On a trip to Portugal, we walked along the Douro River and the Atlantic coast from the Ponti Luis Bridge in Porto to Salgueiros Beach, Vila Nova de Gaia for a total of 8 kilometers one way. We also walked back the way we came, but you don’t have to – there is bus service or you could get a taxi (Uber and Bolt are both available.) This was a beautiful day out and a great way to see the river and coastline without joining a tour. Also, just to note, if biking is your thing, lots of people bike this route and biking here looked like a lot of fun.
We had a really nice time in Porto and there are a few other things we did that I really enjoyed so I have listed them in the Additional Recommendations section at the end of this post.
Detail Summary
| Where: | Ponti Luis Bridge in Porto to Salgueiros Beach Portugal |
| What: | Walking Route: This walk is along the Gaia side of the river (the south bank). For this walk, the basic directions are: With the river to your right, keep to the sidewalk or trail as close to the river as possible until you get to the ocean, then turn left and walk along the beach for pretty much as long as you would like. |
| Skill: | Easy – About 2 hr 30 min Length 8 km one way, relatively flat |
| Cost 2026: | No cost to walk. |
Additional Info
| Ponti Luis Bridge in Porto (google maps) Salgueiros beach (google maps) Salgueiros Beach (playocean.net) Get Your Guide – For food and boat tours in Porto 7G Cafe – For excellent coffee Jardin do Morro, Villa Nova de Gaia (google maps) São Bento Train Station (wikipedia) Jardins di Palácio de Cristal (google maps) Public washing Afurada (google maps) |
Getting There
We did this as a there and back walk for a total of 16 k. But you can do it as a point-to-point walk by either getting a bus back to Porto or by getting a Bolt or Uber. The start is the Ponti Luis Bridge in Porto, a landmark you can’t miss if you go from the old town down to the river.
This walk is along the Gaia side of the river (the south bank). For this walk, the basic directions are: with the river to your right, keep to the sidewalk or trail as close to the river as possible until you get to the ocean, then turn left and walk along the beach for pretty much as long as you would like. So, once we were by the river on the Gaia side with the river to our right, we just started walking.
The Route
After a look back at the bridge, we continued on our walk. This stretch along the river in Gaia is an old warehouse district that is now a tourist area with restaurants and port wine tastings. I recommend getting coffee at the 7G Cafe here. They have exceptional coffee that is more than worth the tourist prices they charge. One of the charming things about Portugal are the lovely tiled buildings (see picture three below), I can’t help but admire them. When the road curved around, we just tried to keep as close to the river as possible.
A good part of the trail was wooden boardwalk overhanging the river. The bridge we passed under (picture three) is the Ponte da Arrábida. This bridge is only for vehicle traffic, and you can’t walk across it. You can learn more about the bridges on one of the many boat tours on offer in Porto.
After passing under the bridge, we passed more lovely tiled buildings.
This was interesting – along the way, there is a traditional laundry house (Public washing Afurada). The pools in the building are for washing clothes and the sticks outside are where the clothes are hung to dry.
We tried to stay as close to the river as possible, but we got a little off track. When we realized we were a street away from the water, we course-corrected and walked closer to the water. When we first walked by, it was low tide and you can see the rocks and sand bars. When we walked back later, it was high tide, and I included pictures (three and four below) here for comparison.
The red path in picture one below is for bicycles only. This is a very popular biking area and it looked like a terrific place to bike. You can bike the entire way we walked, although for the section from the Ponti Luis Bridge almost to the ocean, the bikes share the road with cars. It looked reasonably safe, though and lots of people were biking.
Living in Switzerland, I miss the ocean and so for me the ocean is always a wonderful sight to see.
After we reached the ocean, we turned left and followed the coast admiring the beaches. Just gorgeous!
When we got to Salgueiros beach, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch and we each had a different preparation of cod fish (bacalhau), a very traditional dish in these parts.
After lunch, it was time to head back to Porto.
Getting Back
One last picture with the beach and then we needed to decide how to get back to Porto.
There is a bus stop here so we considered getting the bus – google says it takes one change and 50 minutes. We also considered calling a taxi (Bolt and Uber are also available and google says it takes about 20 minutes.) In the end, we decided we were enjoying the fine weather so much, we would just walk back. It really was a beautiful day! If you are ever in Porto, I recommend walking or biking this route.
Additional Recommendations
We had a really nice time in Porto and here are a few other things we did that I recommend:
Food Tour
We used Get Your Guide to do a food tour, which was tasty and a lot of fun. Be sure to try the famous pastel de nata custard tarts.
Boat Tour
We also did the 50 minute boat tour on the Douro river. For the boat tour, you can buy tickets on Get Your Guide or at one of several stands by the river.
Sunset at Jardin do Morro Park
I can also recommend going to Jardin do Morro, Vila Nova de Gaia to watch the sunset. Fantastic views from this hilltop park.
The São Bento Train Station
The tile work in the São Bento Train Station in Porto is more than worth a look. Fabulous!
Jardins di Palácio de Cristal Park
Go to Jardins di Palácio de Cristal for the excellent river views and to see to see the peacocks.
Coffee at 7G Cafe in Vila Nova de Gaia
I didn’t take a photo as I was too busy enjoying the excellent coffee at the 7G Cafe. More than worth the tourist prices they charge.
Porto is a wonderful city and perfect for a short getaway.
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