Porto is the second largest city in Portugal and is located in the northern area of the country along the Douro River, close to the Atlantic Ocean. If you’re located in the United States (like yours truly), its likely you know quite a few people who have visited Portugal in recent years. The country’s friendly locals, affordable activities, and preponderance of direct and easy flights draw tourists in from around the globe. However, most visitors end up spending their time in Lisbon, Portugal’s capitol, which is located about halfway up the country’s coast. If you are planning a trip to Lisbon, check out my previous post on what to do when visiting this amazing city.
However, if you want a taste of Portugal that is a little less touristy, I cannot recommend Porto and the surrounding regions enough. I visited Porto for a week in May of 2023 – we were lucky enough to have perfect weather every day, which allowed us to fully partake in all the city has to offer. Check out some of the best sights, food, and activities below.
What to See in Porto
1. Azulejos: Capela das Almas church and the São Bento train station
In the last year, I have been to both Lisbon and Porto. I actually thought it was easier to find azulejos (hand-painted traditional ceramic tiles) in Lisbon. However, that isn’t to say that Porto doesn’t have its own gorgeous azulejo facades. The two most famous buildings with azulejos in Porto are the Capela das Almas church, and the São Bento train station. Both of these buildings have beautiful displays of azulejos – the church primarily has them outside, while the train station’s tiles are within the interior.
When I visited Porto in May 2023, the exterior area around the São Bento train station was under construction, and as a result there were no trains running to/from the station. However, you could still make your way inside the station to see the azulejos.
2. Beautiful views of the Douro River
Porto is located on a hillside with the Douro River at its base. As a result, there are many vantage points across the city that offer beautiful views of the river. One of my favorites was the Crystal Palace gardens, pictured below. This was a great place to spend an afternoon.
There are chickens, roosters, and peacocks strutting across the grounds within the Crystal Palace gardens – this was an unexpected but fun element!
3. The famous Ponte de Dom Luis I bridge
This bridge is the defining landmark of Porto. You’ll see it every time you are near the river. Some of my favorite places to see the bridge included from Ribiera (the waterfront neighborhood with many cafes), Vila Nova de Gaia (town located across the river from Porto), and a boat tour of the six Porto bridges (more on this below).
What to Eat in Porto
1. Pastéis de nata! (also referred to as pastel de nata or pastel de Belém)
This delicious egg custard pastry is a must-try item for anywhere in Portugal, not just Porto. Head to a bakery for breakfast and pick up few pastéis. Make sure to dust the top with cinnamon.
2. Francesinha
A francesinha is a large Portuguese sandwich composed of layers of meat, topped with cheese, and covered with a rich beer sauce. We got this for lunch one day because it is a classic dish from Porto. However, I don’t think anyone liked it enough to want to order it again. It’s very heavy (all those meats and sauce) and not the most photogenic of plates.
3. Port of all varieties!
Port is the signature drink of Porto, as evidenced by the city’s name. I have never been much of a port wine drinker (or any sweet wines, for that matter) but trying port in Porto was a game changer.
You can also try Porto’s signature cocktail: the port and tonic. Similar to a gin and tonic, but with the gin replaced by port, this is a delicious cocktail perfect for summer.
4. Sample a variety of traditional northern Portuguese foods at the Mercado do Bolhão
The Mercado do Bolhão (Bolhão Market) is centrally located in Porto and specializes in meat, fish, fruit, flowers, vegetables, wine, and other similar items. It is vibrant, well laid out, and a great spot to pick up local produce, sauces, cured meats and cheeses, and more.
We stopped here one afternoon and wandered around the different stalls, picking up a couple of items from each to create a mini picnic which we ate at the steps. This was a great lunch. I also saw a ton of people strolling around with glasses of wine, just perusing the stalls.
5. Partake in Porto’s fine dining scene
By “fine dining,” I’m referring to sit-down meals (nothing too crazy). We had no shortage of delicious meals in Porto – some of my favorite spots, including dishes and drinks, are pictured below.
Our lunch at the Yeatman was pricey (given the hotel’s reputation) but spectacular. One particular aspect I loved was the couvert (bread and accoutrements, often a menu item in Portugal), which came with a unique surprise. There were olives served with the bread, but there was also tapenade and butter that had been shaped to resemble olives to go with the bread as well. The presentation was extremely realistic and this was the most original way I have ever seen bread and butter served.
There are great views from the Esplanada do Teleférico restaurant. Right next to the Jardim do Morro in Vila Nova de Gaia, this was a beautiful place to watch the sunset, and was much less crowded than the lawn overlooking the river. We managed to walk-in and get a table for 4 people at sunset on a Saturday.
Some other restaurants that I wanted to try (but didn’t get the chance to – there was only so much time!) included Muu Steakhouse and Ponte de Ferro. If you make your way to either of these, let me know how they are.
What to Do in Porto
1. Get a drink at the Ponte Pensil bar
This bar has outdoor seating that is situated directly on top of an old lookout station, a souvenir from Porto’s pre-modern days. The view of the river and the Dom Luis I bridge from this location, paired with the actual experience of having a drink on such a cool and historical structure, cannot be beat.
The service here wasn’t the best, but we eventually got our drinks. I would not plan on having a full meal here. Just stop by quickly for the experience and some good photos.
2. Take a boat tour down the Douro River
A Rabelo is a traditional Portuguese cargo boat, originally used to transport the barrels of Port wine from the Douro Valley region to the wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Rabelo boats are now used to transports tourists up and down the Douro River for a short (50 minutes) sightseeing cruise.
The most popular rabelo tour offered is the Six Bridges tour. There are many of these tours offered with the opportunity to purchase tickets at booths at intermediate points along the waterfront in both Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. This is a great activity to do on your first day or two because it orients you to your surroundings.
3. Head to Vila Nova de Gaia for a port tasting
I didn’t even think I liked port before visiting Porto – I came back with multiple bottles of port, so clearly I’ve been converted. All of the port cellars are located in Vila Nova de Gaia, which is right across the river from Porto (a 15 minutes walk from Ribeira).
We chose to do a tour and port tasting at Cockburn’s (pronounced COH-burns) wine cellars. This was a fascinating experience. We learned a significant amount about how port is made (add brandy to the grape juice after 2-3 days to stop the fermentation of alcohol) and about the different varieties sold (white, ruby, tawny, vintage, and L.B.V. or Late Bottled Vintage). I could spend a few paragraphs droning on about the intricacies of port-making, but I’ll spare you. I highly recommend this tour however!
Pairing the ports with different chocolates was fun and really enhanced the different port flavors! Also, who doesn’t like having alcohol and chocolate at 10:30 on a Monday morning?
4. Listen to a few of the fantastic street performances
I’ve spent the past five years living in New York City…we have a lot of people on the streets doing all sorts of performance activities, and I’ve pretty much trained myself to walk right past them. However, I had to break this habit in Porto. While we were visiting, we heard some of the most fantastic musical talent, mostly in the Ribeira area near restaurants. I actually wanted to stay and listen to the singers’ different sets.
Musical talent was abundant in Porto, and pausing to soak in the music was a great way to experience the culture of the city.
5. Take a day trip out of Porto to another city or region
We were able to explore Aveiro, Braga, and the Douro Valley during our time based in Porto. I’ll go into more detail on these destinations in another post, but check out some photo highlights below.
All in all, visiting Porto was a fantastic experience. The people were friendly (most spoke English quite well), the food and drink was delicious and inexpensive, and the combination of the architecture and the natural landscape was stunning. I highly recommend adding Porto to your vacation destination list.
