It will be hard to top Pedro as a host. Pedro greeted us when we arrived, insisted on accompanying me as I dropped off my rental car, walked me through nearby areas of interest (like Rua Santa Catarina), pointed out two neighborhood supermarkets, showed me favorite local restaurants while highlighting their best dishes, took me to his preferred wine store and translated a conversation with the owner about her favorite Douro wines.
And all of this was before I got to the room.
The accommodations were delightful, with the apartment spanning two floors: a living room and kitchen downstairs and a bedroom upstairs. The rooms were beautifully decorated and most welcoming. On the kitchen table was a decanter of port, which Pedro explained was produced by his family. It was a gracious gesture among many and we knew we had chosen the right place.
A note on the apartment’s location: It is not in the tourist center of Ribeira nor near many of the tourist checklist sights. But those are within a manageable walk (keeping in mind a meaningful ascent on the return) or when we were lazy, a € 4 Uber ride. It is very near Rua Santa Catarina, Cafe Santiago, and Casa Guedes, the last two of which deserve to lure the tourists from Ribeira.
I think it would be unrealistic to assume that Pedro could replicate each act of graciousness with every guest. Still, I am confident that if you plan to stay here, you should raise your expectations and then expect them to be surpassed.
I was going to write that I would happily return to Pedro’s duplex on my next visit. Instead, I will say that I just want to live there.