A tram ride to the Atlantic ocean

Another tourist thing to do is ride the tramway to the ocean and walk around the area known as Foz do Duoro. The tram reminds me of the cable cars in San Francisco. Although the city of Porto is filled with tram tracks, the line along the Duoro river to the Atlantic is the only one that runs now. The interior was refurbished in 2012 but still keeps the original character.

We got on the tram at the beginning in Porto. Due to the number of riders, we had to wait 20 minutes for the next tram. There was standing room only by the time we left but since we were at the front of the queue, we were able to get seats. Some people didn’t see or understand the concept of forming a line to get on the tram and when the doors opened to board, they were right there ready to get on. Barry and a few other people who had stood in line for 20 minutes with us made it known to them that they had to go to the back of the queue.

The ride was very bumpy and noisy but we were lucky to get window seats so at least we got to look out at the river and all that was happening. The river widens as you get closer to the ocean. I didn’t get any photos of this short trip because the tram windows were too dirty:)

The tram line ends at the ocean at a beautiful park. There was a market going on when we arrived and we both bought sun hats since it has been so hot and sunny here and we had a long walk ahead of us. You could hear noisy birds in the trees which Barry thought might be parrots.

The ocean views and beaches here were not as nice as we had seen in Biarritz and San Sebastian. Although there were a few small beaches for swimming or sunbathing, most of the coast here is rocky.

Our goal for the day was to take the tram to the ocean then walk up the coast to an area called Matosinhos. This area is known as the go to place for fish and seafood. Barry loves his seafood so this was a must do adventure. It was about a 2.5 mile walk in the hot sun from the tram stop. We had to stop along the way for a beer/wine refreshment. One of the tourists shops we had been in earlier had suggested her favorite stop so we choose that one. It was on the seaside but as you get further north, you get closer to the port where the commerce is handled so there isn’t much to look at other than a vast ocean and cargo ships.

When we reached Matosinhos, it was a neighborhood filled with seafood restaurants mostly little mom and pop places where they grilled the fish and other seafood in the street on large grills. All the restaurants we passed had long lines but we picked one and although they said a 5 minute wait, it was more like 20. We find that often when we are in line for something here the standard line is “about a 5 minute wait” and that rarely is the case. It was Sunday which is a traditional day for families to go out to eat but we also saw a lot of tourists.

We had a grilled hake platter that was delicious. It was done to perfection and served with french fries and rice (an interesting combination). You pick what main course you want to eat and let them know for how many people then it all comes on a platter. Since we were having the same dish, we had a large platter to share. This is a great way to do it since Barry eats more than me so it worked out very well. Our dinner for 2 included a bottle of wine and came to a total of $46. The bottle of wine was only $8 and it was excellent!

Tired and sated, we took the metro back to our hotel.