The south bank, the bridge, the end of the afternoon

The Douro runs roughly east–west through Porto before opening into the Atlantic at Foz do Douro. Serra do Pilar, on the south bank in Vila Nova de Gaia, is a hilltop at 60 meters directly above the Dom Luís Bridge — the classic Porto shot, looking northwest toward the bridge and the steep Ribeira waterfront, is from here. At golden hour in late afternoon, the sun drops to the northwest and illuminates the entire Ribeira facade from above and behind you. Foz do Douro, where the river mouth opens into the Atlantic, faces west for sunsets over open ocean. The Castelo do Queijo on the north bank coast, just beyond the river mouth, gives a view of open sea to the west. Golden hour at 41°N runs around 37 minutes in summer — short enough that position matters.