My name is Ismail Siddiky of Europe Diary. In this blog, I will be telling you some of the best things for your visit to Porto. People, I am telling you, this city is pure magic. Porto, for me, is like being in heaven on earth. In my opinion, few cities in the world have the charm and character of Oporto. The reason locals refer to it as Oporto is because the word O means “the” and Porto simply means “port.” And it has an authentic character that is only found in the old world.
Porto vs. Lisbon
When considering gaudy cities like Rome and Paris, Porto takes the cake for one of the most charming cities in the entire south of Europe, in my opinion, and I will gladly debate that. Now, I don’t want to play favorites here. I love Lisbon. It’s a great city, but… most Portuguese that I talk to favor Porto over Lisbon. And I think that says a lot. They say that the people are warmer and it’s a lot more of an authentic experience. And I think this makes sense because it’s a lot easier to get to Lisbon, and to get up to Porto takes a little bit more effort. And so I think you eliminate a little bit of the low-hanging fruit.
Accommodations in Porto
For accommodations, I chose an Airbnb in Celofeta. I would highly recommend staying in this area as it is perfectly located near most of the best destinations and nightlife in the area. It’s packed with great restaurants, craft beer bars, and many of the locations featured in this blog that you will want to visit.
Transportation in Porto
In my opinion, Porto is a great city to walk everywhere in, for the most part. The city does have a lot of steep hills, and if you’re not up for the fitness challenge, there are some great alternatives.
Metro System
The cheapest form of transportation is the metro system. Porto’s metro system is very well planned and extremely easy to navigate as there are only a few lines, unlike cities like Paris or London. Most of the rail lines are above ground, so it’s perfect for sightseeing.
Rideshares
The next options are rideshares like Uber and Bolt. Both Porto and Lisbon have the best Uber and Bolt services that I’ve experienced anywhere. I have rarely had to wait more than a couple of minutes for a ride, and Portugal may have some of the cheapest rates in the world. I recommend using Bolt because they are usually cheaper, and there seem to be more drivers than riders.
Historic Trolley
You also have the historic trolley, which is also a great option to hop on and off if you are going up and down the riverfront.
Exploring Porto
Riverfront and Jardim do Palacio de Cristal
The first thing people want to do when they arrive in Porto is head down to the riverfront to see the perfect postcard views everyone has seen of Porto in pictures. It’s great to just walk up and down the river to see all of the traditional houses and get yourself familiar with the atmosphere of the city. Across the river, you will see Villanova da Gaia, which has the best views of Porto from the other side. We will be exploring that side on the second day of this trip. Since you will be close to this side after viewing the river, I would recommend heading up to the Jardim do Palacio de Cristal. This in English translates to Garden of the Crystal Palace. Here you will see an incredible view of the Ajabida Bridge during sunset, which is the best angle to see a bridge with the sunset as a background along the Douro River.
Culinary Delights: The Francesinha
By this time, you will probably have worked up quite an appetite, and luckily my friend Marco has joined me to show me Porto’s famous culinary creation, the almighty Francesinha. We’re here at Sorvejaria Brazao. This place is super cool and has a library theme where you can smell the paper from the old books and, of course, the simmering smell of the famous Francesinha sauce. This Porto delicacy is basically a sandwich made with bread, ham, linguiça, a fresh sausage, and steak, covered with melted cheese, a fried egg on top, and then drenched in a thick hot spice sauce made from tomato, beer, and sometimes other alcohols. But don’t let the Portuguese hear you call it a sandwich, as they think of it as a dish. This heart attack on a plate is everything your doctor warned you not to eat. But after fighting the bone-chilling, humid Porto wind for a couple of hours in the wintertime, it is oh so perfect. Here you can ask for extra sauce to continue to drizzle all over your Francesinha and use your hand-cut fries to soak it all up. But beware, because a lot of places use pre-made sauce and cheaper meats, and the experience isn’t even close to the same. So make sure you choose your Francesinha wisely.
