How to discover the mouth of the Douro

I arrived in Porto one bright May evening with no huge expectations of the place or the people.  I was on route from Dublin courtesy of Ryanair.   My final destination was a villa in Lagos in the Western Algarve.   I planned to stay two nights in serviced apartment in Porto and learn a little about  Camino  Portuguese "The Portuguese Way".

Finding my way.

I had book a nice apartment Porto on www.golidaylets.com in the centre of the city.   My only challenge was to get there quick as my host was waiting and it was getting late.  In the end, the journey into Porto was uncomplicated.   There is a Metro do Porto station at the airport and once you figure out the station you want it's straightforward.  A word of caution at certain times ticket purchasing is by machine only.

When you finally arrive in Porto it will all be worth the effort.   Its an amazing beautiful city sitting on the side of the Douro.  Here the Douro river pushes into the cold Atlantic and the city on one steep river bank.  The steep city landscape is dotted with churches and palaces long since abandoned.

Very quickly I abandoned my quest to discover the start of Camino do Portuguese.   Instead of turning my attention to this ancient hug of the world port trade.   I set onto on foot heading down the steep sloped of terraced 3-storey buildings.   Occasionally stopping to reflect on the ingenuity of the skilled craftsmen that built such structures on such difficult terrain.  I stopped the watch the ongoing renovations of the city using modern cranes.

I eventually got to the scene of the regular photo you ll see of Porto,  The Meccano bridge built by the famous Gustave Eiffel.  For me a sight to behold it was well worth a visit just to walk across this magnificent structure.   Twice in the one day,  I know I am sad.

On the other side of the bridge, you enter Vila Nova de Gaia.  Quickly you ll relaise you in the heart of the cities port industry.  Names Cockburn, Grahams Croft and Sandeman appear in the distance.

My attention was drawn to a cable car running the length of the quayside to the top of the Eiffel bridge.   Needless to say, I used the occasion to take my trip on one.   For €6  and a visit to a port house excellent value. All in all a great city to visit.   If you're staying in a holiday rental Lagos old town or a villa in Vilamoura.   You can easily fly to Porto from Faro for as little as €40 return with Ryanair. Worth considering just to get a feeling for this city.

Tags:  Ryanair,  Metro do Porto, Camino do Portuguese, villa Lagos, holiday rental Lagos, serviced apartment Porto, villa Vilamoura,