Porto is a beautiful and dynamic city on the coast of Portugal. This city is most famous for port cellars, art nouveau buildings, blue and white facades, stunning river views and iconic bridges. Porto is a popular destination in Europe and for good reason!

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The Ribeira neighborhood on the river banks, Porto.

Located on the bank of the Douro River, the city offers unique picturesque water views. Porto's old center is gorgeous featuring stunning architecture, there is a total of six bridges, lots of colors, and it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So come on and discover the MAGIC of Porto with me!

Practical Tips For Porto

The best time to visit Porto is from Spring through the summer months. September and October are a good options too, we flew over at the beginning of October, the sun was still shining, and we had warm temperatures.
Porto is best explored on foot. Keep in mind the city is located on a hill meaning, you will be going up and down as you move around. It isn't as difficult as one would expect and you will be fit after your visit! If you have back or knee issues this might be tougher on you, in that case, there are other options available to you. You can take the bus or metro, go on the Hop on-Hop off bus, or enjoy the tuk-tuk rides. The tuk-tuk rides are fun, and you can enjoy the sights in style and comfort.
Don’t forget to pack comfortable walking shoes!
Make sure to pre-book your activities and visits online beforehand! This way you can avoid long waiting lines, get better prices and also be sure you actually get in when convenient for you. Due to the pandemic, the number of visitors allowed in at any given time is limited. UPDATE: Due to ongoing COVID restrictions, tickets can only be bought online!
Check out the different activities and attractions you can do in Porto!

Where To Stay?

We stayed at The Hotel Dom Henrique - Downtown: We had a wonderful stay! The location is central so we could practically walk (almost) everywhere. The hotel facilities are good, as a bonus, you have one of the most beautiful restaurants and rooftop bars in the city right above you. The rooms were beautiful and comfortable and the service was very friendly and professional. The staff has helped us with everything we needed during our stay. Read my Hotel Review Here

For the Harry Potter fans out there; as you know JK Rowling has lived in Porto for a number of years, this has brought on speculation as to her book inspiration.
The author has said numerous times that Porto as a whole has inspired her. She did do some of her writing in the famous 'Cafe Majestic' located in the heart of Porto.
However, she has stated that the rumor regarding the famous Lello bookstore is not true. It is believed to be the inspiration for the famous library and staircase but now the writer herself says that isn't the case.
Don't get me wrong it is a stunningly unique bookstore! It just did not play a role in the Harry Potter books. If you choose to wait in long lines to get inside, let it be for the right reasons.

14 X Things To See And Do In Porto

Places mapped by Wanderlog, a journey planner app

Visit the Sao Bento train station: This station is an artistic history lesson of the Portuguese you do not want to miss. The hand-painted blue and white facades are gorgeous! There are over 20,000 tiles that took just over two years to lay. These make up a total of three incredibly telling murals showcasing Portuguese craftsmanship and historical highlights, dating back to 1905.

Explore the Ribeira neighborhood: This beautiful and dynamic area leading down to the Douro river was my favorite part of the city! I loved the river views and the iconic bridges visible from here combined with the colorful houses and cozy cafes and restaurants along the water. You will love strolling through the narrow cobbled streets, chilling in the Praça da Ribeira square, admiring the views, taking in the vibes and the colorful 18th-century architecture.

The Ribeira neighborhood from above, Porto

FOOR TIP!

My favorite hang out here either for a meal or afternoon drinks with a side of sunset is Cafe do Cais

For fabulous panoramic views of Porto, go up the Clérigos Tower! The Clérigos Church attached was built in Baroque style and is an iconic landmark of Porto. Granted it's a lot of stairs to climb, 244 to be exact, it will be worth it!

Visit Porto's Cathedral located on top of the hill overlooking the water while also dominating the city skyline. This church is the oldest and one of the most important local Romanesque monuments.

Go explore! By walking around town, you will discover almost on every corner something worthwhile, not everything, is marked on the map...Small churches, local leather goods markets, pretty streets filled with character, and other monuments. Walkthrough the Rua das Flores neighborhood, for example, it features beautiful murals!

Walk down Rua Santa Catarina, the main shopping street of Porto. This pedestrian street has cute boutique stores as well as high street brands, souvenir shops, and stores selling Portuguese goods such as Port, cork goods (so unique! They even have postcards made of cork) and more. One of the highlights is Igreja dos Congregados dedicated to Saint Anthony, with a beautiful blue and white façade.

