Of the Coasting Steamers to Gibraltar some touch at Lisbon only, others at Leixões (or Oporto) and Lisbon, and others again at various additional stations. All the important stations are here mentioned in their order.
The Hamburg-American steamers call at Boulogne (see Baedeker’s N. France) to take up passengers for Lisbon and America. Most of the vessels pass the Cap de la Hague, a little to the N.W. of Cherbourg, and the Channel Islands, which belong to Great Britain. The first of these is Alderney (Fr. Aurigny); next comes the islet of Burhou; beyond it, behind the dangerous rocks called the Casquets, marked by a triple flashing light, lies Guernsey (‘green island’), and farther away, to the left, is Jersey. The coast of Brittany or Bretagne is visible in clear weather only.
All the steamers leave the English Channel near Ushant (Ouessant; lighthouse), an island near the coast of Brittany, and steer to the S.S.W. across the Bay of Biscay (Viscaya), where, even in fine weather, the heavy swell of the open Atlantic is distinctly felt. The steamers of the Pacific Line and of the Rotterdam Lloyd touch at La Pallice, 3 M. from La Rochelle. From La Rochelle, an interesting historic town, by railway to (145 M.) Bordeaux, see Baedeker’s Southern France. The Bay of Biscay is bounded on the S. by the N. coast of Spain, with which the W. coast of France forms a right angle. In this angle, far to the E. of the steamer’s course, lie Bayonne and the famous health resort of Biarritz. To the S.W. of the latter is (8 M.) St. Jean de Luz, and 8 M. farther is Hendaye, on the Spanish frontier (see Baedeker’s S. France).
In Spain, 12 M. to the W. of the frontier, is situated San Sebastián, a strikingly picturesque town and fashionable seaside resort; 71½ M. farther to the W. lies Bilbao, famed for its iron and steel, 74 M. beyond which is Santandér, with its important harbour. About 280 M. farther to the W. are the N.W. headlands of Spain which mark the S.W. end of the Bay of Biscay.
The steamers of the Pacific Line, the Compañía Trasatlántica, and some others next call at Corunna, Span. La Coruña, a picturesque and important seaport famed in history, and the chief arsenal of N. Spain (see Baedeker’s Spain and Portugal; debarkation or embarkation 1 peseta). Time permitting, passengers may spend an hour or two on shore in walking through the new town (Pescadería) and the loftily situated old town (Ciudad Vieja), and in ascending to the Torre de Hércules (185 ft.; lighthouse), about 1 M. to the N. of the town, for the sake of the splendid view it affords. Some 35 M. to the W. of Corunna lie the small Sisargas Islands, beyond which all the vessels steer to the S., past Cabo Villano (lighthouse), Cabo Toriñana (lighthouse), and Cape Finisterre. To the E., in clear weather, we may descry the long outlines of the Galician mountain-range (‘sierra’). Beyond Cape Finisterre we pass a number of far-penetrating inlets (rias) which abound on the W. coast of Galicia. Many steamers touch also at Vigo, a seaport and sea-bathing place most picturesquely situated on the Ria de Vigo, the southmost inlet of Galicia, which runs 19 M. inland (debarkation or embarkation 1 peseta). Fine view near the lofty Castillo del Castro, to the S. of the town. Some eight or nine hours’ steaming carries us from Vigo, past the mouth of the Minho, the boundary between Spain and Portugal, to—
Leixões (pron. layshŏengsh; Brit. vice-consul, T. Coverley), the first Portuguese port, lying at the mouth of the little river Leça and forming the outer harbour of Oporto. About 2½ M. farther to the S. is the mouth of the Douro, usually entered by the smaller steamers bound for (3½ M.) Oporto itself.
Passengers who wish to go ashore at Leixões are conveyed by motor-boat or rowing-boat (about 225 reis or 1s., and half as much more for luggage) to the custom-house. Visitors with heavy luggage require to take the train (Leça station, near the Alfándega or custom-house) to Oporto (Estacão da Boa Vista, in the N. of the town); others may take the electric tramway (120 rs.), running from Leixões through the villa-suburb of Leça da Palmeira and the watering-places of Mattosinhos and São João da Foz, and up the right bank of the Douro, to Oporto (about 5 M., in 1 hr.). It goes as far as the Praça de Dom Pedro; but those in haste will alight in the Rua do Infante Dom Henrique (comp. p. [4]).
Oporto.—Hotels. *Hot. do Porto, Hôt. de Paris, Hôt. de Francfort, etc.—Café-Restaurant International, Praça de Dom Pedro 14; Café Suisse, same square, No. 122; Café Marques, in the Crystal Palace.
Cab 500 rs., or about 2s. 3d., per hour.
Consuls. British, H. Grant.—United States Consular Agent, W. Stüve.—English Church (St. James’s), in the Campo Pequeno, to the N. of the Crystal Palace.