The old port waterfront — Cais do Porto — at the edge of Praia Grande is a pleasant place to walk in the early morning and late afternoon. The old warehouses and dock buildings are in various states of renovation; some have become restaurants and bars, others are still working port buildings, and a few are gloriously decrepit. The smell of the estuary and the sound of the water give the whole area a maritime atmosphere that the inland streets of the historic centre lack.
Boat trips around the bay depart from here, and the Alcântara ferry terminal is nearby. In the evening, several bars along the waterfront attract a mixed crowd of dockworkers, office workers, and tourists.