Avenue dos Aliados and São Bento Central Train Station
After taking in enough calories for your entire trip to Porto, you’ll want to walk it off a bit. Close by is one of the most lively areas in all of Porto, Avenue dos Aliados, or as the locals call it in short, Aliados. This is generally considered Porto’s city center and will give you a grandiose introduction to the Porto experience. Translating to Avenue of the Allies, this refers to the treaty between Portugal and the United Kingdom in the 14th century, which is one of the oldest alliances in the world and is still in force. While in this area, it’s definitely worth visiting the São Bento Central Train Station, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Monument of Portugal. The station is rumored to have inspired the King’s Cross train station in Harry Potter. And close by, considered by many as the heart of Porto, is the charming square of Praça da Liberdade. I absolutely love the incredible architecture here. You’re in this beautiful old traditional part of Porto with all of this character, and there’s a McDonald’s. And sadly, this area is home to what has been dubbed the most beautiful McDonald’s in the entire world. I didn’t eat anything here, but I did go in to take a look at the beautifully painted stained glass. And the newest fashion trend here in Europe is the mullets and Carhartt jackets, which is pretty much like walking into a Walmart 20 years ago anywhere in the middle of the United States. So sad.
Nightlife in Porto
Then we end the night with a little nightcap, and I head home to get some sleep for the next day ahead of me.
Day 2: Exploring the Outdoors
Parque de Serralves and Casa de Serralves
Waking up, it was a beautiful sunny day, which is rare for Porto in the winter, so I wanted to do something outside. So the first thing I did was jump in a boat and head to, I’m going to butcher this, Parke de Sechalvis, which features a contemporary art museum, a park, and a villa. Each one is an example of contemporary architecture, modernism, and art deco architecture. The park and gardens were absolutely amazing to see, and there was a treetop walk built above the beautiful trees that was just amazing. The Casa de Sacalves featured modern art exhibitions and gave a glimpse into 1930s-era art deco architecture. Highly recommended for a nice day in Porto. This garden is incredible.
Matosinhos Beach and “She Changes” Sculpture
While you’re on this side of Porto, it is worth checking out the beach Matosinhos, where the famous castle of cheese is located and what I came to see. This art installation, entitled “Animona,” which translates to “She Changes.” This 20-ton steel, 45-meter (148 feet) in diameter ring is a massive net made of a UV-resistant material similar to Teflon. Definitely worth checking out if you happen to be on this side of town, and in the summer, it is a great area to be by the beach.
Casa da Música and Rotunda da Boa Vista
Now, to visit something a little more modern and being a musician myself, I decided to visit the Casa de Música. One of the more modern structures in Porto and in all of Portugal, the Casa de Música is an incredible concert hall. They have concerts and orchestras of all kinds here, and it is definitely an incredible place to take a visit while in Porto. And located across the street from the Casa de Música is the Rotunda da Boa Vista. With one of my favorite monuments in all of Europe, perched on top of the column is a lion bringing down and trampling on the French Imperial Eagle. Around the base of the monument are sculptures of soldiers and civilians representing the people of Porto caught up in the disaster while they were crossing to flee Napoleon’s troops. Sadly, more than 4,000 people drowned in the Douro River.
Lunch at Mercado Bom Sucesso
At this point, I was getting very hungry from all the sightseeing, and luckily I was recommended to go to lunch at the Mercado Bom Sucesso. This modern indoor market offers incredible food with so many options to choose from. These are my favorite places to visit in new cities. After seeing so many things I wanted to try, I decided to treat myself to a pairing of the finest Portuguese wine and sardines. First, a white wine from the far northern region of Portugal paired with an olive oil and lemon sardine. Then, one of the best reds from the Douro region paired with a charcuterie platter. Not a bad lunch at all. And of course, I had to finish it off with an amazing Portuguese dessert and an espresso to bring my energy back up to continue the day.
