The 14 best festivals, street fairs, and annual events in Vila Nova de Gaia

I really enjoyed my time at the park, it took about two hours to walk the entire length of the trail - about 2.8km. It's a great activity for kids, school groups and families. There's plenty to learn; about animals & plants both indigenous to Portugal and those from around the world. Brings be back to when I was a kid 😊

Fantastic views, many animals and low price. Everything is in shadow - cool!

Great walk, some area under the shade some full sun. A lot of birds to watch and some animals. Its clean and well done.

Most price value park in Porto, free for kids, nature trail with many animals, good for family.

One of my favourite places of all time. I used to come here all the time and I still try to go as many times as I can. It's a gorgeous place and, in my opinion, severely underrated by the locals. There is a lot of love in this place - the animals are very well taken care of and the carers are always happy to chat about them. I once even had a private tour by one of them without even asking for one. The entrance currently costs 3 euros for an adult ticket. You can easily spend a whole morning here and you can see all sorts of birds, otters, ferrets, deer and farm animals. The park is also known for its variety of plants and trees and is famous for rescuing many animals that end up getting hurt by the shore or in the woods. They have a restaurant and accommodation if you need it. Overall, it's a wonderful place that you should visit at least once.

We, especially our toddler, enjoyed the 2.8k of walk here. The park has a lot of shades thanks to the trees; and also home to several animals. Some animals were caged (quite sad seeing eagles inside cages), while some were free (such as squirrels). Nevertheless, this park is recommended to have a tranquil walk in the weekend, while also still being close to the bustling city.

Best park in the city of Porto/Gaia. Beautiful experience. Never get tired of it. The work done here is extremely valuable. The true definition of what parks like these should always be like.

It’s wonderful, especially at sunset. There’s almost always someone playing music and singing, which makes the atmosphere so relaxing. You don’t even need to bring food or drinks – there are always people selling them at great prices. The view of the sunset is absolutely perfect, and it’s worth coming either by cable car or walking across the bridge.

I went to see the sunset here, and it was truly a memorable experience. The atmosphere was full of life, with so many people gathered to enjoy the same moment—you can really feel the energy and vibe of the place. The view itself is breathtaking, with golden colors spreading across the horizon, making the site both beautiful and unforgettable. I’d definitely recommend coming at least once to witness it for yourself. There are excellent viewing spots on both sides of the railroad, as well as higher up on the hill, each offering a slightly different but equally stunning perspective.

I went to watch the sunset and it was beautiful. It was my first time, there was live music and people everywhere. I didn’t see the play ground, but people were selling good and drinks. It was September so the temperature dropped, but luckily other drinks were sold to keep you warm (not hot chocolate). Oh and the train drops you off right there too

Fantastic views of Porto from axross the river. Easily accesses by cable car or the tram. Walking across the bridge is also an option. Went there two evenings to hopefully watch the sun set but cloudy on both days. Dont be put off though, the atmpsphere, vibes, live music , restaurants and food stalls should not be missed. Loved every moment.

This is a park you want to experience to watch the sun set over Porto. It is the perfect place to do so, but arrive at least an hour beforehand to get a good spot on the hill. Hundreds of people show up to watch the sunset and it becomes a party with music, vendors, people selling drinks and live bands. The bridge is another great spot with amazing views if the park is too crowded.

A very popular place to enjoy the sunset while you are in Porto. Many people gather there to enjoy no only the view, often there are singers playing great music and street vendors offering you cold drinks

I went here on my last day in Porto and honestly, the vibes were immaculate. It was pretty crowded, but there was always somewhere to sit, and the view was absolutely breathtaking. It felt like the place to be — lots of young people, a relaxed atmosphere, even people selling drinks so you don’t have to bring your own. Before the sunset, there was live music, almost like a small concert, which made it even more magical. And when the sun finally set, everyone clapped — such a beautiful moment. Hands down the best spot to watch the sunset in Porto. Don’t miss it.

A huge scam, they cancel lead artists at last minute, without any communication... when we arrived in front of a blank stage we had to ask nearby hoping to find someone who could be aware of what was going on... And of course no refund. They pretend a "technical incident" to cover the lack of organisation. Or they never intented to have these artists really perform and they just put them on the line-up to sell tickets.

