and families at weekends. There are superlative ocean views from the west end of the park.
One of the ponds in the Parque de Cidade do Porto
2. Jardim do Passeio Alegre
Rua do Passeio Alegre
Families of green parakeets screech from the tops of tall palm trees in this waterfront park. It is one of the most family-friendly open spaces in Porto, with swings and roundabouts for children, and an entertaining mini-golf course. However, the pièce de résistance is a 1910 Art Nouveau pavilion, within which lurks one of the world’s coolest toilets – their tiles are a triumph of the ceramicist’s art.
Fountain in Jardim do Passeio Alegre
3. Sea Life Porto
Rua Particular do Castelo do Queijo 1a • Open mid-Jul–Aug: 10am–6pm Mon–Fri • Adm • www.visitsealife.com/porto
Great for families with children, but also guaranteed to release the curious inner child in any grown-up, Sea Life aims to entertain and educate with multiple tanks in which native and exotic sea creatures frolic. The focus is on species from Portugal’s mainland coasts and Atlantic islands, as well as those from the depths of the Douro river and its nearby estuary. A transparent tube that allows visitors to walk through a huge shark aquarium is a particular highlight.
4. She Changes
Praça da Cidade do Salvador
This monstrous but marvellous installation, created in 2005 by American artist Janet Echelman, hovers like a jellyfish near the Atlantic. Layers of intricate metal mesh are suspended from a leaning tripod of steel poles to create the towering yet fragile-seeming 27-m (89-ft) structure that has become a well-loved symbol of Foz do Douro.
She Changes floating off the ground
5. Farol Senhora da Luz
Alto Monte da Luz • Closed to the public
Sadly, the light is out and there is nobody home at this sturdy, but somewhat shabby, little building with its adjacent eight-sided, two-storey tower. It sits in a small park atop the Monte da Luz, a relatively low hill that overlooks the Praia de Gondarem. Erected in 1761 on the orders of the modernizing Marques de Pombal, its green beacon once guided ships safely towards the mouth of the Douro. The lantern was removed and the lighthouse was decommissioned in the 1920s, and there remains a sense of typically Portuguese saudade (yearning) here – but it is worth a visit just for the view and fresh ocean breeze.
6. Praia do Molhe
Ave do Brasil
Locals flock to Praia do Molhe in summer, but visitors hoping for a Riviera-style beach experience may be disappointed. With less than 200 m (600 ft) of coarse pebbly sand, it isn't the finest beach around. Nevertheless, it is still rammed with local families on summer weekends, and washed by cold Atlantic waves for the rest of the year. That said, the same waves make for a mesmeric view from the numerous lively and comfortable cafés and bars above the waterline, and it is still largely tourist-free and family-friendly.
A quiet spring day on Praia do Molhe
7. Praia de Gondarém
Ave do Brasil
This sun-kissed stretch of golden sand separated by rocky spurs is a magnet for Porto city-dwellers, especially on summer weekends. Its much-touted Blue Flag status for water purity is an undoubted attraction. Like many of Porto’s beaches, this is not a strand for faint-hearted bathers accustomed to warmer Mediterranean waters: the Atlantic is chilly at the best of times, even when the summer sun is at its hottest. Happily, this popular strand has a plethora of beach bars, some with sun-loungers and shade-giving parasols, where sunbathers can kick back with a cold beer or a refreshing glass of vinho verde and top up their tans without putting themselves at risk of hypothermia.
8. Fortaleza de São João Baptista da Foz
Esplanada do Castelo • 226 153 440 • Open 9am–5pm Mon–Fri
Built at the end of the 17th century to command the mouth of the Douro, this formidable fortress with its ring of granite bastions was strengthened still further with even more massive additions to its defences in the 18th century. Appropriately enough, parts of it are still used by the Portuguese armed forces, but during the day visitors can walk round the ramparts. The fortress also hosts occasional art exhibitions.
9. Fortaleza de São Francisco Xavier
Praça de Gonçalves Zarco • Open Apr–Oct: 1–6pm Tue–Sun; Nov–Mar: 1–5pm Tue–Sun • Adm
It takes some imagination to perceive the crag on which this 17th-century mini-fortress sits as a giant slice of cheese, but the resemblance earned the imposing edifice its alternative name, Castelo do Queijo (Castle of the Cheese). Officially it was named after named after the militant Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier (1506–52), whose remains rest in the former Portuguese colony of Goa in India. With its square of ramparts and corner turrets, the Fortaleza de São Francisco Xavier was part of Porto’s defences against the threat of assault from Spanish invasion. Its military history is commemorated in a small museum.
Fortaleza de São Francisco Xavier
10. Mercado da Foz do Douro
Rua de Diu • 226 176 836 • Open 7am–7pm Tue–Fri, 7am–5pm Mon & Sat
There's something to please all tastes at this market. It was originally the neighbourhood’s covered produce market, where locals did their daily shopping. With a new facelift, it now appeals to Porto hipsters too. There are still plenty of market vendors peddling fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, seafood and sausages, but alongside are also lots of street food stalls selling snacks with authentic local flavour, and wines to match.
A DAY IN FOZ DO DOURO
MORNING
Start the day by capturing an image of the Farol das Felgueiras lighthouse tower, perched above the harbour channel at the southern end of Foz’s seaside boulevard. Then head to the Fortaleza de São João Baptista da Foz to stroll around its ramparts and admire the view before walking a few blocks inland to the Mercado da Foz do Douro to nibble on some street food. Stroll up the esplanade to Praia do Molhe, where you can enjoy a bracing Atlantic dip, or for the less adventurous, a beer or a glass of vinho verde at a seaside café, before lunching at A Xicara. The menu here has a strong local accent, with seafood and traditional delights such as the city’s signature dish, tripas à moda do Porto, tripe stew.