Livraria Lello and Rua dos Flores
Next, I headed to the incredible library, Livraria Lello. Now, even though JK Rowling denied that she was inspired by this place for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books, it is still an incredible place to visit. With its wooden interior and beautiful staircase, it just feels like it could be out of a movie. If you want to visit, definitely buy your tickets online to save yourself a lot of time because it costs the same to buy them there yourself. And the line was just too damn long. Then we decided to walk over to Rua dos Flores to see the famous building with the phrase that translates to English, “dress well and cheaply only here.” One of the coolest things in Porto is hearing the music just resonating through the streets. Usually, it’s university students called tunas that are groups of boys and girls harmonizing on the streets and making music. This tradition originated in Portugal in the 13th century as a means for students to earn their food or money. But nowadays, they just do it to keep the busking tradition alive and well. Then we took a pleasant stroll along the Porto side of the Douro River and saw something amazing. Below the Louis Bridge was a full-out line dancing party happening with people partying and enjoying themselves. Made me want to go down there and join.
Evening Delight: Dinner at Mistu
As we strolled down the riverfront and enjoyed some serenading music, we admired the cafes with amazing views of the Douro River looking at Villanova da Gaia. Then it was time for a late dinner, and we just made it to a restaurant in time around 10 pm to an incredible place called Mistu. The atmosphere was extremely welcoming, and the servers made you feel at home with their big smiles. If you decide to come here, definitely book in advance as many people were turned away at the door, and we just happened to get very lucky. The style of this restaurant is a world fusion of Portuguese, African, Asian, and South American cuisine that is truly a unique gastronomic experience. We started off with a tiger prawn and cuttlefish risotto and ended with one of the most tender beef tenderloin filet mignons I have ever had in my life.
Day 3: Culinary and Cultural Adventures
Breakfast and Mercado de Bolhão
The next morning, I woke up and had an incredible breakfast at Delta the Coffee Experience off Rua Santa Catarina and had to try what is debatably the best pastel de nata in Porto at Fabric de Pastéis da Nata, which was an absolute delight. Then we wandered across the street to Mercado de Bolhão to see the wonderful produce, flowers, and seafood sold by the vendors. Like I said before, I just love markets like this, and I try to go to one in every city I visit.
Wine Tour in Villanova da Gaia
Now it is time to head across the river for the day to get the best view of Porto and see what this side of the river has to offer. And apparently, that is a lot of wine. And I mean a lot of it. You would think that port wine would come from Porto, but apparently, the home of port wine is right across the river in Villanova da Gaia. Villanova da Gaia is where all of the port houses are located, and like champagne needing to be from the Champagne region of France, port wine needs to come from the Douro Valley region, or else it is just a fortified wine.
Taylor’s Port House
I decided to stop into Taylor’s Port House as it was recommended as one of the best experiences. They had some port bottles dated 1872, which is just hard to even fathom. I wonder if it’s still good to drink. On this tour, you get to see their dark, humid barrel aging room with the perfect climate for aging port for decades to come. It’s really cool to be in here because you can almost smell where the characteristic of the port wine comes from. This large vat holds 133,000 liters of port wine. And after the tour, you get to have a wonderful tasting by a sommelier.
World of Wine
After feeling a bit tipsy from a couple of generous pours of port wine, it was time to continue the party at the World of Wine. This was located in the next building over. This was one of the most amazing exhibitions I have ever visited. Being someone who loves wine, this was one experience made for me. It wasn’t just about wine from Portugal but wines from all around the world. All of the displays were so well done, and even if you don’t love wine, it would still be a very fun experience. At the end, we got to participate in a wine workshop where we learned how to identify the taste of wine.
The Pink Experience
Then it was time to bubble things up a bit and move on to the rosé experience entitled the Pink Experience. This is a perfect place to take pictures for your social media or just have a fun experience with your friends.
Final Sunset at Hill Garden
Then after we were all wined up, it was time to catch the sunset, this time with the view of Porto and the Ponte Dom Luis Bridge from Hill Garden. Friends gathered to drink beers and smoke a joint, couples holding each other close in one of the most romantic settings on planet Earth, and people all by themselves maybe feeling a little bit of saudade. I have been lucky enough to travel to many places around the world, and by far, without a doubt, Porto has a special place in my heart.
