Take a Rabelo boat trip in Porto

In Porto flows the Douro, it is the main artery of the city, its major rib and a grandiose attraction which gives full meaning to the beauty of the city. To appreciate its full value, you can take a tour, a mini-cruise (or a longer one but we'll talk about that in another article) aboard a rabelo, a traditional flat-bottomed boat, a kind of barge! These boats have a history and are today a fun way to take a tourist trip, not to be missed during your stay in Porto.

Photos from the report: Porto City Guide

What is the rabelo, the traditional Porto boat?

Rabelos are traditional boats emblematic of Porto. Historically, they were used to transport barrels of Port wine, along the Douro River (fr) from the vineyards of the Douro Valley, to the aging cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. These boats were specially designed to navigate the sometimes white waters of the Douro. They are characterized by their tapered shape, their flat bottom and their sails. Today with safer and more modern means of transport, rabelos are no longer used as such, but they remain symbols of Porto's wine and maritime heritage. You will see them lined up along the river, they are waiting for you to take a ride!

Take a boat trip on the Douro

This is an essential activity during your stay. In addition to being fun, taking a boat trip (around 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes) allows you to see the city from a new and interesting perspective. You will pass by the 6 bridges of the city. We recommend that you embark at Vila Nova de Gaia, where the boats were initially docked, because the bottom was at the time more challenging on that side. Get your tickets (in advance in summer) and wait until it's time to board. You can go for a walk in the pretty streets of Vila Nova des Gaia behind the quays and observe the street art (fr) while you wait!

Taking a boat trip in Porto costs from 14 to more than 20 euros. The price difference is explained by the services. Sometimes you just have a soundtrack playing, other times it's a real guide who tells you the story of this exciting maritime epic, you can then ask him questions. There are also combined tickets for several activities (tuk tuk or cellar visits).

The boat we took left firstly up the river. We will sail until we see Ponte de Freixo. Here you can see larger cruise ships parked at the docks. These are the ones we take for longer epics towards the Douro Valley. You will pass under the Dom Luis bridge, then the Infante Dom Henrique bridge, then the Dona Maria bridge and finally the Sao Joao bridge. They are all very pleasant to see and you will be amazed by the city which nestles on the hill on both sides of the river, the banks are beautiful.

Turn around, head west and towards the ocean! We will cross the bridges we crossed to head towards the Arrabida Bridge. The estuary then becomes wider, we see the beaches of Porto beginning to take shape on one side and the other. Always take the time to look closely at the banks, you can see all of Sé and the Ribeira on one side and then Porto West with its terraced gardens, the quays with the warehouses. On the other side in Vila Nova de Gaia, the cellars are arranged with their signs to attract walkers. What show! We did this magnificent walk a little before sunset. With the end of the day lights stretching out it's a real feast for the eyes.

We wish you a pleasant boat trip in Porto!

Did you like our article? Find more on the Porto City Guide blog.

We also have a Porto City Guide Facebook page as well as an Instagram account @porto_city_guide