AFTERNOON
Take a quick peek at Fortaleza de São Francisco Xavier on its low crag, then walk to the Parque da Cidade do Porto, the city’s largest park, to spend a couple of hours exploring the perfectly manicured landscaped gardens, and taking in yet more fabulous views of the Atlantic. Find out more about the unique aquatic ecosystems of the Douro and its coastline at the lakeside Pavilhão da Água. Take a taxi back into town, and finish off the day with dinner at Michelin-starred Pedro Lemos, where multicourse tasting menus feature locally sourced ingredients accompanied by carefully chosen wines.
The Best of the Rest
1. Jardim do Cálem
Rua de Sobreiras • 228 349 499
This small but attractive riverside garden near the Douro’s mouth is shaded by cork oaks and poplar trees.
2. Praia do Homem Leme
Ave de Montevideo 196
A statue of a sailor gazes out over this miniature sandy cove, honouring the fishermen of Foz do Douro.
3. Pavilhão da Água
Parque da Cidade do Porto • Adm • www.pavilhaodaagua.pt
This visitor centre in the Parque da Cidade do Porto shows the importance of water in a fun and interactive way.
4. Jardim Antero de Figuereido
Rua da Cerca
A memorial garden for novelist Antero de Figuereido (1866–1953), this a pleasant place for walkers to rest while exploring Foz do Douro.
5. Parque Urbano da Pasteleira
Rua de Diogo Botelho • Open Apr–Sep: 8am–11pm daily; Oct–Mar: 8am–8pm daily
The woodlands, lakes and lawns in this 3-ha (7-acre) park make for a favoured spot for a summer picnic.
6. Pergola da Foz
Ave do Brasil
This charming 1930s colonnade on the Foz do Douro esplanade is typical of the Porto bourgeoisie’s penchant for imitating the fashions of other European nations.
The sweeping Pergola da Foz, inspired by the Promenade des Anglais in Nice
7. Jardins da Avenida de Montevideu
Ave de Montevideu
Benches decorated with pretty azulejo tiles are a highlight of this long, thin seaside park that is also an excellent vantage point for sunset.
8. Jardim de Sobreiras
Rua dos Sobreiras
Palm trees soften the otherwise stony outlines of this cobbled stretch of waterfront, which has good views.
9. Farol de São Miguel-o-Anjo
Closed to visitors • www.monumentos.gov.pt
Unassuming though it seems, this can claim to be among the oldest lighthouses still in existence.
10. Farol das Felgueiras
Ave de Dom Carlos • No admission to tower
At the southern end of Foz’s seafront, this 17-m (56-ft) granite lighthouse tower, with its red-painted lantern, was erected in 1886 and served the fishermen of Foz do Douro until its light was decommissioned in 2009.
Restaurants
1. Melhor Bolo do Chocolate do Mundo
Ave do Brasil 412 • 222 082 727 • Closed Sun • €
Claiming to make “the best chocolate cake in the world”, this restaurant offers gorgeously gooey confections.
2. Casa Vasco
Rua do Padrao 152 • 226 180 602 • €€
The Basque-style petiscos at this trim modern restaurant have a strong maritime flavour, with dishes such as oysters, prawns and tuna tartare.
3. Pedro Lemos
Rua do Padre Luís Cabral 974 • 220 115 986 • Closed Mon • €€€
For a special treat, this gourmet restaurant is hard to beat. The multicourse tasting menus are seasonal and paired with regional wines.
4. A Capoeira
Esplanada do Castelo 63 • 226 181 589 • Closed Sun • €
Grilled beef, lamb, pork and veal, along with fresh seafood, are mainstays at this attractive restaurant.
5. Casa Rocha
Rua da Senhora da Luz 424 • 910 320 262 • Closed Sun • €
The unpretentious menu matches the setting here, with simply prepared offerings such Porto’s traditional bolinhos bacalhau (cod fishcakes) and alheira sausages.
6. A Xicara
Rua Gondarem 912 • 226 180 401 • Closed Sun • €
More than just a tea salon, A Xicara serves up a delicious pot of tea, sticky teacakes and flaky custard pastries, along with many traditional savoury dishes such as the infamous tripas à moda do Porto.
7. Tasca do Bairro
Rua do São Bartolomeu 20 • 226 182 079 • Closed Sun dinner • €
For a special treat, go for the lavagante (lobster) or the grilled tiger prawns at this tasca, housed in an appealingly ramshackle building.
8. Tentaçõês no Prato
Rua da Senhora da Luz 97 • 226 182 738 • Closed Mon • €
Locals like the very traditional menu at this lively family tavern close to the sea. Booking ahead is advisable.
9. Cêpa Torta
Rua de Gondarem • 226 181 056 • Closed Sun • €€
Affordable and filling pasta dishes, with an array of meat, meat-free and seafood sauces, are excellent here.
10. Tavi
Rua da Senhora da Luz 363 • 226 180 152 • €
Fabled for its pastries, ices, chocolates, bolo de arroz (rice cake) and other cakes, this confeitaria (confectioner) is a favourite with Foz do Douro’s sweet-toothed locals.
Covered terrace at Tavi