Vila Nova de Gaia and the port wine cellars

Gaia, opposite the Ribeira

Vila Nova de Gaia lies on the south bank of the Douro, directly opposite the Ribeira. Gaia is a separate town with its own local government, but for visitors the waterfront with its port wine cellars (lodges) is very much part of a stay in Porto. From Cais de Gaia you look across the river to the rows of houses on the Ribeira and the old town on the hillside.

The link with port wine goes back centuries. From the 16th century onwards, foreign merchants settled in Gaia. The wine came downriver from the Douro Valley on rabelo boats and was stored in the waterfront cellars before being shipped. In the 19th century Gaia was the centre of the port wine trade. Many firms still run their cellars here today, along with museums and visitor centres.

Across the bridge and by cable car

The Luís I Bridge links Porto and Gaia on two decks. The upper deck opened in 1886 and the lower deck in 1888. It was designed by Théophile Seyrig, a pupil of Gustave Eiffel. The bridge is 395 m long and replaced an older suspension bridge.

• Lower deck: It leads from the Ribeira straight to Cais de Gaia. Cars and pedestrians share it, and it is the shortest crossing to the cellars.
• Upper deck: The metro runs across it, linking the area around the cathedral with Jardim do Morro on the Gaia side.
• Cable car: Since 2011, the Teleférico de Gaia has run between Cais de Gaia station on the waterfront and Jardim do Morro station at the top of the slope. It takes you from the riverside promenade to the upper deck of the bridge and the viewpoint at the Serra do Pilar monastery church without the climb.

If you take the metro to Jardim do Morro, you can enjoy the view at the top and then ride the cable car down to the waterfront.

The port wine cellars

The cellars are on the waterfront, for example along Avenida Diogo Leite, and in the streets behind it. The town of Vila Nova de Gaia keeps a list of houses open to visitors. A selection in alphabetical order:

Visits, tours and tastings

Each house organises its visits in its own way, from classic guided tours to self-guided audio tours.

• Cálem: Museum and cellar tour, either with a tasting or followed by fado. There is also a wine bar, a shop and a riverside terrace.
• Cockburn's: A guided tour of the cellars lasting about an hour and a half. On weekdays, the coopers are at work on the casks. Visits by reservation only.
• Graham's: A guided tour of the 1890 lodge with a port wine expert, with tastings also paired with food. The house has its own restaurant, Vinum, overlooking the Douro.
• Sandeman: Several formats, from a short cellar visit and a tasting with chocolate to longer workshops and an evening visit.
• Taylor's: A self-guided tour with an audio guide on your own phone, in 13 languages. Three wines are included in the visit, and further tastings and courses are available as extras.

Some houses require a reservation, Graham's for example from April to October. When booking online with Graham's, Cockburn's and Cálem, you confirm that you are of legal drinking age.

From the Douro Valley to Gaia

The grapes for port wine do not grow in Gaia but upriver in the Douro Valley. The vineyards on the terraced slopes have been a World Heritage Site since 2001 as the Alto Douro Wine Region. Rabelo boats once carried the casks downriver to Gaia. If you want to see where the wine comes from, combine a cellar visit with a day in the valley.

Serra do Pilar

Above the upper deck of the bridge, on the Gaia side, stands the Serra do Pilar Monastery. Together with the Luís I Bridge and Porto's historic centre, it has been a World Heritage Site since 1996. From the viewpoint at the monastery church you look down on the bridge, the river and Porto's old town opposite. The Jardim do Morro cable car station and the metro station of the same name are nearby.

For more sights on the other side of the river, see Sights, and for accommodation in both towns, see Where to stay.