It's a relatively small festival with nice food and drinks, and it's not overly crowded or filled with too many drunk people, which is often the case at festivals. I expected maybe more popular headliners but I really enjoyed Anohni and the Johnsons and Michael Kiwanuka.

We went to see Justice live and it was cancelled, when we were already in, and it was due to bad planning from the staff (not unforeseen events). We didn’t have any reimbursement or a suitable alternative. It became a nightmarish experience, when it could have been just an unfortunate experience with some empathy from the staff.

The quality of this festival is abysmal! You cannot cancel a whole stage lineup where JUSTICE was supposed to perform and not provide us with a backup. I will never attend this festival again, absolute disgraceful and shameful.

Amateurs . The day Justice got cancelled, because of lack of organization of the festival, it was the saddest festival I’ve ever been to : Low vibes, empty bars, at some time points because of the total cancellation of one stage, there was no music at all. Anywhere… Just thousands of ppl wandering searching for something not to be attained - truly a melancholy fado story of incompetence. Connect 2 cdjs and a mixer and bring a dj to lift this party up - common Primavera…. And about refund: “sorry for the inconvenience “ just isn’t enough. People lost money and time because of your poor preparations. Minimum is say: here’s a free day ticket for next year, or, we’re organizing a French house after party for all of you who don’t know what do with Lana vibes right now…. Give us something more than just - up yours

The line up is not only poor but the security staff are very threatening and intimidating, I would never be coming back to this festival ever.

One of the bests! And this year it was so enjoyable, what a Thursday!

This bridge is spectular!! We walked on the lower portion of the bridge to cross over and there were many people. There were teenagers jumping off of the bridge into the water! It was fun and a little wild. Many people and a fair amount of traffic. We walked on the upper portion of the bridge to get back over and it was extremely picturesque. Even with the sun beaming down, the wind was refreshing and it was lovely. Great spot to take photos. The train runs along here but did not seem to affect our experience. I would 100% recommend walking on the upper portion, but the lower portion was fun too! (Also there is a winery when you cross over that we would have missed if we didn’t walk over on the bottom.)

There are many beautiful pictures of the bridge, if you're interested in the architectural structure. My personal pics are not taken from the bridge but from a lovely bar on the river with the bridge to the left of me. Well... I deserved the drink having walked through Porto to get there!

Iconic bridge, really a marvellous thing to see in person. Many restaurants and bars in the area. Taking the gondola was fun; and pretty worth it. Definitely a must see when you’re in Porto! Best place to watch a sunset.

Ingenious, elegant, photogenic. These are just a few descriptions of Porto's most famous landmark: the (Dom) Luis I Bridge. In 1879, the Portuguese government launched a competition for the construction of a bridge to replace the 1842 Ponte Pênsil. Due to the economic boom, this bridge, officially called the Ponte D. Maria II, could no longer handle the increased traffic. Of the nine proposals submitted, the design by Belgian engineer Théophile Seyrig, one of two by the Société Anonyme de Construction et des Ateliers de Willebroeck, was selected. (A common misconception about the Dom Luis I Bridge is that it was designed by Gustave Eiffel. This is understandable, as Théophile Seyrig, the bridge's designer, co-founded Eiffel et Cie with Gustave Eiffel in 1868.) Construction began on November 21, 1881, and King Luís I of Portugal opened the bridge named after him on October 31, 1886. Exactly two years later, the Lower Bridge was also opened. The Upper Bridge is 395 meters long and 45 meters high, while the Lower Bridge is 172 meters long and 10 meters high. Until January 1, 1944, a toll was charged for using the bridge. While the Lower Bridge has been used by (motorized) traffic since its opening, the Upper Bridge has been closed to motorized traffic since 2003, and since 2005, only light rail trains of the Porto Metro have run across it (and, of course, the many, many pedestrians who come to admire the bridge). No visitor or resident of Porto can or would want to miss this magnificent feat of civil engineering!

Lovely bridge in particular for first time visitors to Porto as you get nice views of the water and areas on both side of the river. Make sure to walk over the bridge both on lower level and upper level as well as both day and night. You get nice and different views in each scenario.

