Porto stole my heart. I admit, I knew the city was probably going to do just that and a short weekend was all it took. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and since I was supposed to originally visit in April 2020, it made the ache to visit all the greater and thankfully I could journey over in winter 2024.
What is it about Porto that’s so good? It’s a combination of facets that make Porto special. The city sits on cliffs above the river Douro which makes for postcard views everywhere you look and if that isn’t enough, many of the buildings are adorned with ornately decorated tiles, practical yet elegant, which make the views unique. The Douro river snakes its way beneath Porto and with it brings many of the delicious foods and drinks which make a visit to the Portuguese city a treat, from local cheeses to rich port wines, from sweet and flakey pastel de nata to the iconic sardines. Porto is a relatively small city and its centre, where tourists will more than likely be based, is very walkable and easy to get around.
Ideally a long weekend in Porto is what you need so that you can have an extra day to spend exploring some coastal towns or taking a winery tour into the Douro valley but for everything you’ve got to do during a weekend in the city read on! Share it with your travel buddy and save for later 🔖
Top Tip – Booking Activities & Tours
My favourite app for booking tours, adventures and plenty of fun is Get Your Guide. There are so many epic memories that you can choose to make from food tours to entry tickets, laidback wine tasting to adrenaline filled adventures. Make sure you use my discount code CATTHOMSON5 for 5% off your first booking when you download the app as a new user 👇
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1. Taste test Pastel de Natas
Regardless of whether you’d declare yourself a foodie or not, taste testing Portugal’s famous pastry Pastel de Nata is a must do in Porto. These delicious treats are egg custard tarts which are at their best when they’re served fresh and still warm inside. A good pastel de nata will have a lovely creamy filling and crisp, flakey pastry with a hint of cinnamon. Personally I prefer them a little less full and a little more caramelised on the top. You’ll find them all over Porto (and the rest of Portugal) so it would be rude not to try and find the best one 😉 We tried pastel de natas from two locations, Castro (📌 – Google Maps) and Fábrica da Nata (📌 – Google Maps) but we were also recommended Manteigaria (📌 – Google Maps) by our food tour guide.
You could even join a cooking class to learn how to make Pastel de Natas yourself if you have a little more time in the city or if you’re having a foodie holiday.
2. Search for azulejo tiles
Some of the most iconic images of Porto feature stunning blue and white azulejos, ceramic tiles, which adorn many of the city’s important buildings. On other buildings, you’ll discover a myriad of different colours, patterns and styles and it’s one of the best things about strolling through Porto. The azulejos mean that the buildings in the city are so pretty it’s super easy to spend time just exploring what you can find.
In the 13th century, the Moors invaded the European peninsula of Portugal and Spain and with them brought these tiles (you can see similar in Seville) but it was really a few centuries later that they became more prominent in Porto. They have two uses. The first is practical, they help to protect buildings from the harsh and salty sea air since Porto is a coastal city. The second is of course, decorative and for many a chance to show off wealth.
Some of the best places to find these iconic tiles include Porto São Bento Station, Porto Cathedral, Church of Saint Ildefonso, Chapel of Souls and Igreja do Carmo. Do keep looking up and around, however, because you may find your favourite without ceremony!
3. Savour port in a port cellar
If you’re going to taste port then you should absolutely be doing it in Porto. In the same way that champagne comes from a protected region of France, port comes from a protected region of Portugal and it just so happens to be on the Douro river so all of the port would be stored in Porto before being exported. I say stored in Porto, on the south side of the river, there is actually a second city called Vila Nova de Gaia and the port cellars are all located here (due to the solar exposure which keeps the port fresher). Join a port tour to discover more about the process of port production, the different varieties (ruby, vintage, tawny etc) and of course to taste your way through some samples.
We joined a port tasting at Quevedo which included cheese paring. Quevedo is a smaller, family run business so there was a lovely, intimate atmosphere. There are plenty to choose and some classics are Cockburn’s & Graham’s (which are likely familiar to UK readers!).
