Vila Nova da Telha Trip Overview
Nothing beats having a driver-guide waiting for you at the airport who, instead of taking you directly to your hotel, will take you around the city in a comfortable luxury vehicle.
On this tour he will introduce you to the city and its people, talking about its history, personalities, geography, heritage and gastronomy. Better than anyone, he can recommend you the places to visit and the best to taste our wines, gastronomy and listen to our traditional music “Fado”, which has been declared by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity!
This tour will pass through the Atlantic coast of Porto and its beaches, the mouth of its famous Douro River, its castles and lighthouses, continuing along the riverfront to the city centre, where you can enjoy the beauty of the slopes of Gaia and Porto, passing by down 5 of its 6 bridges before heading to the hotel.
You can also take this tour in the opposite direction, from Porto city centre to the airport, enjoying this city a little more!
Additional Info
* Duration: 1 to 2 hours
* Starts: Vila Nova da Telha, Portugal
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Vila Nova da Telha, Porto District, Portugal
Nothing beats having a driver-guide waiting for you at the airport who, instead of taking you directly to your hotel, will take you around the city in a comfortable luxury vehicle.
On this tour he will introduce you to the city and its people, talking about its history, personalities, geography, heritage and gastronomy. Better than anyone, he can recommend you the places to visit and the best to taste our wines, gastronomy and listen to our traditional music “Fado”, which has been declared by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity!
This tour will pass through the Atlantic coast of Porto and its beaches, the mouth of its famous Douro River, its castles and lighthouses, continuing along the riverfront to the city centre, where you can enjoy the beauty of the slopes of Gaia and Porto, passing by down 5 of its 6 bridges before heading to the hotel.
You can also take this tour in the opposite direction, from Porto city centre to the airport, enjoying this city a little more!
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Porto Airport, 4470-558 Moreira, Portugal
Porto Airport was inaugurated in 1945 with the designation of Pedras Rubras Airport and is located 11 km northwest of the city of Porto. In 1990 there’s a new terminal opening, which changed its designation to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. In 2000, under the new Master Plan, the new terminal underwent profound changes, transforming itself into a modern infrastructure that was inaugurated in 2005, prepared to respond with quality to the increase in registered air traffic flow and to the needs of all those who pass here. Since then, he has won several awards.
Regarding Service Quality, in 2017, it was again distinguished by the Airports Council International (ACI), as the 2nd Best European Airport for airports with over 2 million passengers / year, this being the 11th prize in the last twelve years, a distinction it has been maintaining since 2006.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Port of Leixoes, Avenida da Liberdade, Leca da Palmeira 4450-718 Portugal
Placed amidst an attractive tourist destination, Porto, Leixões has increased its cruises’ operation. Following the open of the new Cruise Quay, in April 2011, the Port of Leixões started to have two docking berths for cruises and to receive larger ships (up to 300m). In 2012, the number of passengers increased 81% and the number of ships 25%. 75.613 passengers have visited Porto. In 2013 the Port of Leixões expects around 70 cruise calls corresponding to more than 66.000 passengers and 30.000 crew members visiting the region.
Stop At: Castle of the Cheese, Praca Goncalves Zarco 20, Porto 4100-274 Portugal
Fort São Francisco Xavier (Cheese Castle)
Built in the 17th century to protect the coast from the pirates of North Africa, it is located on a cheese-shaped rocky hill, thus obtaining the name Castelo do Queijo (Cheese Castle).
Stop At: She Changes (The Anemone), Praca Cidade do Salvador, Porto 4100-170 Portugal
She Changes, known locally as anémona (the anemone), is a sculpture designed by artist Janet Echelman for the cities of Porto and Matosinhos, Northern Portugal.
It is beautiful and looks like a huge fishnet than moves with the wind, it is fluid piece of art.
Stop At: Ponte da Arrabida, Via de Cintura Interna, Porto 4150 Portugal
The Arrábida Bridge, designed by Edgar Cardoso and with a span of 270 m, was, for some time, the longest reinforced concrete bridge span in the world.
Inaugurated in 1963, it sits 70 meters above the average water level.
Bronze sculptures sit on top of the four great pillars that support the central span, adding to the bridge’s innovative spirit and modernist style.
