Come to visit and enjoy Best European Destination 2012 and 2014, discovering the Heritage of Humanity, and stay in my apartment where you can hear the sound of the ocean, and see the beautiful sunset from the sofa. I´ll pick you up at the airport. The flat it's just in front of a blue flag beach. There´s a great safe long 15 Km bicycle track along coast line and Douro River. There´s a wood path in the sand along the shore perfect for romantic walks and jogging. The center of Porto is 6 Km away (10 min by car, 30 min by bus). There's others proposals, Bike and Boat, the best for me. If you have children, there´s a public playground and a field to play football in front of the apartment. The Oporto / Vila Nova de Gaia area Those wanting a quiet, relaxing holiday will find plenty of beaches to choose from within walking distance in Gaia - and plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants at intervals along the boardwalk linking them. We can provide you with bicycles to use during your holiday. Bicycle route to get to Porto: On exiting the flat turn right and keep going always along the sea which will take you to the mouth of the river. Turning right along the river Douro it will take you to a small port in a fishermen village and under the Arrabida bridge. Keep going along the river on to the area of Gaia quay side. There you'll find racks to secure the bikes so that, if you wish, you can visit the Port wine cellars. You will see on the river Douro anchored picturesque Rabelo boats which in the past used to transport the wine from the Douro Valley up north down to the Port cellars in Gaia to be aged and bottled. There's also card/gift shops and a large variety of restaurants with Portuguese and international cuisine. You can get on a cruise boat up the river Douro from here. At the end of the quay side avenue cross the D. Luis bridge and turn left onto the Porto Ribeira. Again you will find some very good typical Portuguese restaurants and cafes under the backdrop of ancient houses. If you still have the energy then cycle up Rua Mouzinho da Silveira to Avenida dos Aliados which is the heart of the historical centre. Of course you can also walk using this route to Porto but you have to be very fit and I imagine that you will have to return by bus. Otherwise you can get Andante tickets at the airport to use on the bus from near the flat which will take you to Ribeira in Gaia or in Porto or Avenida dos Aliados for a good browse radiating out from the center. Another route: On exiting the flat turn left and keep by the sea and you won't go wrong on coming back. You can also expand your route by going up a bit when the road by the sea deviates and again follow the first nearest parallel road on the right which will take you over a small bridge and then by the Miramar golf course onto Aguda where there is another picturesque little fishermen's village and after that Granja. Or just explore the nice avenues of the old but still posh Miramar and have a taste of the delicious ice cream sold outside a restaurant near where Sr. Da Pedra beach chapel is. Please note that you can walk or jog but it's not allowed to ride bikes on the boardwalk that lines the beaches. There are very good purpose built bicycle tracks alongside the sea front avenue which are also used for roller skating. If you want more activity at the beach there are areas for surfing too. If you like old buildings, Porto has many, especially lining the steep banks of the River Douro. On the southern bank, in Vila Nova de Gaia, you can visit the 'Port caves' for a piece of wine making history, wine tasting and even buying. . The city of Porto is of great historical interest. At the Romanesque Cathedral (Se' do Porto) John I of Portugal married Philippa of Lancaster, sister of King Henry IV of England and daughter of John Gaunt. The Portuguese-English alliance (Treaty of Windsor 1386) is the world's oldest recorded military alliance. Their son Henry the Navigator was born in 1394 in Porto, probably when the royal couple was living in the city's old mint, now a museum called Casa do Infante (Prince's House). Porto was registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Places to visit and things to do: Ribeira (quay side) on Porto and Gaia sides and its typical and modern restaurants. Wine Port Caves (cellars) tasting and guided tours. Museu Palacio da Bolsa (19th century stock exchange). Museu do Carro Eléctrico (transit museum). Centro Português de Fotografia (Portuguese Photography Museum). Fundação de Serralves modern art museum. Casa da Música (House of Music) concert hall. Mercado do Bolhão, a traditional market. Climb the 200 stairs of the tower of the Torre dos Clérigos church for an amazing vew of Porto and Gaia. Cruises up river to the Douro Valley departing from Ribeira. If you want to visit those places without getting tired (except Torre dos Clerigos!), use the 'hop on,hop off' Yellow Bus Official Sightseeing Tours. Check the website also for information on Yellow City Cruises, Vintage City Tour, and Porto Vintage + Sea Life. The yellow bus ticket also gives you free access to public transport in Gaia and Porto (STCP and tram) and gives you a discount to enter the places you want to visit. If shopping is one of your reasons to travel, there are large stores in Gaia, such as Corte Ingles or a choice of several large shopping malls: Gaia- Gaia Shopping Center, Arrabida Shopping Center Porto- Cidade do Porto Shopping Center, Norteshopping, Via Catarina Gaia Shopping Center and Arrabida Shopping Center have large supermarkets incorporated. However there are restaurants, cafes and small shops about 0,5 Km from the flat. Supermarkets are at about 2 Km - these are on the bus route to/from the flat . Activities near Oporto Sports: Tennis in town (Madalena) Water sports Horse Riding Golf within 20 mins drive Fishing Great for: Walking holidays Beach or lakeside relaxation A winter sun break City breaks Cycling holidays