Funicular dos Guindais — Local services in Porto

We stayed in town for five nights. We did stay on top near the Miradouro de Fontainhas. We walked down once to the river, but with our Bulldog and pet stroller it was pretty rough to walk up/down the steep streets. So we were happy to find this Funicular not far from our holiday rental.

One way is 4 Euros, a two-way ticket is 6 Euros. Our pet stroller did fit perfectly. Our Bulldog was very welcome on the Funicular (one of the staff even was also a Bulldog-owner). Dogs ride for free even. On weekends the Funicalar is in service until late night even. It's steep and quick ride. And offers some nice views on the way. Even on weekends we only needed to wait a few minutes. Mostly no wait even. A very convenient way to travel to the top or bottom of lovely Porto. Prices are fair and the staff very friendly...

It goes up. It comes down.

The passenger cars are big with lots of windows, offering great views. Passengers are allowed to bring pets and bicycles on board.

We took the car to the top, and walked back down.

We were told that there are 322 steps on the walk that makes its way up and down the hill. You should know that these steps are made of cobblestone and appears to be very old. They are uneven and get very slick with the slightest hint of moisture. I would walk down them, but never up.

There is lots of scenery on this walk up or down these stairs, and some great views of the market and the river.

Highly...

If you don't fancy a steep climb from the riverbank to the higher reaches of Porto, you can take the Funicular dos Guindais. Its 281-meter-long track not only allows you to climb 61 meters (with a maximum gradient of 36.1%), but also offers excellent views of the Dom Luis I Bridge and the Muralhas Fernandinas do Porto. The history of this funicular is somewhat remarkable: in 1891, the original track was built, measuring 412 meters long, with a gradient of 80 meters and a maximum gradient of a whopping 49%. However, two years later, the funicular closed after a serious accident, and it wasn't until 2004 (!) that...