River Views From The Ribeira District

The Ribeira is the oldest riverside quarter of Porto and the place where most visitors first meet the Douro. It lies at the foot of the hill on which the cathedral stands, with a tangle of narrow streets and steep stairways climbing behind and a long quay in front, and it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the historic centre of Porto in 1996. The area was for centuries the trading quarter, where goods arrived by boat from the interior and ocean, and the tall, narrow houses with their colourful facades and iron balconies reflect that mercantile past.

The views from the waterfront are the main reason to come. Across the river rise the slopes of Vila Nova de Gaia, with the old lodges where Port wine ages, their names painted in large letters on the roofs, and above them the green gardens of the Serra do Pilar. To the east, the big iron arch of the Dom Luís I Bridge, completed in 1886 by a pupil of Gustave Eiffel's engineering circle, spans the gorge on two levels. Farther upriver the Maria Pia bridge, built by Eiffel's company in 1877, stands in the distance. Traditional flat-bottomed rabelo boats, once used to bring the barrels of wine down from the Douro valley, are moored along the quay and still add colour.

The main square, the Praça da Ribeira, has stone arches, small cafés, and a modern sculpture known as the Cubo da Ribeira, and in the evening its terraces fill with people. Nearby, the Casa do Infante is the building traditionally said to be the birthplace of Prince Henry the Navigator, born in Porto in 1394, and it now holds exhibitions and the city's historic archive. Steep alleys lead up to the Palácio da Bolsa, the Igreja de São Francisco, and the cathedral, and the Funicular dos Guindais offers a ride up the slope.

The quay is at its best at sunset, when the light turns the river gold and the lodges of Gaia glow. It is also lively at night, with street musicians and diners. The area can be crowded in summer, and the steep, cobbled lanes call for sturdy shoes.

The Ribeira suits all visitors, and it is a natural first stop for a walk. A cruise on the river gives another angle on the bridges.