Istas Garden

Serviced pitches area (added by manager 25 Mar 2019)

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Small, well-kept site in the Madalena area of Vila Nova de Gaia
Half an hour from central Porto by public transport
Swimming pool on site; beach 20 minutes' walk away

Fab location alert: Istas Garden is one of those places that’s particularly well suited to folk who can’t decide whether they want a city break or a seaside hol (or those who are pretty sure that actually they’d like a bit of both, obrigado). This handy spot is in the outskirts of Porto, in an area called Madalena on the southern Vila Nova de Gaia side of town (yes, that’s the bit where all the port cellars are – how splendid). Getting into town is a cinch, for the public transport connections are excellent: it’s an easy half-hour jaunt to the centre of Porto by either train or bus. There are also bikes to hire on site, but it’s worth bearing in mind the city’s somewhat steep hills before planning to roam too far. Where two-wheeled transport comes into its own is on outings to the beach – the nearest sandy stretch is a couple of kilometres away (about 20 minutes on foot if you'd rather walk), and there are several more to try out within a few kilometres’ pedalling. For eats, it’s a short walk for restaurant dinners, or to pick up supermarket bits to cook back at base – either in the shared kitchen (kitted out with fridge, stove, microwave, crockery and the like) or at the spacious outdoor barbecue area. And surely there can be no finer way to work up an appetite for your meal than a dip in the pool (heated and under cover, so it can be used in all weathers).

Site type

Open all year

Languages spoken

English

German

Portuguese

Spanish

Features

Dogs allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Gastronomic delight

Luxury

Peaceful

Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Public transport nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Restaurant nearby

Surf school nearby

Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Drainage hook-up points for tourers

Tourer storage facilities

Water hook-up points for tourers

Location

Istas Garden

Rua da Cavada 617

Vila Nova de Gaia

Portugal

4405-519

Directions

Timezone

Europe/Lisbon WET (GMT+00:00)

GPS

41.10887°N
-8.64643°W

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

With public transport being so handy here, it makes sense to spread your Porto jaunts over a few days so you can delve a little deeper than a day trip would allow (and sample the offerings of multiple port cellars too, of course). Start your explores at the famed Luis I bridge, then stroll around the pretty Cais de Ribeira area, visit a collection of elaborate old churches, ride on the funicular, peruse the museums, poke in the shops, take in a gig at the Casa de Música, board boats out into the wine-producing Douro Valley… For a change of scenery, you might also like to consider day trips to Braga, Guimarães, or the Venice-esque colourful canals of Aveiro – all are around 50 minutes away by car. And of course, there are those beaches: set out on foot for your local sands (Praia da Madalena, 20 minutes’ walk), scramble among the dunes at Praia da Dunas (45 minutes’ walk) or keep ambling to Senhor da Pedra Chapel (an hour), built right on the beach and surrounded by water at high tide.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name	Distance	Type	2020	2019	2018	2017
Madalena Norte	0.9 mi	Sea	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Canide Sul	0.9 mi	Sea	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Madalena Sul	1 mi	Sea	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Canide Norte	1.1 mi	Sea	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Valadares Norte	1.3 mi	Sea	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Reviews

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Does Istas Garden have a swimming pool? Yes View all features
Is Istas Garden dog friendly? Yes View all features
What attractions are near Istas Garden? With public transport being so handy here, it makes sense to spread your Porto jaunts over a few days so you can delve a little deeper than a day trip would allow … Read more