Across the Douro River from Porto Portugal is the small neighborhood of Calem. It's located along the south bank of the river below the Monastery of Serra do Pilar in the Nova de Gaia district, which it is a part of.
A cable car runs from the top of the hill near the Monastery, and goes down to the bottom of the main strip - something to keep in mind if you want to save your legs. The other option would be to take the stairs and winding streets, like we did, though its a lot of work and effort.
I imagine that taking the cable car would provide some great views of the city of Porto across the water though.
We walked across the Luis I Bridge in the evening and took a stroll along the promanade before heading up to the Monastery to view the sunset.
Here is the view of the River from the lower deck of the bridge,
and for fun, the view above.
Calem has a large cluster of Port wine cellars located along the main street that's close to the water. Tours and tasting are sort of the neighborhoods claim to fame. There is also a wine museum there and many bars that offer flights of tastings as well. It's a good place to check out if you're into wine and and/or if you're looking to try a variety of Ports.
Doing a tasting was one thing that we didn't do during our trip that I would have like to if we had a bit more time. It just wasn't in the cards for us, though I did try some different wines at dinner. The wine is strong in Porto.
We just walked the strip that evening and took in the views of the city of Porto across the water. It was very satisfying in itself.
The evening light really brought out all the colors in the buildings in the old town.
This might be slightly confusing but to clarify, these city shots are of Porto, taken from across the water in the Calem district.
So anyway, we didn't spend a great deal of time in the area, maybe just an hour after supper before going to watch the sunset, but I think that it was worth checking out in the evening for the views of Porto and a place to keep in mind if a Port wine tour or tasting is on your list of things to do during your visit.
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Porto looks really good from that side. I do like a cable car ride but I can understand hoofing it to the top too as you get to see things that might be missed
I think that bit is what draws me to Portugal :OD
Haha yeah strong wine is a plus for sure. Get drunk in half the time. The stronger the wine, the better quality it needs to be though. I had one glass at diner that I thought tasted like turpentine lol.
Oh yeah, I am with you there. I am as form believer of quality when it comes to wine. Life is too short for shit wine!
Haha yes that's very true.
Seems Calem may suggest a lot of surprising and enjoyable finds, if you spend more time exploring the streets - as I see in your photos, it does have a lot of splendid vintage stuff. Awesome walk anyway, and an extra !PIZZA to you. 🍕 Good mo'ning!
Morning. Yeah there was a lot to explore in and around the area. We loved the city of Porto and across the water at Calem and Nova de Gaia. Thanks for the pizza
The area looks like a postcard!
I love the look of the buildings lining the coast.
Cable Cars! Hmmm! I have never been in one. I almost did in Japan, but when we got there they canceled the trip to Mt. Fuji...I won't lie, I wasn't terribly disappointed😂
I can do heights, but NOT small spaces...maybe having both combined would have made me wet my pants🤣
What a shame you didn't get to do wine tasting, but at least you sampled some strong stuff for dinner.
Sounds like a nice place for sightseeing...even if it was just for me to photograph the cable cars:)))
Yeah the cable cars are small but they are nearly all windows so they don't feel cramped or claustrophobic. Though I suppose that doesn't help with the height issue for people haha.
Mt. Fuji would have been cool I think.
Yeah, it would have been awesome I think... maybe another time.
BTW, could you actually fit upright in one of those cable cars???
Like stand up?
Yeah I think so. At least in the larger ones.
Yeah...standing up "straight"! 😂
So you are actually good with heights, just never made the cable cars that trip?
Would you also fly in a gyro? I did with @ iamyohann... It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on...said @ diveratt
I am not good with water, but it's exciting... nothing you can do but put your trust in the pilot. It's like sitting on the back of a motorbike in the sky.
I'm okay with heights if I'm locked in lol.
That gyro looks pretty cool. That would be quite the experience I'm sure.
That's interesting...I am afraid of being "locked in" (especially in small places)...Still, I realised that fear was lessened when I agreed to get married 🤣...so all's good I suppose
Amazing experience indeed - the gyro!
Nice tour once again. I like that second shot up from the bottom with the trees adding dimension.
I haven't been in a cable car since Disneyland in Anaheim when they said "please extinguish all smokable items" which normally isn't a big deal. That day, however, the fungi really intensified the speakers.
Lmao 😂 I'm sure they did.
Glad you liked the photos.
What a wonderful photograph @leaky20 I like the ones showing the colourful houses of Porto from across the water.
That must have been a hike all the way up to the monastery.
Looking forward to see more of your trip 😎😁 have a great Monday 👋🏻
Yeah it was a good time in the evening to view the city from across the water. The hike wasn't too bad, but it was completely uphill, so it did take some effort.
I can imagine… hahaha 🤣 does keep you fit 😇😎
Yes indeed. Walking is great exercise
Very healthy 😇😎💃🏻💃🏻
Enjoy your day further 👋🏻
Beautiful calem. The river is so clean and the boats looks unique. The buildings are patterned in squares. They look amazing
Yeah it's a pretty spot along the water. 😁
Sheesh, I bet the place would be more magnificent at night especially if you are riding in a cable car while looking at the view. The presence of water also makes the city more beautiful since it might look like floating when seen far away.
I didn't see it at night so I can't really comment on that but you might be right. I'm sure it would be even better.
Such a beautiful place!! Good pics :D
Thanks. I'm glad that you liked them
A lovely place to visit.
Your shoots was lovely too😍
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed them.
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