Ten Things To Do In Porto

Porto. Easily my favourite city in Portugal, and well up there in my favourite places in the world. I was lucky enough to spend 5 days here recently, and now have the inside scoop on what you should do when visiting.

PORTO

WHERE: Northern Portugal

WHY: Amazing local culture and cuisine

TIME: 3-4 nights

Crystal Gardens

An awesome series of gardens that over-look the city and the Douro river below. Completely free of charge and open all year round, these gardens are truly excellent. Expect awesome views, manicured gardens, and a flock of peacocks wandering about (R. de Dom Manuel II, 4050-346 Porto)

CAPELA DAS ALMAS

In a city full to the brim with beautiful churches, Capela Das Almas stands out. Virtually covered in blue tiling, this church is easily the most photogenic in Porto, and is a marvel to stare at (and free). Catch a glimpse on your way to buy the next Portugese tart or three.

Also, before you get too much further, read our guide to coffee, wine and drinking in Porto here.

Real Companhia Velha

While it would have been easy for me to simply state, ‘go drink port,’ as an activity, I’m opting to suggest that you visit the big-dogs of Port in Porto, the Real Companhia Velha. Take the tour, explore the caves underneath, and sip the finest fortified wine that you’re likely to get anywhere. (4431-952, R. Azevedo Magalhães 314, 4431-952 Vila Nova de Gaia)

Wanna read about Portugals best wine, Vinho Verde? Head over here!

Porto Bridge Climb

While climbing up a bridge may sound slightly daunting to some, and overly touristic to others, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the steep ascent up Porto’s Arrabida Bridge. Completing the ascent for the very reasonable price of 16 euros, Carlie and I were lucky enough to make the climb right on sunset, and were afforded completely panoramic views of the city. Absolutely recommend, and suggest that you book here. (R. do Ouro 680, 4150-553 Porto, Portugal).

Walk about Cais da Rebiera

While I try to avoid vague activities such as ‘get lost in described suburb,’ or ‘ wander the streets of Rome,’ exploring Cais da Rebiera is an activity in and of itself. Endless alleyways that are beautiful by day and gorgeous by night, this river-side suburb is centrally located and well worth exploring. Tiny eateries dot the alleys, and you’l find more than one perfect wine bar along here. Give this at least an afternoon.

HAVE A DRINK AT THE YEATMAN

The Yeatman hotel boasts not only one of the more stately bar areas in all of Europe, but possibly the very best view as well. The views from the main bar room are out of this world, and I would recommend pulling up a chair at sunset - ordering the organic port on the menu (it’s not cheap) and sipping away the afternoon. An activity not to be missed.

Looking for inspiration? Read our guide to visiting the bars and restaurants that Anthony Bourdain visited in Porto here.

eat tinned sardines

While this doesn’t sound appealing after having written it, I can strongly suggest that you consume as many tinned sardines and other seafoods whilst in town as humanly possible. Porto is famous for it’s artisanal tinned sea-food (a relic from the second world war), and we made a habit out of eating as much of it as humanly possible whenever and wherever we could (it’s that good). I’d recommend stopping by Mercearia Flores or Taberna d’Avo for the very best options in town.

CHURCH OF SANTA CLARA

I hate including Churches in listicles. It feels a little lazy. Including a second church in this list seems stupidly close to sloth in my writing. However, visiting the Church of Santa Clara is a must - the inside is a beautiful display of gothic art and architecture, and will leave you scrabbling for your camera. Think gold, lots and lots of gold.

Banco de Materiais (Bank of Materials)

You know the gorgeous tiles that cover almost every building in Porto? Wouldn’t it be interesting to see where they come from right? Absolutely! Visit the centrally located Banco de Materias to see the huge treasure trove of lightly pigmented tiles that builders can use in their constructions. I thought that this activity would be boring, but was pleasantly surprised by how engaging I found it. The bank is open to the public on Mondays through to Saturdays.

Need further convincing? Read our reasons for visiting Porto here.

SAO BENTO STATION

While you will hardly be the only tourist here, Sao Bento station is worth checking out. Easily the prettiest train station that I’ve eve seen, Sa Bento contains a running frieze of art around the walls of the main room, telling the story of Portugal. Worth checking out - just watch out for the pickpockets, they are rife around here.

What have we forgotten? Let us know in the comments below!