I always wanted to go to Porto. Pictures of the colored façades and the Dom Luís I bridge spanning the Douro river have always drawn my attention. After watching a movie about the life of J.K. Rowling (who used to live in Porto), I only wanted to go even more. So I was super excited to finally arrive in this beautiful city. Porto enchanted me from the first sight. The views on the way from the airport were already so beautiful! The taxi dropped me off at the Palacio da Bolsa and it became very clear that there would be a lot of things to see and do in Porto the next coming days! The palace wasn’t even on my initial bucket list, but seeing its exterior, I knew I needed to visit it. I wondered what other surprises Porto would have in store for me?
Most people choose Lisbon when traveling to Portugal, but I can honestly say I loved Porto more. Even though Porto is a vibrant city, it has a more relaxed vibe and less tourists. It has more character and the people were nicer. The hills, however, are equally challenging. Exploring this beautiful city is a true work out! Especially when you discover the amount of things to see and do in Porto!
20 Best things to see and do in Porto
1) Ribeira
I started my trip at Ribeira. This is a street right by the Douro river offering a lot of bars and restaurants. Here you get a fantastic view of the Dom Luís I bridge and the Port wine houses of Vila Nova de Gaia across the river. At night this is a wonderful place to have dinner and enjoy the music of the street artists. I can recommend Chez Lapin, a great restaurant with local cuisine.
2) Ponte Dom Luís I
This double-deck metal arch bridge can be crossed in two manners. You can cross the lower part of the bridge connecting Ribeira to Vila Nova de Gaia or cross the upper deck which connects the Avenida Vimara Peres to the Avenida da Republica. I did both and I loved the views from the upper part.
3) Riverside Vila Nova de Gaia
I preferred the view from here since you’re able to see Porto’s hills covered with colored houses, churches and palaces. At this side of the river you will also find the Rabelo boats, one of the most popular symbols of Porto. These flat boats used to carry the barrels of Porto wine from the Douro valley vineyards to the Port wine cellars, when there were no decent roads.
4) Wine tasting at Ferreira
I chose the Ferreira Porto wine house to do a wine tasting, because it is the only one that remained in Portuguese hands since its foundation. Since I don’t know anything about wine, I found it very interesting to learn about the difference between vintage, ruby and tawny wines. I also loved the fact that this house’s most significant person in history is a woman; Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira. She is still a symbol of strength!
5) Teleférico de Gaia
This cable car is the ideal way of transportation if you want to reach the Miradouro da Serra do Pilar. You can sit back, relax and enjoy the view of the Port wine houses beneath you and Porto across the river.
6) Miradouro da Serra do Pilar
This view point is right by the Dom Luís I bridge and offers fantastic views of the bridge, the river, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
7) Catedral Sé do Porto
The cathedral was in restoration when I was in Porto, but I loved the square in front of it. It is surrounded by the cathedral, the Paço Episcopal and the Museu do Tesouro da Sé do Porto. Make sure to visit this place at sunset when the cathedral is covered in the warm sun light.
8) Miradouro da Rua das Aldas
Close to the cathedral you can find this little square and view point. Here you get to see the sun set over Porto’s rooftops and the Igreja de São Lourenço.
9) The little backstreets
I loved the narrow streets between the cathedral and the Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira. Not only for all the plants decorating the streets, but also because they came to life in the early evening. All the old ladies were hanging outside their window chatting with each other or taking down the wash. The men stood at the door smoking a cigarette. When in Porto you really need to wander these streets! So add it to your things to see and do in Porto bucket list!
10) Palacio da Bolsa
This place used to be the Stock Exchange Palace. All the commercial transactions of the city took place here. You can only visit the palace with a guided tour. My favorites were the Hall of Nations, the great stairs and the Arab room, inspired by the Alhambra. A tip; be the first to enter the Arab room and the last to leave to take excellent photos.
11) Clerics Tower
This tower offers a great 360 view of the city. Make sure to visit early in the morning or at noon. If you want to visit the tower at sunset you have to be very patient. The line is very long at that time! I didn’t make it to the top because I had other plans at that time and I had to go before I was able to enter the tower. A good reason to return one day!
12) Igreja do Carmo & Igreja dos Carmelitos
These two churches are only separated by a narrow house of 1 meter. Sacred walls aren’t allowed to touch each other. They also wanted to separate the monks and nuns to avoid any relations between them. The Igreja do Carmo is most famous for its beautiful azulejos (hand painted tiles) and is one of Porto’s best examples of rococo architecture.
13) Buy a book at Livraria Lello
One of the best things to see and do in Porto is the Lello bookstore! It is one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores and most famous for being the inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books! She spent a lot of her Porto days here. When you see the stairs and all the details of the store, you totally start to think you apparated into Harry Potter’s wizarding world! When I stepped outside the bookstore and I saw a bunch of boys and girls in black capes, I really started to be confused, thinking I touched a portkey by accident and ended up in Diagon Alley. Apparently university students in Porto wear these capes as part of their uniform.
You need to buy an entrance ticket of 5€ at the tourist shop on the corner of the street. When you buy a book, you get a discount of 5€ by showing the ticket. Make sure to arrive early in the morning. Because during the day it gets crowded as hell! I got in first and was able to take a lot of great photos!
14) Igreja de Santo Ildefonso
This is another photogenic church covered with azulejos. It takes quite a climb to reach it, but it is definitely worth it.
15) Miradouro da Bateria da Vitoria
This miradouro can be reached by stairs starting at the Rua de Belomonte. The most amusing on the way up were the seagulls. They make such funny noises and seem to scream for attention. They aren’t afraid at all and I could almost touch them. The view from the miradouro is best at sunset. Then you can see the warm sunlight shining on the front side of the cathedral and the surrounding buildings.
16) Sao Bento Train Station
This is one of the most beautiful train stations I’ve ever seen. The walls of the departure hall are decorated with 20.000 azulejos showing images of old crafts and military events. I also loved the old clock. Even if you don’t plan on taking the train, make sure to add this to your list of things to see and do in Porto!
17) Avenida dos Aliados
This is probably the most prestigious street of Porto. The avenue is decorated with elegant ornate buildings. At the end you will find Porto’s city hall. A lot of walking tours start here.
18) Capela das Almas
The front and side of the Chapel of Souls is completely covered with azulejos. The church is situated in one of the main shopping streets of Porto, Rua de Santa Catarina.
19) Cafe Majestic
In the same shopping street you can find Cafe Majestic. J.K. Rowling used to drink her coffee here. This Belle Epoque café is one of the most beautiful cafés in the world.
20) Take the train to Aveiro
I add this as a little extra to the best things to see and do in Porto! Aveiro is known as the Venice of Portugal and it takes only one hour by train to get there. So if you have the time, don’t hesitate to explore this little town as well! You can do a boat trip there in a moliceiro and admire the colorful houses. If you don’t have the time to leave Porto, you could do a boat trip on the Douro river as well.
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