Location: Vila Nova de Gaia
Top Things to do in Vila Nova de Gaia
What to do and see in Vila Nova de Gaia, Northern Portugal: The Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day
Vila Nova de Gaia, or simply Gaia (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvilɐ ˈnɔvɐ ðɨ ˈɣajɐ]; Proto-Celtic: *Cale) is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population of 178,255 in 2001. The municipality has an area of 168.46 km². and a total population of 302,295 inhabitants (2011), making it the most populous municipality in Norte Region. Gaia together with Porto and 12 other municipalities makes up the commonly designated Porto Metropolitan Area.
Restaurants in Vila Nova de Gaia
1. Dreambus - Viagens e Turismo
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 26 reviews
Specialized in private tours with guide for groups up to 7 people.
2. 3+ arte
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 100 reviews
3+ arte - Cooperativa Artistica e Cultural is a Cultural project that aims to boost the arts in Vila Nova de Gaia. Art Gallery, Handicraft, Coworking, Port Wine... And more... Much more!
Reviewed By D3689FAjohnb - Northampton, United Kingdom
An "alternative" little gallery, set in an old warehouse in the heart of "port-land". We went for the port tasting and found a welcoming host and a fine sample of ports and cheeses. We chose the "basic" and "advanced" selections to share, along with two rustic cheeses from northern Portugal, tastefully presented. Our six ports, with the cheese cost approx 16 euros. We then browsed among the ethnic craft items, created by unassuming local arists and craftspersons, and bought presents for the family. Difficult to find but do persevere - such a friendly, welcoming ambience, as with so much of Porto.
3. Porto Augusto's
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,396 reviews
Reviewed By Alberto1102002 - Las Rozas, Spain
Fantastic, great experience and highly recommended. Our guide Sandra explained everything very warmly and solved our doubts. Best part is the final taste. The only thing is that Spaniards always like to eat something while drinking
4. Pocas Vinhos
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 184 reviews
Pocas lies in the hands of the 3rd and 4th generation, being one of the very few Port Wine company that was born Portuguese and still belongs to the same Portuguese family. The Old Tawny Ports have built Pocas’ reputation but DOC Douro wines have been proving their own quality over the last 30 years. Recently, Pocas received the award of “Fortified wine producer of the year 2018” by the Portuguese magazine “Revista de Vinhos”. Additionally, welcoming about 28 000 visitors per year, our Visitor Center has been also distinguished with the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence. We have plenty of different reasons for inviting you to be part of a true family atmosphere, to feel the unforgettable aroma of the noblest wines, and to see up close a real day-to-day cellar routine.
Reviewed By johnmodesto - Modesto, United States
Pocas is far from the maddening crowd, located in a non touristy part of the city, you can take a bus there or walk up from the river. The cellars and tasting room are lovely, the guide friendly, with excellent English and willing to answer questions, she provided a detailed explanation of the different Port styles, this house also produces dry wines which you can try. The basic tour and tasting is 8 euros, for my wife and I we upgraded to a 12 and 15 euro tasting, 3 pours each, which meant we could try six different wines by sharing. The highlight was a 20 year old Tawny, but all the wines were tasty. A world class wine tasting visit and experience.
5. Vasques De Carvalho
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 21 reviews
Vasques de Carvalho Brand House, located in the cellars area, aims to offer to the customers the chance to know the Port Wine with a different approach from the traditional cellar. We propose tastings in a pedagogic perspective, directed to a public interested in the Port Wine theme and its specificity, in a space designed for small groups, with sophisticated and quiet athmospheres, and also a garden, where each client may have a customized and exclusive service.
Reviewed By SonaCederquist - San Francisco, United States
After the big tasting rooms, Vasques De Carvalho was a nice respite. Small tasting room, friendly staff, & generous pours. The cheapest flight was 4 ports for 15 Euro.
6. Casa Ramos Pinto
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 919 reviews
Reviewed By nwspm - Altrincham, United Kingdom
We enjoyed the variety of experiences in the different Port houses along the river front in Vila Nova de Gaia. The Ramos Pinto tour was distinctive for the walk through the beautiful old offices of the company. Our guide told us interesting anecdotes about the history of the furnishings and the artwork. The tasting room was comfortable and airy ; we enjoy the wines and bought a bottle of white port and a metal sign of one of the iconic adverts.
7. Taylor's Port
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,767 reviews
Taylor’s, accepted by most wine authorities to be the greatest of all port shippers, invites you to a pleasant and informative tour of its famous lodges at Vila Nova de Gaia. During the tour the visitor will be given the opportunity to learn about the fascinating history of Port wine, as well as that of the House of Taylor Fladgate making it one of the oldest Port companies.
Reviewed By 45philips - Crewe, United Kingdom
Super interesting self guided audio tour, done at your own pace. Well laid out with plenty of photos, maps and diagrams to explain the history and process without getting too technical or boring. No need to book just turn up, we arrived around 11 on a Sunday morning and it wasn’t busy. Fantastic value at €15 a per person for the tour and 2 generous samples one red one white Tasting is in a beautiful garden area where you can also purchase a selection of snacks to compliment the ports you are tasting. Helpful and friendly staff throughout our visit. You can’t visit Porto and not come here.
8. Niepoort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
9. Fado in Porto - Caves Calem
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 387 reviews
Fado in Chiado is a live Fado show – an excellent way to discover culture and the city.Fado is Portuguese and was born in Lisbon. It was adopted by Portuguese culture and is now a symbol of Portugal, with a strong tradition in the historic districts of Lisbon.The hour-long Fado in Chiado show features talented artists – a singer and two musicians (Portuguese guitar and classical guitar) – performing Fado and the music that makes it the national song. The live performances are accompanied by images of unique must-visit locations in Lisbon. It is said that Fado combines nostalgia (saudade), Portuguese pride, hope and conformism in a musical style epitomised by Amália Rodrigues. On account of these unique characteristics, Fado has now been declared part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.Fado in Chiado takes place daily* in the very centre of Lisbon. The hour-long show is the ideal suggestion for seeing live Fado and then taking advantage of the night to discover more of the city.
Reviewed By Ramikat
we saw 4 very talented musicians who put on a great show: a Portuguese Guitar player, a classical guitar player, and a male and a female Fado singer. The show was about 40 minutes, I wish it could have gone on longer!
10. Estacao Litoral da Aguda
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 55 reviews
The Littoral Station "ELA" opened to the public in July 1999 at Praia da Aguda, a small fishing village on the Portuguese Atlantic coast, located south of the river Douro estuary in the area of Vila Nova de Gaia.The station is divided into:- a Fishery Museum exhibiting ancient and modern equipment;- an Aquarium displaying the local aquatic fauna and flora;- a Department for Education and Research dedicated to marine ecology, aquaculture and fishery.
