Hello, this is Ismail Siddiky of Europe Diary, and here I am with another set of travel tips about “27 Tips Before Visiting Porto, Portugal.” In this blog, I will be telling you 27 tips about Porto based on my experience of spending a full month living in Porto.
Porto vs. Lisbon: The Choice is Clear
I just spent a full month living in Portugal, and these are the things that I wish I knew before spending time up in Porto. The first thing was a huge mistake on my side, and I listened to everybody. I listened and thought that Lisbon was the place where you wanted to spend all your time and not Porto. Everybody was wrong.
No, Porto was just magical, beautiful, romantic, like just truly the place to be. If I had a choice of a full month, I think I would spend 25 of the 30 days up in Porto. I’d give Lisbon a couple of days. That’s really what I’d do. Porto was just spectacular. I cannot recommend it enough. You should not prioritize Lisbon over Porto. I just don’t know why you would.
First Impressions: Embrace the Grit
Everything was better, and we’re gonna get into a lot of that stuff. Another tip that I think is really important is when you arrive in Porto, it feels a little bit gritty. There’s a lot of graffiti. It’s not the cleanest city in the world, but it’s certainly cleaner than Lisbon. Some things are kind of falling apart. It just feels gritty. But don’t let that scare you away. It is part of the charm. There are spectacular street art and just beauty everywhere you look. So learn to embrace that because it really is such an incredible and special place.
Weather and Terrain: Be Prepared
The next thing to note is Porto is way up north. So while you’re still going to get plenty of sunshine, don’t be surprised if you get a lot of rainy days as well, and you’re going down steep hills. So bring the proper shoes, and make sure that you’re ready for the hills and take things slow. The surfaces can get really, really slick. So just be careful there.
Also, I’ve seen some travel guides talking about packing an umbrella. Honestly, I think that’s kind of crazy. Don’t waste your time packing an umbrella. Just get one there. They’re like a couple of bucks on the streets. Just about every vendor is selling them on rainy days. So I’d avoid the hassle of trying to pack an umbrella. Just pick one up if it happens to rain while you’re there.
Embrace the Rain
Another tip that might sound weird is that I think a lot of tourists, when it starts raining in Porto, all scurry inside. They’re looking for a way to stay dry. And while you can certainly do that, I recommend you don’t. Porto is kind of special even in the rain. You kind of get the streets to yourself, and it’s a different type of charm. So while yes, you’re going to get sunny days there, don’t be afraid of those rainy days either. Embrace it. It’s pretty special.
Walking and Transportation: Explore On Foot
The next tip is that while you definitely can use the public transportation system in Porto because it is pretty solid, you really don’t need to. It’s a very, very walkable city, with a pretty compact city center. So I really think the charm in Porto is just walking aimlessly and just kind of wandering and enjoying. So don’t worry about any public transportation if you don’t have to. And if you are in a pinch and do need some public transport, I think Bolt is actually the easiest thing.
A lot of tourists make the mistake of thinking Uber is the best option. And Uber is totally fine, but you’re gonna save 20 to 30% if you use Bolt. It’s the exact same thing. It’s just the local version of Uber. Why not save the cash?
Dining: Reservations and Timing
This next tip is true in most of the big cities in Portugal, definitely in Porto as well, and it’s that you need to make reservations in advance for dinner. If you’re wanting to go to some of those better places, you’re going to have to do that reservation. And note that dinner happens later here, typically between 7 and 10 PM. If a restaurant is open between the hours of 4 and 7, forget it; it’s probably serving just tourists.
But even if you can’t get a reservation at certain spots, try showing up right when they open or kind of in that 7 to 7:30 hour. Most of the locals aren’t gonna show up until 8 to 9 PM, so you might still have a shot even without a reservation. There are going to be a couple of places that I mention later in this video, and that worked for us there, so definitely keep that in mind.
Tourist Attractions: Know Before You Go
The Bookstore: The next tip is if you are just spending a couple of days up in Porto, which again you shouldn’t, you’re probably wanting to go to the bookstore that everybody wants to go to. And yes, it is gorgeous, but note just a couple of things. First and foremost is that you need to buy a ticket in advance. You cannot just show up and enter; you have to have a ticket, and those tickets, when they go on sale, they actually sell out pretty quickly. We tried buying tickets on a Thursday for that upcoming Saturday, and the entire Saturday time slot was all sold out.