4. Try Francesinha
You’ve not had a proper sandwich until you’ve had a Francesinha. Invented in Porto, this Portuguese sandwich is the city’s most iconic dish and you must taste one before you leave. It’s a very indulgent, very stacked, sandwich which you should probably only have on special occasions 😉 The Francesinha consists of two thick slices of bread with steak, sausage (maybe ham as well) in between and then covered in a melted cheese exterior before being smothered in a slightly spicy, tomatoey sauce. There’s no set recipe and every restaurant, bar, cafe will have variations on the ingredients and ratios so that’s unrepeatable. Everyone and their uncle claims to know where to get the best Francesinha in Porto so there’s no set place to try it, just check Google reviews first! Having said that, we did have two and they were both great so I’m happy to recommend Pregar (📌 – Google Maps) and A Fábrica da Picaria (📌 – Google Maps).
I love joining a food tour to get to know a new city and I find I’m more likely to listen to historical facts when it’s food and drink related! We joined this tour in Porto and tasted our way through Portuguese cheeses, green wines, port, bifana and more.
5. Stroll along the riverside
The Douro river winds its way between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, connecting the lush green of the Douro valley to the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean. As it snakes its way between the urban city area, the banks become busy with people, the waters with boats and the cliffs with buildings. The Ribeira area of Porto is the one which sits closest to the river and it’s a lovely spot, particularly on a sunny day to take a stroll. The riverside bustles with noise from the chatter at bar tables and the buskers making music. It’s also vibrant in colour from the brightly tiled buildings and cafes. Come during the day as well as after the sun has set to experience the romantic atmosphere of the city lights reflecting in the water.
Head over to the Vila Nova de Gaia to admire the view back towards Porto, you’ll get to enjoy that classic panorama which is the one most commonly used for the city.
Top Tip – Data Roaming
If you’re visiting Porto from overseas then getting online with an eSIM from Holafly is such a game changer. No swapping SIMs. No complicated data roaming. Lots of choice. If your phone is compatible, just download the eSIM and get going!
Holafly
6. Watch a sunset and a sunrise
Both sunset and sunrise are lovely in Porto so take your pick of which you’d most like to see (or both if you can manage it of course!). The sunset is particularly nice in Porto because you’re so close to the Atlantic Ocean and the colours can often be incredible when the sun sets over the ocean. You could make the journey all the way to the coast itself to catch the sunset (we did that on a private tour) but the most popular spot is Jardim do Morro. For sunrise, we made our way to Miradouro da Rua das Aldas but I’d also wandered along the river where the colours had already started to change.
7. Listen to Fado music
Fado is the traditional music of Porto which is incredibly unique. If you’re interested in live music and the culture of music you can’t miss a live Fado show to get to know Porto’s heritage. There are so many venues across the city to choose from which offer various intimate venue settings but you can’t go wrong with Ideal Clube de Fado which has three performances a day and your ticket includes a glass of port to savour during the performance. Fado music is haunting and melancholic and reflects life of the poor in 19th century Portugal, often questioning fate and with a mournful atmosphere.
8. Admire Livraria Lello
Livraria Lello is a must not miss for fans of Harry Potter. JK Rowling lived in Porto for a year or so in the early 90s when she taught english and spent time writing some of Harry Potter here. The gorgeous bookshop Livraria Lello is one of the places in the city that is said to have a JK link as it’s said to have inspired her whilst writing. The bookshop is fabulous and the details of the staircase, ceiling and stained glass windows on the roof are magical.
Livraria Lello been located here since 1906 but it’s in the last five years or so that its popularity has taken off as it’s been shared on social media. This means it’s very expensive to visit (understandable since it is first and foremost a bookshop which needs to make money to stay in business!) and now costs €8 although this is redeemable on the purchase of a book. Unfortunately it’s not a very serene experience which is what you generally expect from a book shop because it’s now just so busy but for photographers and Harry Potter fans then it’s still an interesting place to see. Another location for HP fans to seek out is the Majestic Cafe which is where JK Rowling is alleged to have spent some time writing whilst Porto was her home.
9. Find the street art
The architecture of Porto has become a canvas for urban art which has been encouraged by new government in recent years and a shift in attitudes towards street art. This has all been alongside the regeneration of the city. I was surprised when exploring Porto to see many more abandoned and dilapidated buildings than I was expecting for such a touristy city. Porto, however, has not always been such a popular tourist destination and from what I can uncover online, in the 2010s, around 20% of buildings in central Porto were unused, due to a combination of factors (including cost to redevelop, inheritance laws, family disputes etc). One of the new initiatives of the city is the street art you can now discover and many of the artworks have been created by local Portuguese artists including Hazul Luzah, Mr. Dheo and GODMESS.
