Wonderful Wanderings

Itineraries and practical travel tips

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • English
  • Dutch
  • About
  • Blog
  • Destinations
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Belgium
    • Bulgaria
    • Canada
    • China
    • Cuba
    • Czech Republic
    • Denmark
    • Egypt
    • Finland
    • France
    • Gambia
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Hungary
    • Iceland
    • Indian
    • Italy
    • Jordan
    • Latvia
    • Liechtenstein
    • Luxembourg
    • Malta
    • Mexico
    • Morocco
    • Netherlands
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • Romania
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • Sri Lanka
    • Sweden
    • Thailand
    • United Kingdom
    • USA
  • Resources
    • Travel Resources
    • Blogging resources
    • My travel gear
    • Travel gear reviews
    • How to create a blog and run it
    • Tipping around the world
  • Contact
    • Work with me
    • Let me plan your trip!
  • Search
You are here: Home / Portugal / Going on a Douro Azul river cruise in Porto, Portugal

Going on a Douro Azul river cruise in Porto, Portugal

January 16, 2019

Yup, I have affiliate links on this blog and there may be some in this amazing and completely free content below. If you book or buy something through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

We had such a good time going sailing on the Douro river in Pinhão that we were curious what it would be like to cruise the waters at the other end of the river, in Porto, Portugal. We were invited to do a Douro Azul river cruise on a rabelo boat.

Douro Azul river cruise

Rabelos are the traditional boats that used to transport port wine, but also other goods and even people, over the river. Before the construction of the railroad, the rabelo boats offered the fastest way of getting port wine from the Douro Valley, where it's produced, to the city of Porto.

The boats have a flat bottom which made it easy for them to navigate the formerly shallow waters of the Douro River. Nowadays, the water of the Douro in Porto is deeper thanks to the construction of dams and locks in the 1960s.

The word “rabelo” means “little tail” and refers to the long wooden stick at the end of the boat that is used to steer it. Every year on St. John's Day, the 24th of June, a rabelo boat race is held in Porto as part of the festivities.

 

Our Douro Azul river cruise

douro azul one day river cruise
Douro Azul offers various cruises and the one we went on was the one-hour Bridges Cruise (€10/person). That cruise goes alongside Porto and takes you under the different bridges that connect the river banks of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. It was a great way to see both cities from a different perspective.

Although a boat isn't the most stable ground to take some photos, I made an attempt to capture what we saw along the way.

porto river cruise 1 hour

Besides families taking out their boats, we also passed some fellow cruisers and we especially got a great view on the Museu dos Transportes e Comuniçao, an impressive building as well as on this huge painting of one of the most famous port brands.

douroazul cruises

douro azul porto portugal

douro azul english

They even took us to the ocean! Well, almost…

river cruise porto portugal

Besides small tours in Porto, Douro Azul also does longer cruises on bigger boats, like this one:

douro azul cruise

Curious about what else they have to offer? Check out the Douro Azul website for more information on their fleet, the Douro Azul cruises and their special programs. And if you'd like to know more about the bridges of Porto, check out this post by Anil from foXnoMad.
 

Where to stay in Porto

Check Booking.com for an extensive list of options for all budgets and needs.

If you prefer staying at an apartment, like we did, I recommend checking Airbnb.
 

Pin for later

Going to Porto, Portugal? Check out this cool river cruise I did there on the Douro with Douro Azul.
 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Tasting heaven at DOP
Dinner at Hotel Teatro
 

We were offered a tour with Douro Azul by the Porto Convention Bureau, but, as always, all opinions expressed here are my own. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you book something through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest

Don't make these mistakes when planning your next trip

Sign up for the newsletter and learn which mistakes you need to prevent when booking your trip - especially given the current circumstances.

    By subscribing, you agree to the privacy policy. We'll never spam you and you can unsubscribe at any time.

    Posted in: Portugal

    Your Thoughts

    1. Nuno says

      Thanks for sharing!
      PS – it’s “Museu” not “Museo” :-)

      Reply
      • Sofie says

        My pleasure!

        Corrected:)

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Welcome

    Hi! On this blog, we share travel inspiration and planning information so that you can go on a worry-free trip.
    Want to know more?

    Popular posts

    • Great Barrier Reef tours: all you need to know + review
    • The Pacsafe RFID-safe passport wallet
    • Where to stay in Yellowstone National Park

    Join 58,000+ other Wonderful Wanderers!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Home
    • About
    • Blog
    • Search
    • Contact
    Disclosure/Disclaimer • Terms and conditions • Privacy Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
    As an Airbnb Associate, I earn when you book through certain links.

    Als Amazon Associate verdien ik commissie op relevante aankopen.
    Als Airbnb Associate, verdien ik commissie als je via bepaalde links boekt.

    Copyright © 2021 · Wonderful Wanderings · Site by Ready to Blog Designs