With all your attention drawn to the Douro and the Ribeira you might neglect Porto’s beaches.
On a hot day you can dip your toes in the brisk Atlantic and clear your senses in the breeze.
If you want to include some of the outlying beaches a few minutes from the city you have at least 10 to choose from, many of which fly the Blue Flag every year.
The most convenient is Matosinhos, just past the Parque de Cidade and with a massive bay that seems boundless when the tide is out.
If you’re happy to travel a little don’t rule out the town of Miramar, which has a pretty 17th-century chapel on the rocks between its huge golden sandy beaches.