Casa Dona Olga River View

-The gardens were pleasant and the views were nice. -The double bed mattress was comfortable. -It was centrally located, but be prepared to walk up MANY stairs to go anywhere! -The washing machine worked and there was a line to dry clothes outside. -The owner does not speak any English, so communication is tough, always needed a translation app.

-The location of the apartment is very noisy and was very hard to sleep: the windows had to stay open bc of no AC (beware during summertime heat), the loud tram is right outside and runs most of the night, loud tourists walk non-stop on the path right outside the windows. -Cars are not allowed anywhere near the apartment, so you have to take a 10 minute walk on cobblestone and stairs to get to ride-share/parking/carry luggage. We paid about 80 euros for 3 days to park in the nearest public lot. -There was construction right next door to the apartment (apparently a hotel has been being built there for 3 years, which the owner told us after the fact) and there was construction on the public stairs right outside the property for our entire stay. When I asked the owner before our stay if there was any construction, he assured me that "there is no construction in August". Btw, most of central Porto had tons of construction in August 2024. -Although there are 4 floors to the apartment, there is little privacy (no doors) and you can hear everything. -The ladder leading to the 4th floor is steep and the safety handle is loose (I have photo). -If you are over 5ft5 (165cm), beware that you will bump your head in the kitchen, bathrooms and garden exit areas. -The ground floor has a very musty/moldy smell and is unusable. The 4th floor also seemed very dusty. Anyone that tried sleeping there from our family would sneeze constantly. If you have allergies or asthma, beware. -Every time we put food on the kitchen counter, there would be ants all over it within minutes (I have video). Also, upon arrival, there was a used water bottle in the fridge. We felt disgusted to use the kitchen, so had to eat out the entire time. -When we brought up our concerns with the owner, he just let himself into the apartment.

The location was amazing and super comfy beds. Alberto was great and his friend António helped us with our bags.

Fairly tricky for teenagers to climb up into the loft space and although there are fans air con would be good too.

Location

Accessing the property with luggage can be a bit complicated, specially for elderly people or families with young children, since you have no access directly to the front door.

I was concerned about picking up the keys as the host said they would meet us there. We had a 7 hour train journey to Porto so wanted to be able to get in. The host was absolutely there and actually cleaning since we were early to check in. Worked out great as we were able to get the keys (2), drop our luggage, and then head out to lunch so they could finish up getting the apartment ready. This is the most unique place I have ever stayed with the stone entry way, cool layout, and amazing outdoor space. The location is close to walk to the river, into the city, and many historical places nearby. The outdoor space was our absolute favorite to rest up before dinner, look at the river, and have a few drinks. The apartment was very clean. We didn't cook anything, so the kitchen was fine for us for coffee, snacks, and drinks. Host was very responsive with questions.

You have to be very careful not to hit your head. There are some low areas in the upstairs loft, bathroom, and kitchen cupboards. I hit my head pretty hard a few times, not the fault of the hosts but we are just not used to these low areas. If you have anyone with you that has issues with stairs, this apartment location means you will climb up and down stairs to get anywhere. We thought it was well worth it but we were also able to do it.

This apartment has an exceptional location on the hill above the river, overlooking the port houses on the south bank, the Ribeira with it's bars and music, and the iconic pedestrian and metro bridges. It has so much comfort and charm it's tempting to spend all day sitting on the lovely garden terrace, watching city life without actually going out. Everything we needed was there and the host was charming, kind and helpful.

There is a little effort required in getting suitcases up and down steps. .

Location is perfect! the access is with stairs. The view is spectacular and the owner is very a very nice man

Host has great hospitality.

This place was absolutely perfect, as long as you don't have mobility issues. Alberto was perhaps the nicest and most accommodating host we have ever had. He has limited English, but we both had Spanish and that worked. The place is located in the middle of a large stairway between the main Porto Cathedral and the waterfront. The view of the Eiffel Bridge is great. There are multiple outside sitting areas from which one can watch the Duoro and all the activities. There is a great little wine/jazz bar right outside the door. Once we figured out the navigation, it was great wandering up and down all the small, twisty streets in historic Porto, and this is a great place for that. All the amenities were terrific and I couldn't recommend it more highly. At the end of our stay, we were heading to a cruise up the Douro River. Alberto not only schlepped our suitcases up the stairs to his car (beyond the call), but drove us down to the pier.

Nothing comes to mind. If you are tall, be ready to duck a lot. And you need to be able to climb stairs to fully enjoy the area.