The Oporto Sunset Blue Balcony is a lovely 50sqm high ceiling flat, built in the first half of the 20th century, fully renovated in 2016 and located in downtown Oporto near the busy Santa Catarina shopping quarter. Its central location allows easy access to transportation, tourist attractions, restaurants, bars and stores. This cozy property is part of a beautiful historical blue tiled building and has a wide range of modern amenities to provide a relaxing and immersive Oporto experience.
The flat boasts a large well lit living area with wooden floor and one small “Belle Époque” balcony, where guests can enjoy every sunset and have a relaxed smoke, drink or tea, while overlooking one of the most renowned streets of Oporto. This street has several old mansions and palaces, and the flat is located in front of one of those (the Spanish Consulate).
Once the three big double glazed windows are closed, this comfortable and modern flat becomes quiet and offers a wide range of amenities to turn your stay into a memorable experience. The property has one bedroom with a double size bed, a kitchenette, one fully equipped bathroom, one dinning area / workstation, a storage room for luggage/suitcases, and two large sofa beds.
Overall, it can accommodate up to 4 guests. Families are very welcome. Free Wifi with 100MB internet access, flatscreen TV with 145 digital channels and towels / bed linen are also provided.
The flat is in the heart of Oporto’s cultural and historical center, with most tourist attractions found within a reasonable walking distance (Majestic Café, Clérigos Tower, Livraria Lello, Ribeira, Churches and Cathedrals, Bridges over River Douro, Wine Cellars and many more). Bars, restaurants, supermarkets, greengrocers and shops are available just around the corner and for those seeking an exciting nightlife, action can be found 15 minutes away (walking) in the “Galerias de Paris” area.
To ensure the utmost privacy during your stay, guests have exclusive and totally independent usage of the entire flat, with locks available in the main entrance door, bedroom (only internal), bathroom and storage room. Additionally, the flat complies with the best safety requirements by having smoke alarm, Co2 alarm, fire extinguisher, fire blanket, first aid emergency kit and Airbnb security card.
For those of you that want to cook your own meals with the minimum inconvenience, you can use a fully equipped kitchenette with electric stove, fridge, oven, exhaust fan, microwave oven, coffee machine, toaster, kettle, hand blender, sandwich maker, cutlery, crockery, glasses and cookware. When it is time to take care of your personal hygiene, an independent bathroom is available and there you can find, among others, a large shower space, hot water, a hair dryer, a large mirror and a decent sized sink inbuilt into a wooden stand.
To help fighting global warming, the apartment has an eco-friendly water heating system that does not allow long showers and therefore saves water and power. Therefore, after an intensive usage of hot water, you may need to provide some time for the system to get back to full usage condition.
Due to the historical nature of the building and the architectural conditions imposed recently by the Oporto City Council for the renovation of old buildings, the apartment cannot have any air conditioned, because that would damage the quality of the façade. Nevertheless, the apartment tends to have an average mild temperature throughout the year due to the good quality of building materials used in its renovation (official power saving certificate). To handle more extreme weather conditions like very hot summer days or very cold wintery days, there is one electric fan and one electric heater, respectively.
Additionally, and in order to keep its historical layout, the Oporto Sunset Blue Balcony building has no elevator. However, the flat is located on the first floor and this enormously facilitates access and luggage carrying to the property. Guests only need to go through a lovely corridor with a stoney arch and handle two small sets of wide stairs. It is also quite easy to find short-term car parking at anytime in front of the building for easy luggage loading and unloading.
There is no car park in the premises, however, outodoor public and indoor private parking can be found just across the street (in front of the building). Outdoor public parking is limited to a few spots (normally not very difficult to find a spot), being free on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays (full day) and Monday to Friday (between 20h00 and 8h00) - paid during the remaining time. Indoor private parking is secured 24 hours a day, allowing unlimited exits and entries at anytime. The price is as follows (subject to changes determined by management):
- 1 day - 13 euros
- 15 days - 10 euros per day
- 30 days - 5 euros per day
For more info and online private car park bookings, read carefully the section “How to arrive” (after you book the apartment).
The Oporto Sunset Blue Balcony is located in Rua Dom João IV, very close to the city center. The neighborhood is composed by a set of residental and commercial historical buildings with architectural design, dating back to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The street also boasts a set of palaces that are quite unique and give a distinctive historical and posh feeling to the neighbourhood.
The building where the flat is located and other buildings close by, have been recently refurbished and are being mostly used to provide tourist accommodation. The street is quite busy in terms of traffic during rush hours, however, the modern materials used in the flat’s renovation are effective in terms of noise reduction, creating a reasonably quiet environment inside. Some street noise can be heard occasionally, even during night times, however, that should not keep you from relaxing and sleeping well.
The neighbourhood is very peaceful and extremely safe, both during the day and night times.
There is a 24 hour check-in available for all guests. Guests will be checked-in by the host or co-host and the default check-in location is the building’s main door. The appropriate time for each specific guest can be arranged by personal airbnb message, email or telephone. In case, you arrive too early or find it easier to get the keys from another location, you can also go to the Porto Concierge headquarters in Rua Pedro Hispano 1295, Porto.
Guests enjoy an environment of full privacy and have access to all areas and amenities of the apartment. In case you need help to operate any appliances or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Porto Concierge team.
When you arrive you will be met by The Porto Concierge team that will welcome you, do the check-in and share tips on special places to eat, visit and have fun.
When check-in is performed at the flat’s door and as the building has no elevator, the Porto Concierge team can also help with luggage carrying. Just ask for help!
In order to comply with official regulations, your stay must be reported to the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF), so your Passport or ID Card details will be collected during check-in.
The Oporto Sunset Blue Balcony is a fully licensed and 100% legal flat complying with Portuguese and European tax requirements, so business guests are more than welcome to stay with us. If you require an invoice or a receipt for your stay, please send us a message with the following details immediately after completing your booking:
- Full name:
- Address:
- Country of residence:
- VAT number or tax number:
- Email address
Invoices or receipts will be issued after check-out and will be sent to your email account.
If you have any special needs or requests during your stay, please get in touch and The Porto Concierge team will help you.
The flat is very central and allows you to enjoy the city on foot or by bus or metro.
-2 minutes walk to Bus Stop
-4 minutes walk to the Via Catarina shopping mall
-5 minutes walk to Bolhão metro station
-5 minutes walk to shopping area in Rua de Santa Catarina
-10 minutes walk to Majestic Café
-11 minutes walk to Oporto City Hall
-15 minutes to São Bento train station
-15 to 20 minutes to all major historical and cultural attractions in the city center, including “Livraria Lello”, Clérigos tower, Rua das Flores, Ribeira and much more.
Transfers to and from Oporto Airport:
-Private transfer to apartment (Lux car): 9€ per person in a group of 2 to 3 people. For a single person, total cost of 18€.. Private driver pick up at Arrivals – takes 20/25 minutes.
-Transfer service in a private bus:9€ per person in a group of 4 to 6 people. Private driver pick up at Arrivals - takes 20/25 minutes.
-Metro (stopping at Bolhão station) – 2.45€ per person – 35 minutes travel + 5 minutes walking
Transfers from and to Campanhã train station (Oporto):
- By foot – 25 minutes – via Pinto Bessa, Bonfim and Fernandes Tomás streets.
- Metro – 5 to 7 minutes plus 5 minutes walking – stops at Campo 24 de Agosto or Bolhão – 1.20 euros per person.
- Taxi – 5 to 7 minutes – 5 euros per trip.
These prices are only a reference and they may vary according to the services requested and/or guests involved. All services are provided by business partners and therefore are subject to unexpected changes in prices and availability.
