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History

Rabelo Boats: the History Behind the Douro's Iconic Vessels

If you have ever strolled along Porto’s Ribeira or the Vila Nova de Gaia waterfront, you have surely seen them: the rabelo boats, flat-bottomed and with a large square sail, lined up in front of the Port wine cellars. Today they are one of the city’s most photographed sights, but they were not always a…