Ribeira (neighborhood) March 9
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Ribeira (ree-BAY-rah) literally means riverside. It is the neighborhood next to the Douro river closest to downtown Porto, and it once was the center of the city. During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, Porto’s economy revolved around the port-wine business. Cellars were (and still are) located across the Douro river in Gaia, while shippers were located in Ribeira. After going through some decline during most of the twentieth century, the neighborhood was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Since then, works restoring this precious neighborhood of medieval origins have been proceeding at a steady pace.
The World Heritage Site also includes the medieval section of Porto, which is within the fourteenth-century Romanesque wall, uphill from Ribeira. This other neigborhood, called Se (the cathedral is there) has the oldest buildings in Porto.
Attractions
Ribeira occupies the lower part of the slope descending from Baixa — downtown Porto — to the Douro river. Besides the picturesque riverfront walkway, it has two centers of attraction: Praca do Infante and Praca da Ribeira.
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Praca do Infante (the Infante, by the way, is Henry the Navigator, who is supposed to have been born just steps away, in the Casa do Infante) has several attractions: the Palacio da Bolsa, a nineteenth-century palace that is the headquarters of the Porto commerce chamber and has lavishly decorated rooms; the Mercado Ferreira Borges, a nineteenth-century red metal structure that used to be a market and nowadays hosts exhibitions of different sorts, like antiques, city planning, etc.; and the nearby S. Francisco church, which is not only one of the few remaining medieval buildings in town but also (on the inside) one of the greatest exponents of baroque religious art in Portugal.
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Praca da Ribeira is a riverfront square of medieval origins transformed in the eighteenth century, which is now full of coffeeshops with outside tables. It is a good place to sit, enjoy the view and mingle with the locals.
The nearby Cafe do Cais (if you’re in Praca da Ribeira, walk to the river, then turn right — the coffeeshop is the glass building on your left, right on the river edge, less than 100 yards from the Praca) has a better view and a more refined atmosphere, but you find a more middle class sort of local clientele there, as opposed to the coffeeshops in Praca da Ribeira proper, where the clients are mostly students (especially at night) and people from the neighborhood. Cruise-ships that go up and down the Douro depart from right next to this coffeeshop, offering tours lasting from fifteen minutes up to several days.
The narrow streets, arcades, and stairways around the two piazzas — Praca da Ribeira and Praca do Infante — are well worth exploring. Furthermore, if you walk along the river from Praca da Ribeira towards D. Luiz I bridge, right before the bridge’s lower-level crossing starts you will find a large tile panel. It is the Ribeira Negra (black riverfront) panel, by Portuguese painter Julio Resende, representing the darkness (in more than one way) of local life.
If you walk downriver from Praca do Infante (or, for that matter, from Praca da Ribeira) after about half a mile you will get to Miragaia (literally, “see Gaia”), the next riverfront neighborhood. It is centered on the large granite river-front customs building. The lower-level streets, alleys, and archways in front of the customs building are also worth exploring.
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Atmosphere
A mixture of locals and tourists, medieval and twenty-first century, wealthy and poor, lively and secluded, Ribeira is a rather unique place, where in seconds you can go from a bustling piazza to a damp narrow alley where you’ll only find locals.
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Most of the neighborhood’s houses date back to the seventeenth and eighteenth century, and are small two-, three-, or even four-storey dwellings painted in bright colors. Most of them are inhabited by senior citizens, and you will see them going about their daily lives, which for the most part means men gathering at coffeeshops and women doing house chores, hanging clothes on the line to dry outside their window or just perched on the window sill watching passers-by or chatting with their neighbors across the narrow streets. It’s an ideal place to get the feeling of what Porto really is.
Ribeira is worth visiting a few times, as its colors change dramatically with differences in sunlight. Foggy mornings will draw out cool tones; bright afternoons will highlight warm pastel tones; and evenings will create pointillistic images of neon signs and their reflections on the river.
The whole ensemble of Ribeira is at its best when seen from across the Douro river from the coffeeshops along the riverfront in Gaia (the twin-city of Porto, on the left margin of the Douro river). Among these, our favorite spot for a picture-perfect view of Ribeira is Bogani, a mere fifteen-minute walk from Ribeira across the river and then to the right (you can find more detailed walking directions in our review of it). You’ll enjoy a view that mixes colorful buildings with the stark granite mountain slope. It is this view that defines Porto.
Where to Stay, Eat, and Drink
During the day, enjoy the many coffeeshops in the neighborhood. For lunch, we recommend the D. Tonho outpost across the river in Gaia.
For dinner, you have two terrific options: the D. Tonho main dining room (between Praca da Ribeira and the D. Luiz I bridge) or A Mesa com Bacchus (walk along the river downstream from Praca do Infante past S. Francisco church and half a mile later you will find a large building on your left, the customs building; the restaurant is just across the street from there; more detailed directions in our review).
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At night, both Ribeira and the Gaia riverfront are lively places full of bars and clubs. Bogani, across the river in Gaia is a must day or night, both for its coffee drinks and, especially, its view. Back in Ribeira, Aniki Bobo (on Rua da Reboleira, the narrow street to your right if you’re on Praca da Ribeira facing the river) is a classic bar in Porto, attracting the local intelligentsia. If you prefer a lively Irish pub, go to Ryan’s Irish Bar (on the street connecting Praca do Infante to the tunnel that leads to the D. Luiz I bridge).
In any case, keep in mind that Portuguese nightlife starts between 10:00 and 11:00pm, so don’t be surprised if all the bars are empty between 9:00 and 10:00, which is still considered dinnertime.
Above all, we recommend the Pestana Porto Carlton as the place to stay in Porto. It is right in the heart of Ribeira, on Praca da Ribeira, facing the river and the D. Luiz I bridge.
The only downside to Ribeira, as is the case with many other picturesque neighborhoods around the world, is that it became a bit touristy and many restaurants became over-priced tourist-traps. Follow our recommendations and you won’t go wrong.
For wonderful Quicktime VR panoramic images of Ribeira, click on the large images above. The link will take you to 360 Portugal, a comprehensive archive of panoramic images of Portugal. While you’re at it, you may want to see more of Ribeira by following the links in the detailed maps of Porto available on that website. Ribeira and the surrounding areas encompass maps A2 (Miragaia), A3 (Infante), and A6 (Ribeira). Also, check out the panoramic images taken from Gaia, across the Douro river from Ribeira, by clicking on the links placed on the southern margin of the Douro on their general map of Porto. As always, many thanks to Santiago Ribas, the man behind the camera.