Rota Do Douro Bridges River Cruise

The bridges of Porto are as much a part of the city as its churches, and the simplest way to see them together is from the river. The Douro runs through a deep gorge here, and the six main bridges cross it at different heights and in different styles, from 19th-century iron arches to modern concrete spans. A short cruise on a replica of a traditional rabelo boat takes you beneath them in under an hour, with the city's old quarters climbing the slopes on both sides.

The rabelo is the old working boat of the Douro, a flat-bottomed wooden vessel with a square sail that once carried barrels of Port wine from the vineyards upriver to the lodges at Vila Nova de Gaia. The boats in service today are replicas, and many of them carry the names of Port houses painted on their sails, a reminder of the trade. They are stable, open and pleasant in good weather, and sitting low on the water gives a view quite different from the one you get from the quays.

The cruise runs along the stretch between Porto's Ribeira district and Gaia, passing the colourful houses of the Ribeira, the port lodges with their large painted signs on the opposite bank, and the old quays where rabelos once moored. Going upstream, you pass the bridges in turn. The Arrábida Bridge, a concrete arch of the 1960s, is the one nearest the sea. Then comes the Infante Dom Henrique Bridge, a modern pedestrian and metro crossing, followed by the double-deck iron Dom Luís I Bridge, which is the best known. Upriver stand the Maria Pia Bridge, a slender railway arch from 1877 designed by Eiffel's firm and now closed to trains, the São João Bridge, a rail bridge of the 1990s, and the Freixo Bridge further on. Commentary, often recorded in several languages, explains the history of the bridges and the city.

Boats generally leave from the Ribeira quay and from the Gaia waterfront, and there are frequent departures in the warmer months, with fewer in winter. Check current timetables and prices at the quay or online. The trip is open to the elements, so bring a hat and sun cream in summer and a light jacket in the evening, when it can be breezy on the water. Photographers find the late afternoon best, when the light is warm on the Ribeira.

The cruise is a good first activity in Porto, to get your bearings, or a relaxing break after walking the steep streets. It combines naturally with a visit to the port cellars in Gaia and a walk across the Dom Luís I Bridge. It suits families, couples and anyone who likes to see a city from the water.