Pérgola da Nevogilde

This guide to the Pergola da Nevogilde in Porto starts with the tiny budget Porto handed the sculptor Antonio Enes Baganha in 1930 to build a stretch of concrete columns and railing where the Douro meets the Atlantic. It traces how he shaped the columns and beams to catch the coastal light, and how decades of salt spray and storms forced a full restoration in 2008. Best visited before sunset, from the walkway between the beach and the gardens.