Porto is one of those beautiful cities which has incredible views wherever you look. And you can admire those stunning views no matter the light, weather, time of day; Porto looks fabulous in them all. I was lucky to visit at the end of 2024 and fell in love with the city. The people are friendly, the architecture is gorgeous and the port is of course delicious. Porto is built along the river Douro and on the southern side you step over into Vila de Nova Gaia. The historic city is situated on the steep banks of the northern side and with the steep streets and tired knees come incredible views! Bridges sweep across the Douro and colourful, tile laden buildings sit along the waterfront. All of this together means that Porto has some amazing viewpoints to find and in this post I will share 12 of them with you (plus a bonus three at the end that we didn’t make it to visit).
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1. Torre dos Clérigos
Whilst the places on this list are in no particular order, I must start with the highest point in Porto as a stunning viewpoint not to miss! Torre dos Clérigos is one of the iconic landmarks of the city and it is the highest spot in the whole of Porto. There is actually a law to say that no building can be built higher than the Torre dos Clérigos so it will forever be towering over the city. The tower may not be that high compared to other buildings around the world (76m vs London’s Shard is 309m) but because its located on top of a hill it seems to be much higher. When you make it to the top of the 240 steps and walk out onto the balcony, you’ll feel like you’re well above Porto as you look across the terracotta rooftops all the way to the other side of the river and Vila Nova de Gaia. Buy your tickets in advance to skip the queue buying on the day!
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!
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2. Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar
We’re jumping all over the city on this article and now we’re heading over to Vila Nova de Gaia for our first viewpoint on the southern side of the Douro River. Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar is a former monastery which is part of Porto’s UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The building is unusual in that it is round and I must say looks quite imposing, the way it sits up high above the city below. The terrace outside the Monastery has a spectacular view and its particularly nice because of the way you can capture Pont Luis I from above with the fabulous Porto skyline in the background.
3. Ribeira
Ribeira is the district in Porto that descends from the city centre down to the waterside. This is such a wonderful part of the city to soak up the atmosphere and vibes because there is so much going on. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants (although its the view that you’ll sit here for not really the dishes!) as well as buskers and market stalls which all add to the lively feel to Ribeira. This is also another location where you can find stunning views whether by day or by night and its worth coming along here to capture the scene when the light changes.
4. World of Wine terrace
Vila Nova de Gaia is where all of the port lodges are in Porto and where you must head for some tastings and to learn about the history and production of port. The cellars are all here because there is less solar exposure on the southern side of the Douro River which keeps the port fresher for longer. A new addition to Vila Nova de Gaia is the World of Wine which actually houses a number of different museums as well as restaurants and bars. No matter how many of the museums (with an eclectic range from chocolate to wine to cork) you visit you must take some time to admire the view from the terrace where you arrive. We visited just before sunset so the light was lovely and warm which threw a gorgeous soft light on the buildings of Ribeira.
5. Avenue de Diogo Leite
Staying in Vila Nova de Gaia, Avenue de Diogo Leite, is the road that runs along the riverside and where you can get a fabulous view back across to Ribeira. It’s incredible to see all the colours of the buildings and the layers that seem to undulate and combine so wonderfully.
6. Pont Luis I
You can’t visit Porto without walking across one of the city’s icons. I mentioned Torre dos Clérigos as one of the most famous city landmarks and the other is Pont Luis I. It is not, as many mistakenly believe, the work of architect Gustave Eiffel of Paris’ Eiffel Tower fame, but rather the design of one of his students. The bridge itself features in a number of the stunning Porto viewpoints on this list but you also have to walk across to enjoy the fabulous view as you stroll over. It’s a very different perspective from up here and it changes with every step.
7. Cais da Ribeira de Gaia
After you’ve walked across the top of Pont Luis I, then make your way to the bottom of the bridge and walk back across the lower section. When you reach the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the bridge, stop at the lookout point directly on your right. It could be quite easy to miss but this was one of my favourite viewpoints in Porto. I especially loved it around dusk as the sky is orange with the last light of the sun and the lights have begun to come on. There is also a perfectly located tree who’s branches dip just at the right point to frame a perfect capture 😉
8. Teleférico de Gaia
Another excellent Porto view is when you take the cable car on the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the river. There was something quite magical about soaring up over the city and river below and you’ll get a slightly different view of those tiled houses as well. From a camera point of view, going down from the top to the riverside means you’re closest to the better view but to avoid the steep walk up then you’re best going from riverside up!
9. Miradouro do teleférico
If you’ve taken the route from riverside to the top station then the you’re well placed to catch this next view. As you’re exiting from the cable car, stop at Miradouro do teleférico. This little corner is a wonderful spot to stop and enjoy the view before you.
10. Miradouro da Rua das Aldas
There are Miradouro (viewpoints) all over Porto and one that I found by looking for those camera icons on Google Maps is Miradouro da Rua das Aldas. This one is in the windy district of Ribeira and is just beneath the Porto Cathedral. We made our way here around sunrise so the sky was a gorgeous colour.
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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11. Rue do Gen. Torres
This seems like a slightly random viewpoint and it admittedly is rather! The reason I’m including this street on the list is because this is a great location to catch the iconic Porto skyline with one of the iconic Port lodge signs in the foreground. All over Vila Nova de Gaia, you’ll find port lodges with the same style of sign which stands up proud above each one to tell you the name. They’re a charming as well as historic sight to capture.
12. Cais de Gaia
Last on this list is a view that you can find if you make your way towards the coast on the Vila Nova de Gaia of the Douro river. We took a tour around this part of the city which went all the way down to the coast as well and it was lovely to drive along by the river and see the view changing. You can get all sorts of lovely alternative viewpoints by continuing to stroll (or taking a tour!) along the riverside. Extra points if you get as lucky as we did with a beautiful (nearly) full moon in shot as well 😉
Bonus: three extra viewpoints that I don’t have photos of / didn’t make it to!
There are another three iconic viewpoints that I either didn’t make it to or didn’t take a photo of (despite being about four steps away ðŸ˜).
- I was super close to Jardim do Morro which is right above the top cable car station in Vila de Nova Gaia and is where lots of people love to come for sunset, the view is pretty similar to the cable car station view.
- Our time in Porto was sadly just too short and we didn’t have time to make it to Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, which is another garden that is supposed to have stunning views across the river and city.
- Finally, an iconic Instagram view, sometimes termed the Stairway to Heaven, is located on Passeio das Fontainhas. I discovered this one after we left but I don’t think it would have fit into our short itinerary anyway and it appears to sometimes be closed off so perhaps not worth it!
Cat x