The news of boats that ploughed the Douro River’s waters, transporting people and merchandise, go back to Middle Ages. The rabelo boats’ origins get lost in those distant times.
With the creation of the Douro Demarcated Region, on the second half of the XVIII century, the activity of these elegant, nevertheless, robust boats, was duly controlled through the emission of permits.
Until middle XX century, the boats transported the Port wine casks, from the High Douro until Vila Nova de Gaia.
Of flat bottom, ideal to plough the current, the boats present an unmistakable silhouette, of which enhances the quadrangular sail.
Nowadays, though the boats are already retired from its primordial activity, the boats keep irreplaceable. The boats provide unforgettable trips and its sails still mark the landscape.
Location: Vila Nova de Gaia
