Day 29 to 39 in Porto – Beach Walk and Bridges

We wanted to get down to the Atlantic Ocean and check out the coastal areas on both sides of the Douro River. It is supposed to be beautiful. It is a pretty easy bus ride, shuttle (in an old VW Van – haha) or tram ride to get there. Or you can choose to walk there, which would take about an hour. We decided that for our first beach walk day we would cross the river, over the Ponte Dom Luis I bridge, and take the old heritage tram that runs along the river and stops very close to the mouth of the river in an area called Foz do Douro. We could then walk the rest of the short distance and check out the coastal areas north of the Douro River.

In 1872, the Companhia Carril Americano (CCAP) opened the first mule tram line in Porto, connecting the Infante area of Porto with Foz do Douro. After the success of this line more trams were opened from the 1870’s to the 1890’s. In 1878 steam traction was introduced and slowly some of the lines were converted. Electric traction was introduced in 1895. The last mule-drawn car was retired in 1904, and electrification was complete with the elimination of urban steam engines in 1914. In 1946, the city purchased and operated the tram system and at its peak operated nearly 30 lines, but in the 60’s and 70’s most tracks closed due to a continuous dismantling of tram tracks and a preference for cheaper bus transport. In 1958, there were 192 tram cars. Today, there are 3 heritage tram lines in use seven days a week.

The tram that we would take to Foz is Line 1 and it runs every 20 minutes. We could easily take it back whenever we wanted so we thought was a great option to ride along in a historical tram. It didn’t work out that way though… We arrived to the Infante tram stop and there were 4 girls waiting on a bench. We waited….and waited and more and more people began to show up, and the tram was late. Pretty soon a man comes walking up and says we need to walk up along the tracks a short distance to the next stop as there was a building fire the day before and the tracks were blocked. So off to the next stop we went and noticed that the tram group was getting big… more that 25 people.

When we arrived to the next tram stop and there were several people waiting there as well. The tram only seats 15 people and then the rest have to stand and cram in. With our experience with waiting in lines in Spain, and the fact there there was no organized line for waiting and boarding the tram, we decided that we would just walk and let the mob fight it out. We were already 15 minutes into the hour walk so… why not?

We are really happy we decided to walk. There were just so many things that we would not have seen had we hopped on the tram. And we were able to stop at the grocery store for some items for a picnic. We stopped about 1/2 way to the coast and sat on a bench overlooking the river. It was such a nice view with a cool breeze that we decided to have lunch and a cold beer. It was very relaxing and fun to watch the river boats cruising by and the jet boats flying by. We also watched a helicopter tour company drop off and pick up passengers for a tour.

As we approached the mouth of the river, we came upon the first of 3 lighthouses, the Lighthouse of São Miguel-o-Anjo, which was under some renovation so we couldn’t really see it. It is a former hermitage and 16th century lighthouse. There was also an old gauge on this site that measures the tide. This was in a place known as “pilots”, because it was once the place where the boat pilots came up the Douro River were served. It was a nice place to get some pics and the tide gauge was cool and the views were amazing, but there wasn’t really anything explaining history and the buildings were not open so we moved on.

Next, we strolled further along a came into the Jardin de Passeio Alegre, which was a pretty green garden with a lake, lots of trees and shade, a small area with vendors selling their crafts and many Portuguese families having picnics. We thought this was a great place for a rest so we found a nice bench and had a seat for a bit. We have noticed all throughout Spain and Portugal that Sundays are family days. Families are always gathered together strolling, picnicking, having meals together or just hanging out in the plazas. Older adults bring their elderly parents out for meals and strolls. It is very nice to see the love.

As we continued to the mouth of the Douro River, a marine layer started rolling in and a breeze picked up. It wasn’t too chilly but amazing how quick the weather changed in just about a couple hundred meters.

Our destination was two concrete piers with walkways jutting out into the ocean. We walked down the larger pier first and there was a lot of activity with men fishing, friends gathering and people sunbathing. It was beautiful to look down into the clear ocean and watch the power of the water and then walk to the other side to see the river. There were tons of anchovies schooling on the surface and fish called thick lipped grey mullets feeding on plankton.

At the end of this pier we saw Farolins do Barra de Douro, the second lighthouse. We walked back up the pier and in between the two concrete piers there is a small protected beach called Praia das Pastoras where the water and wind is very calm. There were several people on this little beach. We sat and watched a toddler run from the water up the beach to get kisses and snacks from his Grandmother and then run back down to the water. The Grandfather chased protectively behind. It was so sweet.

We walked down the second pier and came upon the 3rd lighthouse called Felgueires. This 19th-century hexagonal lighthouse on the Douro River is 33 feet tall & constructed of granite. You can really see the power of the ocean from this pier. I think the tide was starting to come in a bit because the waves really started to crash and make some beautiful views for us. The waves can get very big here and crash against the piers causing beautiful splashes up and over the light houses and onto the piers. We weren’t lucky enough to witness that.

