Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia (or just Gaia) is south of the River Douro across the Ponte Luis I Bridge from Ribeira in Porto and is actually a separate town.
The district of Vila Nova de Gaia is best known as the home of several port wine lodges and warehouses (caves) and is the historic centre of the port wine trade.
The port wine lodges offer tours and tastings (in English) and a chance to take home a bottle or two of vintage port. Wine lodges in the area include such names as Barros, Calem, Cockburn, Croft, Ferreira, Graham's, Kopke, Osbourne, Ramos Pinto, Sandeman, and Taylor, Fladgate and Yeatman. Some of the lodges have introductory films and museums dedicated to port.
Enjoy five-star luxury and superb city views from the outdoor pool and spa at the Yeatman - a hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia run by the wine lodge. The wine cellar has one of the finest collections of Portuguese wine in the world.
The riverfront is lined with picturesque, wooden barcos rabelos, the traditional boats used to transport barrels of wine down the Douro River from the port wine estates.
There are also many cafes, restaurants and shops along the front, from where there are excellent views of the skyline in Porto.
Various river boat trips on the River Duoro begin from Gaia.
One of the best ways to enjoy Vila Nova de Gaia is from the new Teleférico de Gaia cable car which runs from Jardim do Morro over the rooftops.
It is a pleasure to wander the back streets and take in the historic architecture of the wine lodges. A pleasant church in the area is the Igreja de Santa Marinha, originally from the 17th century but rebuilt in the 18th century by the prolific Nicolau Nasoni.
WOW
WOW (World of Wine) is a new development in Gaia financed by the Fladgate Partnership, the owners of Port wine brands Taylor's, Croft, and Fonseca, as well as the Yeatman Hotel.
Former wine cellars and warehouses have been converted into museums, event spaces, restaurants and bars.
Altogether there are seven museum "experiences." These are the Wine Experience, Planet Cork, Porto Region Across The Ages, The Chocolate Story, the Pink Palace Experience dedicated to rosé wine, The Bridge Collection with a collection of drinking vessels and the Porto Fashion & Fabric Museum.
Places to eat and drink include the Root & Vine vegetarian restaurant, Pip, a family friendly eatery and T&C for Portuguese cuisine on the ground floor of WOW's Wine School, which is housed in a renovated port wine cellar.
For something lighter and sweeter try Suspiro, a dessert cafe or Vinte Vinte a cafe specializing in chocolate.
Access - Getting There
To get from Porto to Gaia either walk over the Ponte Luis I Bridge or ride Line D of the Porto metro over the bridge to Jardim do Morro Station, direction Santo Ovidio, just one stop from Sao Bento Station.
Porto bus #900 also runs from Trindade to Santo Ovidio via Gaia. The hourly 12M night bus also passes through Gaia from Av. Aliados.
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