Did the night time walk back over the upper level of Luis I Bridge last night. Wonderful view and the weather was perfect for photos. Tons of people about enjoying the view.

This bridge has stunning infrastructure and the surrounding architecture is also just as breathtaking both complementing the bridge and the history behind the autonomy and meaning of it. The area itself is full of hustle and bustle of a city and whilst we were visiting there was a quaint little lovely market at the bottom of the bridge which you can walk down to (if you’re at the top) and there are plenty of restaurants at the bottom to catch a bite to eat or a quick drink.

A really good place to chill with friends and family. After the inauguration of the new park, this place turned into a really nice spot to watch the sunset and have a good time with family.

Great views over the Douro river and Porto city. Nice and calm place to take a walk. There's a protected birds sanctuary nearby.

It's the first year in this place for the Mares Vivas festival, so it's understandable: needs better floor for the audience...

New place, nature and excellent views of Douro river, Porto city and the ocean

Beautiful river sea of Gaia city. City of Peace.

Great place for a walk or run.

Amazing and relaxing place.

Good wine variety

(Translated by Google) It is one of the most renowned events in Portugal and a reference in Europe when it comes to wines. It is worth following the schedule and participating in the actions of the next events! (Original) É um dos eventos mais renomados de Portugal e referência na Europa no que diz respeito a vinhos. Vale acompanhar a programação e participar das ações dos próximos eventos!

(Translated by Google) A surreal experience, several people, several companies with their wine samples, with the most diverse Perais, white wine, red wine, green wine, Rose, sparkling wine, glass of Porto, everyone was very polite, everything was very clean. When you buy the Gu ticket, you get a glass for you to taste all the wines. There is a food court and places that make cocktails, there is a place with electronic music, very lively people, the temperature was cool, the environment was very clean, as I said, very beautiful, a very old building but very well maintained, the bathrooms were very clean, the view was several places to take pictures, I saw wonderful pictures, there is a place for you to store your coat, right? I think it was a euro to store the coat, everything was very organized, several moments, a fantastic place in the center of Porto, very easy to get to, there is a moment to rent a car to leave because after drinking wine, how do you divide it up, right? The event was very well organized, fantastic (Original) Uma experiência surreal várias pessoas várias empresas com suas amostras de vinhos com mais diversos Perais vinho branco vinho tinto verde Rose espumante vidro do Porto todo mundo muito educado tudo muito limpo cê compra o Gu tíquete ganha uma taça pra você provar todos os vinhos tem uma área de alimentação e lugares que faz coquetel tem lugar com música eletrônica pessoa muito animado a temperatura legal o ambiente muito limpo como já disse muito bonito um prédio muito antigo mas muito bem com manutenção em dia os banheiros muito limpos uma vista vários lugares pra tirar foto vi traz maravilhosos tem um lugar pra você guardar seu casaco né cobra acho que era um euro pra guardar o casacotudo muito organizado vários instantes lugar fantástico no centro de de Porto muito fácil de chegar tem um instante pra alugar carro pra ir embora porque que tomou vinho como é que divide né o evento muito bem organizado fantástico

(Translated by Google) The best wine event in Portugal. (Original) O melhor evento de vinhos de Portugal.

(Translated by Google) The best and most varied, fantastic, professional and fun wine tasting here in the region. There are other events but this one is one that keeps the tradition going. It's worth taking part (Original) A melhor e mais variada, fantástica, profissional e divertida prova de vinhos aqui na região. Há outros eventos mas este é dos mantém a tradição. Vale a pena participar

(Translated by Google) Very poor quality of francesinha. What did I get myself into? From the poorly prepared to the sauce...really poor quality. Each Principe costs 2.50Eur??? For the place...the area...I won't comment any further because it would be too short. (Original) Muito má qualidade de francesinha. NO que me fui meter. Desde mal confeccionado até ao molho...mesmo muito má qualidade. Cada Princípe custa 2.50Eur??? Para o local...a zona.... não faço mais comentários porque fico muito curto.

