Douro View House Ribeira

the property is centrally located on the Ribeira area near the Duoro river and Luis Bridge . literally on the staircase from the river to the Cathedral- excellent location . place is immaculately clean , the check in was orderly and contactless. the host Sandra has been amazing- very friendly and assisting with anything i needed . perfect for peregrinos - literally up the stairs and a 5 min walk to the Cathedral and the start of the Camino. and a wonderful balcony views of the Ponte Luis bridge and Duoro river . it was an amazing stay!

not that this was necessarily a negative - but it is a flight of stairs to get to the property if you have luggage- and located close to the metro . during the day it can be noisy but at night it’s actually quieter and not that bad .

This is one part of an old building on (and reachable only via) the steps that lead up from the river to the hill on which the Cathedral is located. This means it is little over 5 minutes on foot from all the riverside bustle and its bars and restaurants. Similarly, it is only slightly further away (though steeply uphill!) from the cathedral and an entry to a metro station (the two areas are on different forks of the staircase). The interior has been beautifully renovated with gleaming wooden stairs and modern fittings in the bathroom area. In a first for me (and dictated by the layout of the old walls), the toilet was behind the shower. There is a small shared space inside the entry door where coffee or tea can be made and the owner has left out some small snacks. I found the communication with Sandra excellent both before and during my visit and she couldn't have been more helpful in allowing me to store my bags early and retrieve them late. There is a coffee bar only about 20 metres further down the steps.

These are not complaints, merely things to be aware of. One is that there are more than 120 steps from river level (plus another 15 or so inside the building) so it might not suit the unfit or those with large luggage (I am 76 so it is not necessarily inaccessible to the elderly!). The thick walls meant that I never heard a sound from the other two rooms but the metro runs over a metal bridge literally right above the building. From 1 am to 6 am the trains do not run but light sleepers such as myself would do well to take earplugs for the beginning and end of the night.

The location was great. So close to the Cathedral, Douro River, and beginning of the Portuguese Camino.

There were a lot of steps (157) down to the river. It was fine for us, but I’m sure not for everyone.

fair. coffee and a roll

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