Ponte do Infante
On Gingerguide's self-guided Porto audio tour, Ponte do Infante is a stop worth about ~20 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type bridge
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Porto Porto guide
About Ponte do Infante
Porto's dramatic second Douro crossing, completed in 2003 by Adão da Fonseca, a concrete arch bridge holding the world record for the longest concrete arch span at 280 metres, offering stunning elevated views of Porto and Gaia.
The Ponte do Infante Dom Henrique, named after Prince Henry the Navigator, who was born in Porto in 1394, is Porto's newest bridge over the Douro, completed in 2003 and designed by engineer Adão da Fonseca with architect António Adão da Fonseca. At the time of its completion, its 280-metre concrete arch, rising just 25 metres, set a world record for the slenderness of a concrete arch. The bridge sits higher than the Dom Luís I Bridge, at 60 metres above the river, and carries road traffic and the D-line Metro. Unlike the Dom Luís I Bridge with its ornate Victorian ironwork, the Ponte do Infante has the spare, structural elegance of late 20th-century engineering: a thin horizontal deck floating over the gorge, supported by a single flat concrete arch. From above, it offers spectacular views of the gorge and the older bridge downstream. The bridge is named for Henry the Navigator, who spent much of his early life in Porto and whose plans for African exploration were formulated here.
Did you know? At its completion in 2003, the Ponte do Infante's 280-metre concrete arch, rising only 25 metres, set a world record for the slenderness (flatness) of a concrete arch, an emblem of Portugal's tradition of ambitious bridge engineering.
How much time do you need at Ponte do Infante?
Around ~20 min works well for Ponte do Infante — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Ponte do Infante?
Yes — Ponte do Infante made the cut as one of 25 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Porto. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Porto
Hear the story of Ponte do Infante
Preview the Porto tour free in the Gingerguide app.