10. Walk across Pont Luis I
Porto’s most recognisable landmark is Pont Luis I, the bridge that spans the banks of the river Douro as well as the cliff top above to join Porto and Vila de Nova Gaia. The top of the bridge whisks people between the cities by metro whilst the bottom is for buses and taxis, pedestrians are able to use both and during your trip to Porto you should cross via both options. The views from the top are pretty fantastic and it feels pretty surreal to be traversing so high up. It’s not just its look that’s so iconic, it’s also famous because of a little known mistake that many people make. Plenty of tourists mistakenly believe that the bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel (it certainly does look a lot like a bridge version of the Eiffel Tower!) but Eiffel’s bridge is actually further inland and this one was designed by one of his students. Somewhat ironically, Eiffel’s bridge has been closed for nearly thirty years to investigate structural issues but the student’s version still safely carries thousands of people every day!
11. Climb Torre dos Clérigos
Torre dos Clérigos is Porto’s other iconic symbol of the city as it stands head and shoulders above the rest of the buildings of the centre. The Brotherhood of the Clérigos (Clerics) commissioned the complex to be built in the 18th century and its Baroque design was created by Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni. The church and tower were built on a hill and with the 76m high bell tower, is the highest point on the horizon. It’s so iconic that there is a law which states that no building in Porto can be built to go higher than the Torre dos Clérigos! On your weekend in Porto, purchase a ticket to make the dizzying climb up the 240 stairs to the top and be rewarded with fabulous 360 degree views out across the city, towards the river and over those terracotta rooftops. The ticket also includes access to the museum to learn more about the tower and a peek into the church as well.
12. Porto Cathedral
Admission time. I didn’t actually visit Porto Cathedral and it’s probably the biggest regret of the trip. It’s not as though it’s out of the way, it’s incredibly central! We just ran out of time with the other activities we had planned in and other places that we’d wanted to see because we really only had one day in Porto. So, don’t make that mistake and make sure you do visit! It’s free to enter the cathedral and €3 for the cloisters, which is where the magic is to be found with vaulted ceilings and plenty of fabulous azulejos to be discovered. Construction on the cathedral originally began in the 12th century but there have been renovations and additions over the years so what stands today is a mix of architectural styles incorporating Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque elements.
13. Sail down the river Douro
If you’ve already walked along the river then next it’s time to sail down the river Douro. This is a lovelly way to pass an hour or so, especially on a lovely sunny day with the sun on your face (and the wind undoubtedly in your hair), especially when it can get quite hot in the summer months. You’ll get to see a number of Porto’s bridges from a unique perspective and admire the buildings and greenery along the banks of the Douro. There are many different tours and operators to choose from if you want to port taste as you sail, taste local delights or admire the sunset colours.
14. Find gifts to take home
You can’t leave Porto without a little souvenir or gift to take home. There are plenty of things to serve as a reminder of your trip whether that’s a tile or six for your own home, tinned sardines (from The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines), port wine from a port lodge or delicatessen goodies from Mercado do Bolhão. Porto is also well known for its cork and you can find plenty of stores selling cork based trinkets from wallets to hats.
15. Make time for brunch
I discovered from our food tour guide that brunch is a very recent addition to Portugal although it does suit their mealtime habits quite well as Portugal follows similar mealtimes to Spain. Whilst there aren’t as many brunch options yet as you might find in other busy European cities like Edinburgh or Budapest, there are still some great ones on offer. In particular, make space in your itinerary for at least one brunch trip to Hairy Biker Cafe. So good we actually went twice 🙃 There are two locations in Porto, Do Norte and Floresta and they do actually have different menus so that’s my excuse! Both had great coffee (I also recommend Esquires for coffee) and mouth watering choices on their menus. My partner opted for a big breakfast which was a large savoury plate with salmon, eggs, avo, bread, cheese and salad alongside yoghurt and granola served with a choice of coffee. My sweet tooth led me to French Toast at one and Pancakes at the other. Both with divine, unique sauces and mountains of fresh fruit.
For more Portugal inspiration check out my other posts!
Cat x
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