(Translated by Google) We had the pleasure of meeting some of Portugal's best winemakers and tasting new wines from small producers. We look forward to trying the new flavors of the next edition of Essência do Vinho. For those who love and appreciate wine, this is, without a doubt, a social event not to be missed. (Original) Tivemos o prazer de conhecer alguns dos melhores enólogos de Portugal e saborear novos vinhos de pequenos produtores. Estamos ansiosos por provar os novos sabores da próxima edição da Essência do Vinho. Para quem é amante e bom apreciador de vinhos este é, sem dúvida, um evento social a não perder.

This is a big place with a couple of TVs showing soccer games. We walked right in and sat down and our server was attentive and friendly. This was an expensive dinner for a couple pasta items and a bottle of wine. Total cost was 92 Euro with tip. I recommend the calzone and the feta salad. I do not recommend either of the pasta in the drum dishes. Where they spin the pasta inside of a Parmesan cheese drum. Pasta was very bland. We use the juices from the calzone to give the pasta flavor. Also, there are no Portuguese food options on the menu. I came to Portugal to eat Portuguese food, not Italian food. We will be careful and do more research before choosing the next restaurant. Also, the wine is only available by the bottle and was 30 bucks for a local bottle of wine.

Very nice menu. Variety of standard and unique options. Picture is of sandwich called The French Queen. May need to return for another tomorrow. Wife had sea bream, which she loved. Too full for dessert, but they looked good. . Casual and family friendly. Reasonably priced.

Excellent dinner with reasonable price and good service. Pepper steak and grilled salmon were delicious.

We had wonderful service from Jose and the food was delicious. He was very attentive and personable and made our experience trying Frsncesenha for the first time very memorable! Would definitely recommend to anyone traveling here and trying the famous dish for the first time.

tried two kinds of francesinhas, one with shrimp was a bit better busy even at 10pm

Stopped here for dinner and it did not disappoint. The decor and atmosphere was amazing. You could never guess how it looks on the inside from the outside but I promise you won’t be disappointed. The food and table side service was spectacular.

Amazing meal and very friendly staff. I will definitely be back.

Having crossed the Ponte de Dom Luis bridge from Porto, took the cable car down from Serra do Pilar viewpoint to the quay side in Gaia. The views are good as you descend but I’m not sure it justifies the 6 Euro fare when the Funicular is only 2.5 Euros.

The location is incorrect on google map. Do not come here or you will walk a long way but see nothing.

Google Maps is Wrong About the Location The Real Serra do Pilar Close to the River and Where indicate here

Romantic place

Saw this from the outside. Looks amazing at night with all the strategically placed lights but in the daytime the need for maintenance becomes very clear. There are plants growing on the sconces in the wall

This is a fake spot if you want to see sunset view. I spent one hour arriving this spot,but nothing to see only highway.

Great view of the city and Luiz I bridge from here. Worth 2 separate visits - one in daytime and again at night when the bridge is lit up and the city is aglow.

(Translated by Google) A church with hundreds of years of history. (Original) Uma igreja com centenas de anos de estória.

(Translated by Google) I really like visiting the Church of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos. (Original) Gosto muito e também de visitar a Igreja do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos.

(Translated by Google) The Festas do Senhor de Matosinhos are visited by thousands of people every year. Everything you can imagine is present at these festivities. Every year people come back. A visit you will not forget. Congratulations (Original) As Festas do Senhor de Matosinhos anualmente são visitadas por milhares de pessoas. Tudo o que se possa imaginar está presente nestas Festas. Todos os anos as pessoas voltam. Visite que não vai esquecer. Parabéns

(Translated by Google) It's always nice to have some farturinhas at the best popular festival in Portugal. It continues to have the best stalls and entertainment for both children and adults. In my case, in addition to the farturas, I can't miss the pão com chouriço and the ginginha 👌 (Original) Sabe sempre bem umas farturinhas na melhor festa popular de portugal. Continua a ser e a ter as melhores barraquinhas e divertimentos quer para crianças, quer para adultos. No meu caso para além das farturas, não podem faltar o pão com chouriço e a ginginha 👌

(Translated by Google) The fire was simply spectacular (Original) O fogo foi simplesmente espetacular

