The Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, a 16th-century Renaissance convent with a circular cloister and a privileged view over the Douro river and Porto
The Cais de Gaia, a riverside waterfront with Port wine cellars and rabelo boats moored along the river
The Parque Botânico do Castelo, a historic garden set within the old walls of Gaia, featuring notable tree species
The ocean coast, from Canidelo to São Félix da Marinha, with extensive beaches between the Douro estuary and the Atlantic
about the place
Vila Nova de Gaia stretches along the southern bank of the Douro, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, across a landscape that ranges from historic quaysides to open sea beaches. The municipality received its royal charter from King Afonso II in 1255, confirmed by King Dinis in 1288 — medieval roots that today coexist with one of the most celebrated riverfront banks in the country. It is from here, from the cellars that line the Cais de Gaia, that Port wine sets out for the world.
