Getting there
Getting to the Gaia port lodges
How to reach the Cálem cellars on the Gaia riverfront: across the Dom Luís I bridge on foot, down by cable car, and why the lodges sit on this bank.
Book the cellar tour with fado ↗Where the cellars are
The Cálem lodge stands on Avenida de Diogo Leite, the riverside avenue of Vila Nova de Gaia, across the Douro from Porto's old town. Gaia is a separate city, but from the river it reads as Porto's other bank. Its waterfront is lined with port lodges, many of them open for tours, along with cafes, restaurants and boat departures. The fado tour meets at the cellar door, so the riverside avenue is the only address you need.
Walking across the lower deck
The easiest way from Porto is on foot over the Dom Luís I bridge. Its lower deck runs at river level and links the Ribeira, Porto's riverside quarter, with the Gaia waterfront and its lodges, with a walkway along each side. Once across, turn along the riverside and the lodges begin. The bridge, an iron arch inaugurated in 1886, is worth the walk in itself, especially at dusk.
From the top: the upper deck and the cable car
The bridge's upper deck carries the metro and pedestrians high above the river, linking central Porto with the Serra do Pilar side of Gaia. If you arrive up there, the Gaia cable car runs from Jardim do Morro, on the slope below the Serra do Pilar monastery, down to the riverside promenade, a ride of under four minutes with views over both banks. It is a paid ride, and a pleasant way to arrive before an early-evening tour; walking down the hill is the free alternative.
By metro or taxi
Metro trains run over the top deck and stop at Jardim do Morro on the Gaia side, next to the cable car's top station and a short climb below the Serra do Pilar monastery. From there you can ride the cable car down or walk down to the river. The lower deck is the road level, and it comes out straight onto the waterfront by the lodges. Whichever way you come, allow time to find the right lodge door along the avenue, since the tour starts with the whole group at once.
Why the lodges are in Gaia
Port has been aged and shipped from this bank for centuries. Wikipedia records that from 1777, after the reforms of the Douro wine company, Gaia became the designated storage place for every wine exporter. That is why so many houses, Cálem among them, have their lodges here rather than in the Douro. The cellars, which locals call caves, still store and age port today, and their tours have become a major draw for visitors to both banks of the river.
Pairing the tour with the river
Because the fado tour runs in the early evening, the afternoon is free for the river. The Six Bridges cruise leaves from the same riverside avenue in a rabelo-style boat and passes under all six of Porto's bridges in about 50 minutes, with an audio guide on your phone. Another Gaia lodge, Cockburn's, runs a longer tour past its ageing galleries and cooperage. Either fits neatly before a fado evening.
After the last song
The tour ends at the cellars, close to the river. Dinner on the Gaia side is the simplest choice, and the lit-up old town across the water is the view. If you are heading back to Porto, the lower deck of the bridge takes you straight into the Ribeira on foot. Two ports on an empty stomach are worth bearing in mind if you plan to walk back up Porto's steep streets.
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