Porto’s beaches are beautiful and clean and have been awarded the Blue Flag. The Blue Flag is a certification award by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its stringent standards for quality, safety, environmental education and information. The Blue Flag is sought as an indication of their high environmental and quality standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization consisting of 65 committees in 60 member countries. Awards, are issued on an annual basis to beaches and marinas of FEE member countries. Spain has held the 1st position for nearly three decades since the awards began in 1987.

We continued on up the shore and passed by Praia do Carniere, Praia do Ourigo, Praia Dos Ingleses, Praia da Luz, Praia de Gondarém and Praia do Molhe… some busy, some not, some good for families and some beautiful rocky beaches with private small patches of sand that would be nice to relax on and have solitude… We should have brought our suits and a towel.

We also passed by Pergola da Foz, which looked really cool from a distance, but up close not so much. It was built in the 1930s. As the story goes, the Mayor of Porto’s wife at the time, had been so enchanted by the pergola of the “Promenade des Anglais” in the French town of Nice that she simply had to have the same in Porto.  There were so many girls taking selfies for their Instgram or Snapchat accounts…. what the heck. what is up with the posing and such… so silly. We love to watch them fix their hair, straighten their necklace, suck in the gut. etc. to look best for the photo.

We passed by a 16th century fortress called Fortaleza de São João da Fozca while walking back. It had a simple frame structure and has a monastery and church inside the walls. Throughout the years, during different wars and invasions, the fortress has been modified to meet the needs at the time. Today there fortress houses offices. We did not go inside.

One last interesting thing we saw walking home was the surface of the river shimmering in the sun in one spot. We looked closely trying to figure out what it was. The birds were not interested so we initially didn’t think it was bait fish, but as we stared at it for while it became apparent that larger fish were feeding on a school of anchovies balled up at the surface. I’ve never seen anchovies so thick that they were literally being pushed out of the water and flopping on each other. I think the birds had already eaten their fill but as you look closely you can see the larger, predatory fish breaking the surface of the water as they come up to feed.

Walking to the beach was fun and it felt good to be in the sunny outdoors with no real plans or agendas. We walked about 10-11 miles and it felt good…

There are six bridges in Porto that cross the River Douro. The city is known as “The City of Bridges” and the people of Porto are very proud of them, as they should be because not only are they functional, they are also landmarks…and very cool. It is said that two more bridges are planned to be constructed in the next 10 years. The city’s most famous tour is the 6 Bridges Tour. They classify the bridges by the following: the oldest, the newest, the most famous, the most controversial, the most futuristic and the most remote. On the tour, you can sit crammed on a boat with 25-150 of your best friends for 2 to 6 hours, depending on which boat/tour you choose. We passed. It is not our thing.

The most famous bridge in Porto is the Ponte Dom Luis I. We crossed this bridge t least twice a day each of the 12 days we were in Porto and sometimes four times. It is a double deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro between Porto and Gaia.  At its construction in 1879, its 564 ft span was the longest of its type in the world. The iron bridge was designed by a French civil engineer named Alexandre Gustave Eiffel…sound familiar?? He was most know for Paris’ Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. The top deck of the bridge has Metro Line rails going in both directions and a pedestian bridge. The lower level also has a pedestrian bridge and allows for motor traffic.

The Infante Bridge is the most recent addition to Porto’s bridges, and it is amazing because of its simplicity. The purity of its forms and the beauty of its elegant, thin shape makes it a nice bridge to view. At its 919 foot arch span, and 1217 foot length, the Infante Bridge stands out. This is even more so when it is beautifully lightened both on the parapets and under the arch.

The oldest bridge in Porto is Maria Pia Bridge, also known as Dona Maria. This is a railway bridge which was lifted in 1877 by of Eiffel himself, who also built this bridge, and was named after the queen of Portugal of the time. Today, it represents a monument, not only of Porto, but of the entire country. This is the reason why, even though Maria Pia bridge is out of service since 1991, it was not demolished, but by contrary, it stands as a popular touristic attraction and it is very treasured by the locals.

Considered by some Portuguese as one of the least attractive of all the bridges in Porto, Arrabida is nevertheless a tourists’ favorite. Designed by Edgar Cardoso (1913-2000), the best bridge engineer of Portugal, it was opened in 1963 as the concrete bridge with the longest arch in the world. Even though it lost that title, 886 foot long arch is still impressive enough. Arrabida is a road bridge but offers amazingly beautiful river sights, being positioned near the coast. You can also bridge walk across arch of this structure if you like which is where the tourist favorite comes in.

The Maria Pia Bridge was replaced by the futuristic São João Bridge, also built by Edgar Cardoso, between 1984 and 1991. It is located close to Maria Pia and spans 820 feet of the Duoro Bridge. Although it is beautiful looking and futuristic, this railway bridge does not represent such a popular attraction as the other bridges.

Maybe the least known and also, the least popular of them all is Freixo. The double road bridge is located in the eastern side of the city. It was finished in 1995, thus making it the second youngest bridge in Porto. It has 8 spans and measures 2313 feet in length and 98 feet in height.