(Translated by Google) A must-see when visiting the city of Porto in Portugal. This annual festival is held in May and early June each year. It has excellent infrastructure related to: leisure, bazaars, crafts and typical foods. All involving several sites in Portugal. It is one of the iconic churches in the city of Porto. It is representative of its faith and its origins related to the sea and fishing activities in the region. Its procession and festival have already become a historical landmark for locals and tourists in the region. I recommend a visit. (Original) Visitação imperdível quando visito a cidade do Porto em Portugal. Festa anual realizada nos meses de maio e início de junho de cada ano. Possui excelente infraestrutura relacionada ao: Lazer, bazares, artesanatos e comidas típicas. Tudo envolvendo vários sítios de Portugal. É umas das igrejas icônicas da cidade do Porto. Representativa pela sua fé e de suas origens relacionadas ao mar e atividades pesqueiras da região. A sua procissão e festa já se tornaram um marco histórico para habitantes e turistas na região. Recomendo a visitação.

(Translated by Google) An excellent church, a pleasant place to visit, and boasting a garden with chapels featuring recreations of religious ceremonies, the Senhor de Matosinhos festival is one of the most popular and beautiful in northern Portugal. Enjoy delicious sardines, good dishes, and good entertainment, as well as a showcase of handicrafts from across the country. (Original) Uma igreja de excelência, local aprazível para ser visitado, tendo um jardim com as suas capelas com recriações de actos religiosos, a festa do senhor de Matosinhos é uma das mais concorridas e bonitas do norte de Portugal. Boas sardinhas, boas faturas e bons divertimentos, ben como uma amostra do artesanato de um pouco de todo o país.

Great sports materials store.

Good

(Translated by Google) For us, Porto is the most beautiful city in the world. Explore the entire city from the Flores lofts in Rua das Flores. The marathon is very special, but don't forget the feast of St. João (June 23) (Original) Porto is voor ons de mooiste stad van de wereld. Vanuit Flores lofts in de Rua das Flores de hele stad verkennen. De marathon is heel bijzonder maar vergeet ook niet het feest van St. João (23 juni)

(Translated by Google) Once again I went to Porto to run, where I always feel at home, where there is a magnificent landscape, a fantastic human environment and an organization that is light years ahead of any other in Portugal, but this year, in order to innovate, they ruined a course that all the runners liked, as they always taught me that a winning team doesn't change, I hope you review and improve next year, since you are a reference event in Portugal, I hope you continue to improve and thank you for these moments well spent. (Original) Mais uma vez fui ao Porto correr onde sinto-me sempre em casa, onde tem uma paisagem magnifica uma moldura humana fantástica uma organização que fica anos luz à frente de qualquer outra em Portugal, mas este ano para inovarem estragaram um percurso que todos os corredores gostavam, sempre o que me ensinaram que equipa que ganha não se mexe, espero que revejam e melhorem para o ano, sendo vocês uma prova de referência em Portugal espero que continuem a melhorar e obrigado por estes momentos bem passados.

(Translated by Google) Best Marathon in Portugal! Congratulations to the entire Runporto staff for the work they have done to make this event a national and international reference. Now Bronze, but in the future Gold! (Original) Melhor Maratona de Portugal! Parabéns a todo o staff Runporto pelo trabalho desenvolvido para tornar esta prova numa referência nacional e internacional. Agora Bronze, mas futuramente Gold!

(Translated by Google) Excellent choice of places to visit. Very beautiful. I loved it. (Original) Excelente escolha dos locais de passagem. Muito bonita. Adorei

(Translated by Google) Professional organization. Excellent environment. (Original) Organização profissional. Excelente ambiente.

(Translated by Google) Festivals with a religious character and that people venerate, I visit from time to time and it is always a pleasure to visit (Original) Festas com um caris religioso e que o povo venera, visito de quando em vez e é sempre um prazer visitar

(Translated by Google) Festivities of São Pedro da Afurada! It's wonderful to see the popular festivals of my beloved hometown! (Original) Festas de São Pedro da Afurada! Lindo ver as festas populares da minha querida terrinha!

(Translated by Google) Good telephone service (Original) Bom atendimento telefónico

(Translated by Google) Useful. (Original) Útil.