The pilot project, announced by Marco Martins, is set to last four months and will feature a vessel with a capacity of 20 people, offering hourly connections between the two banks of the Douro River, in both directions, with the use of the Andante card.
The service is scheduled to start at 7:30 AM on Friday from Afurada, with “13 trips in each direction from Monday to Thursday, 15 trips on Fridays, 13 on Saturdays, and 11 on Sundays.” There may be adjustments if the demand for the river transport increases.
Trips will conclude at 8 PM from Monday to Thursday. From Friday to Sunday, the last boat will depart the pier at 10 PM.
Each journey takes approximately seven minutes, whereas traveling by car without traffic could take between 20 and 30 minutes, and by public transport around 50 minutes.
The president of TMP explained that launching the pilot project on the eve of São Pedro da Afurada celebrations (from Saturday night to Sunday) was achieved through a “race” since the Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia municipalities returned this competency to the Porto Metropolitan Area on May 29.
This connection, available until the end of October for the time being, will also conduct “a real demand study.”
TMP aims to gauge the flow potential of this connection not only with residents of the two cities but also with tourists, with the prospect of eventually “opening a tender” for this river crossing.
Aside from the possibility of using the Andante pass (both metropolitan and municipal) and the Andante Z2, tickets can be purchased onboard at a cost of 2.25 euros.
On May 30, during a presentation at a Metropolitan Council meeting, Marco Martins confirmed that “there could not yet be a tender” for the service, with the objective of linking the two riverbanks “before São Pedro da Afurada.”
At that time, the president of TMP highlighted that after the pilot project’s completion, the study “will naturally indicate the potential demand, economic viability, and other possible locations” along Gaia, Porto, and Gondomar.
The discussion concerns “the connection between Ribeira do Porto and Cais de Gaia,” with upstream plans including a connection between Gramido and Avintes, and a possible route from Gramido, passing by Freixo, touching Oliveira do Douro, and then linking to Ribeira do Porto and Gaia.
“But this is for 2026, after this study,” noted the official.
The crossing between Cais do Ouro and Afurada, carried out by the vessel Flor do Gás, was suspended in 2020, but it resumed in the summer of 2022, exceptionally, during the São Pedro celebrations and the Marés Vivas Festival.
