Hotel Vila Gale Porto Ribeira

The riverfront Vila Gale Porto Ribeira has an enviable location on the northern bank of the Douro River.

Head back to the turn of the 20^th century, and the stone pier at Cais das Pedras would have been a vibrant and chaotic hive of activity – an integral cog in the engine that was industrial Porto. Life by the pier moves at a much slower pace these days – the ‘viaduto’ keeps the traffic at arm’s length, handing the cobbled riverside promenade over to pedestrians and the pleasantly-rickety vintage Linho 1 trams.

Three of Pedras’ riverfront buildings have become one to create the four-star Vila Gale Porto Ribeira. Despite its diminutive frontage, there are sixty-seven guest rooms in total – fourteen of which overlook the river. In keeping with Vila Gale’s modus operandi, the décor celebrates historic figures – in this case, painters such as Klimt, Degas and Pissarro. The Fidelio Bar connects the inner courtyard to the riverfront terrace – you’ll get used to holding your drinks as the trams rumble by every twenty-minutes or so.

In terms of its location in the wider city: the busy streets of Santa Catarina, Cedofeita and Cais da Ribeira are a short walk away, with the wine cellars and port houses of Vila Nova da Gaia just across the river on the Douro’s south bank.