Have a break/coffee and cake in the legendary Cafe Majestic A luxurious cafe indeed with a beautiful interior featuring carved wood, mirrors and chandeliers. It also has a terrace and a beautiful inside garden, not to mention it serves the best cheesecake in town!

This is the place where JK Rowlings wrote segments of her Harry Potter books.

Stroll down the famous Aliados Avenue surrounded by Art Nouveau, Art Deco façades and iconic monuments. You will also find here the most beautiful Macdonald's in the world! Worth taking a peek inside, you have never seen MacDonald decorated in a 1920's style.

Bolhão Market: This food market is unfortunately closed at the moment due to renovations however, a temporary market has opened around the corner worth visiting. This is a good place to get an introduction to local foods, wine, and other items. There are a few small restaurants inside serving Portuguese dishes.

Cross the iconic D. Luís I Bridge by foot or tuk-tuk over the river to Gaia. On the other side of the water, you'll find the Port cellars, unique street art, and gorgeous views of the city! A must-do activity is having a port tasting. I recommend visiting the exclusive Cockburn Port cellars where you get a fascinating guided tour and a tasting at the end. You will not believe the hard work and craftsmanship that go into the making of Port. It was both enlightening and delish!

For Additional Amazing Tour Options Click Here!

Fun fact: Many visitors to Porto think that this iconic bridge was built by Gustav Eiffel responsible for the construction of the Eiffel Tower however, it is his disciple who built it!

My favorite look-out of the city from this side of the water is either by Jarrdim de Morro next to the cable car station which you can take to and from this hilltop or from the Serra do Pilar monastery located slightly higher.

Visit FC Porto Dragão stadium and museum: FC Porto is one of the biggest clubs of the first Portuguese league, with a national as well as international history I dare say leaves no one indifferent. The tour of the stadium was wonderful! The museum part is done in such a way that truly takes you on their journey, making you a part of it all. The atmosphere is just crazy, it's like you're living the glory of FC Porto with the players through the years. WOW!

Buy your stadium tour tickets in advance to make sure you can enter at your convenience!

Visit Afurada: This is an authentic fishermen's village on the edge of Porto. There’s something special about this tiny village apart from the delicious fish and seafood restaurants here, serving their fresh catch daily for very low prices. It is here that you can also enjoy beautiful ocean views while walking through the small marina.

What grabbed me the most was the sense of community and unity here. Around 20% of the Portuguese people live under the poverty line, this village is a poor area. While walking around speaking with people you see how they all stand together and help each other in every way they can.

For example, by the marina, you will see a big laundry wash house. This is where the women come and do their washing for free as they can not afford washing machines or dryers. The water and soap are supplied by the government, they then hang it to dry in the courtyard. I also saw locals bringing a small breakfast to homeless people around the village. It was very touching to see.

Food tips!

Don't miss out on tasting the local delicacy called Nata! There are other beautiful pastry options to sample; we created our own pastry goodie bag and took it down to the river bank and the park to enjoy ~ YUM!

Lunch: Around Rue de Passos Manuel you will find small restaurants showcasing different cuisines for great prices with a laidback atmosphere. This is also where locals go for their lunch breaks for example. Dinner options:

Coma restaurant

De Gema

The 17th-floor restaurant in the Dom Henrique Hotel ~ Read all about it in this post

The 17th-floor restaurant in the Dom Henrique Hotel, Porto

If you have some additional time, I recommend two additional road trips in the area:

Read About My Tour Experiences Here

Aveiro, a Moliceiro cruise, and Costa Nova

Located about an hour away, Aveiro is known as “The Venice of Portugal”; a charming and colorful city crossed by four canals. The highlights of this town are best seen from the water so take a ride in a traditional Moliceiro boat (1-hour ride) so you can admire all the fabulous art nouveau buildings and, bridges, and the salt mines!

Try the local delicacy Ovos Moles made of egg yokes!

Drive to Costa Nova where you can chill and admire the stunning and colorful fishermen’s houses along the Costa Nova beach. What's unique about this town is that on the one side you have the river and on the other, you have the ocean!

Spend a day in the Douro valley.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW!

During the ongoing COVID pandemic tickets and tours must be arranged online and in advance. Use the link below to see the different options and book your favorite.

For Tours And Bookings

Are you looking to explore more of Portugal? Check out these travel guides!

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Yours,

Diti.

P.S Don’t forget to follow me on social for more travel inspiration! Let’s hang out on social ~ @mytrendytrail

14 Things To See And Do In Porto, Portugal!