Hotel Vila Gale Porto Ribeira
Head back to the turn of the 20th 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.
