The DL: The second largest city in Portugal, Porto is home to history, lots of hills, river views and the most beautiful tiled buildings. I was thoroughly impressed with the affordability matched with aesthetic Porto had to offer. You are coming to this part of Portugal for the history, the tiles, and the river. You can spend 2-3 days here and see most of the sights, also make sure to check out Gaia – the town across the river ( a 10 minute walk on the main Don Luis bridge).
How to get around:
Walk, walk, walk! Having a car is difficult especially when it comes to parking and the narrow streets. There is public transit.
Must see:
Check out my google maps for where everything is located to make things easier when walking around.
- Chapel of souls (famous large tile wall)
- São Francisco church
- Sunset – Dom Luis Bridge
- Largo de Peno
- Sao Bento railway station
- Porto Town Hall – Câmara Municipal do Porto
- Majestic Cafe – where they say JK Rowling actually wrote some of Harry Potter
- Liverella levelo – bookstore where they say JK Rowling was inspired to write Harry Potter, lines get long to enter
- Cais da Ribera
- Palacio da Bolsa
- Catch the view of Porto at Miradouro da Serra do Pilar
- Just wandering the streets and observing the tiles was one of my favorite things to do
- Largo da Pena Ventosa
- Check out Fado music
- Botanical Gardens
*I would not do the 6 bridges cruise – it was not worth it
If we had more time: We would go to Foz, the neighboring beach town – 15 minutes away, we heard great reviews and do a food tour
Where to eat:
Breakfast
- Mercador cafe (pretty old style cafe)
- Noshi cafe
- Nicolau cafe
- Zenith – popular brunch spot
- Nata sweet Nata – pastel de Nata
Lunch
- Restaurante Habitata ( a bit out of the way)
- Nola Kitchen
- Cafe Santiago – For a Francesinha sandwich
- Manna – healthy spot
- Mercado Bon Sucesso (foodhall a bit of the way)
Dinner
- DOP – A fine dining spot by Rui Paula.
- Bacalhau – A spot along the Douro River that serves up lots of bacalhau dishes.- COD DISHES
- Tascö – A great choice for traditional petiscos, or small plates.- MAYBE
- Tapabento – portuguese small spot behind the Sao Bento railway station
- Boa-Bao – a fun Asian restaurant in Porto with fun cocktails
- Flow
- Catina 32
- Capom Limao
- KOB – steak spot that was delish and so affordable
Bars
- Vinho Verde is a wine region in Portugal that produces fresh, fruit-forward wines.
- Vogue cafe
- Royal cocktail club
- Camps – one of my favorites, cute vibe
- Candleabro – cozy wine bar with outdoor seating
- Ponte Pensil – little sports bar on a cliff with views of the river – good sangria
Where to stay:
- Mo House $$$$
- Maison Albar Hotels Le Monumental Palace $$$$
- Torelavantgarde $$$
- The Editory
- Eurostar Aliados $$ – affordable 5 star where we stayed for location!
Other options from Conde Naste.
We spent a lot of time across the water in Gaia, it felt more local and you had the views of Porto. What to do in Gaia here.
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