Climbing the Arrábida Bridge is now possible through the Porto Bridge Climb, and what a unique experience it is! Of the six bridges over the River Douro, the Arrábida Bridge often goes unnoticed because it is the furthest away from the historic area of Porto - and those who see it have no idea of the almost unique activity you can do here.
This apparently normal bridge hides a "secret": it's the only bridge in Europe where you can climb the arch. As well as being the only one in Europe, it's also an almost unique experience in the world - only four arches can be climbed: in Sydney and Brisbane (Australia), in Auckland (New Zealand) and, of course, in Porto.
The Arrábida Bridge is also noteworthy for its composition, which makes it even grander: in addition to the 65 meters above the river, it had, at the end of its long construction (in 1963), the largest concrete arch in the world, measuring around 270 meters.
Although the arch has only been open to visitors since 2016, it has been the target of clandestine visits for years, giving rise to various local stories.
This experiment, called Porto Bridge ClimbThe tour starts on the Porto side. The tour costs 17.5€ / adult and must be booked in advance as each group only takes 13 people. The tours are about 45 minutes apart. Visits take place every day, and only if the weather is very bad.
Despite the reservation, payment is only made before the climb and we recommend paying by ATM. Once you've paid, it's a matter of minutes before you're fitted with your safety harness and given a brief explanation of the experience and safety issues.
From here we start the 262 steps that take us to the top of the bridge. Don't let the number of steps scare you: anyone with mobility can reach the top without too much difficulty.
There are 262 of them that take us to the top of the arch of the Arrábida Bridge, a unique experience in Europe
Throughout the journey we felt completely safe, always secured by the harness. Once at the top, you get a little treat from the guide and an incredible glimpse of the surrounding area. The guide also takes this opportunity to talk about the bridge, its construction, its opening to the public and to tell some of the many stories of clandestine visits to the arch.
Although there are tunnels connecting the two sides of the arch, access is forbidden and it is only possible to explore the part of the arch on the Porto side. Our guide, whose name we unfortunately don't know, was absolutely incredible, making the experience even better. All in all, between arriving, matching up, going up and coming down, we spent around 1h15m.
how to get there and where to park
Getting to the base of the bridge, where the experience begins, is quite easy. For those coming from the highway, it's a matter of minutes from the exit, and the Port Bridge Climb is clearly marked on Google Maps.
Something that really surprised us was the ease of parking: as it's a quieter area, there's free parking on practically the entire avenue, right in front! We did the experience on a Saturday (a day we thought would be a bit confusing in a tourist area), but it was completely calm.
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