Another thing around the bookstore is, look, it’s a tourist trap at this point. It is a spectacularly beautiful place. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t go and do it; it’s gonna be packed with people. They have it very organized. It’s like every 30 minutes, there’s a new wave of tourists going in, and the place is just packed. So be aware of that. But another mistake that I see tourists make around the bookstore is the price of your ticket. It’s not just an entry ticket. Your ticket cost will actually be credited towards any book in the store. So don’t just let it go to waste. Go ahead and pick up a book as a souvenir. But another thing is a lot of tourists end up trying to buy merchandise in the store with that. It doesn’t work for merchandise. It has to be an actual book. So keep that in mind ahead of time.
Port Wine: Now, I’m going to jump into my can’t-miss spots in just a second. But first, I want to give you a tip as a little bit of a warning. I’m sure if you’re going up to Porto, you are definitely excited about the port wine, and you should be. It’s awesome. But definitely note, especially if you’re coming from the US or anywhere else drinking non-port wine, port wine has a much higher alcohol content than every other wine. So pace yourself, be careful, and just enjoy it responsibly.
Can’t-Miss Spots
Now let’s talk about some of those can’t-miss places because there are so many in Porto. In my opinion, the best food in the entire country is all up in Porto. But if you’re looking for the best views, the first one is Miradouro de Vitória. It’s a spectacular spot. There’s going to be a lot of tourists, but the views really are spectacular. So as you’re walking through town, make sure to stop by that. But if you’re wanting a viewpoint recommendation where you’re not going to have as many tourists and are more so going to have locals, there’s a park called Jardim do Morro, and it’s a spectacular spot. It overlooks the city. It’s going to be packed basically around sunset every single night because the views just are unmatched. So definitely go and check that out.
But if you’re looking for a place with even fewer people, there’s a wonderful coffee shop called My Coffee Porto. Really, really tiny, kind of hole-in-the-wall type of place. Only a couple of seats inside and one table outside with spectacular views. So if you can get up early enough and secure that spot, you’re going to be sipping your coffee with unmatched views with nobody else around you. So highly recommend them.
Food Recommendations
Night Food: Gazela: If you’re looking for some of the best night food in town, you’ve got to try a place called Gazela. Note that it is a cash-only place. It is a local experience. It’s a spot where Anthony Bourdain went, and their most popular dish is something called a cachorrinho. It can only be found up in Porto. It is spectacular. Think like a hot dog sandwich type of thing, but not the Americanized version of a hot dog. Real sausage, great chili oil drizzled on top, perfectly cooked, some cheese. It’s spectacular. You’ll go through a million orders of that, so I highly recommend them.
Bifanas: Conga: If you’re wanting to try some bifanas, there’s a great place called Conga. They are always packed. They manage to move people in and out really quickly, but again, it’s going to mostly be locals. A fantastic sandwich.
Special Sandwich: Casa Guedes: If you’re looking for a really, really special sandwich, then you’ve got to try this place called Casa Guedes. It is a local experience. You’re not gonna run into any tourists there. And they are known for their pernil sandwich, which is like a pork sandwich. They throw some goat cheese on there. You do the chili oil drizzle, and that was hands down the best thing that I had the entire time that I was in Portugal.
Pastel de Nata: Castro: Lastly, if you’re looking for a pastel de nata, I think the best place in Porto to get it is a place called Castro. Their pastels are just phenomenal—crispy on the outside, warm on the inside. They serve them with cinnamon sprinkled on top. It was hands down the best pastel I had.
Cocktails: Terra Plana: If you’re wanting a great place to get some food and a cocktail, you’ve got to check out Terra Plana. Just a spectacular place.
Capela Incomum: Another spot you’ve got to try is Capela Incomum. It’s a wine bar inside of a chapel. Yes, inside of a chapel. It’s an experience. Just go there, grab a drink, and take it all in. It is fantastic.
Main Market: The main market in Porto is worth checking out. I know a lot of markets in Europe can be somewhat touristy, and that’s definitely true of the one here, but there’s still enough local eats that make it worthwhile. So check it out.
Unique Attractions
If you’re wanting some unique things to do, then you’ve got to check out São Bento Station, which is one of the most beautiful train stations I’ve ever seen. You don’t need to be arriving in Porto via train to go check it out. It’s right in the city center. Check that out. It’s free.
The Most Beautiful McDonald’s: Also, just walking distance from São Bento is probably the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world. You heard that correctly. It’s a converted bank, and the architecture is just stunning. We didn’t eat there, but you have to pop in to see the interior. It’s unlike anything you’ve seen for a fast food restaurant.
Conclusion
I hope you found these 27 tips helpful for your next trip to Porto, Portugal. Porto is truly an incredible city full of charm, great food, and unique experiences. If you like this blog and want more tips on Portugal, stay tuned for more on my website, Europe Diary. Thanks for reading, and see you in the next blog!