Stop At: Museu do Carro Electrico, Alameda Basilio Teles 51, Porto 4150-127 Portugal
Opened in 1992, the Museu do Carro Eléctrico (Tram Museum) contains a collection of trams and other auxiliary vehicles which used to run along the streets of Porto and left a mark on the history of light urban rail transport in the city.
Its holdings also include an example of the horse-pulled American trolley buses which were first introduced into Porto in 1872.
Housed in the old Massarelos power station, a listed municipal building, the museum also exhibits some of the original equipment used before.
Stop At: Alfandega Porto Congress Centre, Rua Nova da Alfandega, Porto 4050-430 Portugal
A neoclassical building, built in the 19th century, according to a project carried out by the engineer Jean F. G. Colson.
It has two facades, one facing the Douro river and one facing the city.
Note the structural solutions that resorted to the use of iron in conjunction with other materials – stone, brick or wood – depending on the functionality of the different spaces.
In 1987, it was decided to house the future Museum of Transport and Communications.
Stop At: Fortress Sao Joao Baptista, Esplanada do Castelo, Porto 4150-196 Portugal
The fortress was built at the end of the sixteenth century to protect the coast and the Douro entrance.
Modern strongholds were added (sec. XVII) to the original structure of this fine example of military architecture and the access gate to the fort (18th century).
Stop At: Ponte de Dom Luis I, Pte. Luiz I, Porto Portugal
Planned by the engineer Teófilo Seyrig, a disciple of Eiffel, it was inaugurated in 1886 and it is composed by two overlapping iron decks.
The bridge has 395 metres long and 8 metres wide, and its arch is still considered to be the world’s biggest one in forged iron.
Nowadays the upper deck is used by the Metro of Porto, connecting the area of Porto’s Cathedral to the Garden of Morro and to the República Avenue in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Stop At: Ponte D. Maria Pia, Porto 4430-999 Portugal
Gustavo Eiffel’s first masterpiece, which he worked on with Theóphile Seyrig, was inaugurated in 1877 and remained in use for 114 years.
It has a double hinged arch that supports a single-track railway deck on truss pillars.
In 1982 it was classified as a national monument and in 1999 it gained international recognition as being of historical importance to civil engineering due to its innovative construction.
Stop At: Ponte de Sao Joao, Avenida de Gustavo Eiffel, Porto 4000-279 Portugal
This railway structure, by Edgar Cardoso, connects Campanhã station in Porto to all southern destinations with the first station being General Torres in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Its central span of 250m, was a new world record among the bridges in “portico”.
The three spans are supported by two large piers founded in the riverbed close to each of the riverbanks.
The inauguration took place on June 24, 1991, the day of São João.
Stop At: Ponte Infante Dom Henrique, R. de Cabo Simao 89, Porto 4430 Portugal
The bridge was inaugurated in 30 March 2003 following a project by the engineer Adão da Fonseca.
It was built to replace the upper deck lane of the D. Luís I Bridge, used now by the metro line D .
With a 371 metres long and 20 metres wide deck, it is a Maillart-type arch bridge, built at a high altitude level, presenting a span-rise ratio of 11,2, with a 280 m arch span – a world record, it is considered by the world experts to be one of the most elegant of its type.
Stop At: Liberdade Square, Avenida dos Aliados Downtown, Porto 4049-066 Portugal
This wide avenue, flanked by a group of buildings from the 20s and 40s, is closed on the southern side by the Cardosas building (19th century), and at North by the City Hall.
In the centre of the Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square) stands the king’s D. Pedro IV statue, inaugurated in 1866.
Stop At: Igreja de Sao Francisco, Rua do Infante Dom Henrique, Porto 4050-297 Portugal
The city’s most important Gothic temple, whose construction began in the fourteenth century,
It is one of the most important works of the Baroque, by its gilded interior from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
It was the exuberance of its gild carved wood work that led Count Raczinsky to describe it as the ‘Church of Gold’.
And, overwhelmed, he adds: ‘The gild of this church is so beautiful and rich that goes far beyond everything I have seen in Portugal and in the whole world’.
It is worth of notice the Tree of Jesse, as well as the catacombs.
It is a National Monument since 1910 and World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO since 1996.
