I retraced my ride into town to cross an inlet of the estuary and on to the ferry jetty about 4 miles away. A punctual and well used ferry took us across to Jacinta which is at the tip of a spit of land on the North of the estuary from which it was a straight ride up the coast to Porto. I cycled about 15 miles along a flat road on the sheltered side of the estuary which glistened in the morning sunlight, I passed a Kingfisher sitting only 3 feet from where my bike passed but as I stopped to take its picture it was off before I got the camera out. After Torreira the roads moved slightly inland and I cycled round Ovar before heading back to the coast at Espinho. In town I did multiple loops around all the back streets near the train station, the reason ... Well I had been before and had a friend who was running a restaurant whom I had met 5 years earlier. Try as I might I couldn't find the restaurant - I suspect he had sold up !
To the north of the town I followed sand dunes and wooden board walks parallel to the train line for about 8 miles before I reached the mighty Douro and turned right towards Porto. I cycled under a huge motorway bridge and as I turned the corner the City suddenly appeared and I was soon cycling across the Dom Luis bridge before a steep cobbly climb up town to my hotel.