Porto, Portugal & vicinity

Travel Dates: June 2024

Things to do outside of Porto

Douro Valley – A day trip to Douro Valley is a must-do, even if you are not a wine drinker. We booked a tour through Viator because of price, pick-up and drop-off location that was close to our hotel, and the itinerary.

We checked-in at Living Tour’s (the company running the Viator tour) office 10 minutes prior to departure time–the office is across the street from São Bento train station. They provided us a ticket with our tour bus number and directed us around the corner to a line of buses to meet our guide and the rest of the tour group (~28 people).

Our first stop on the tour was the city of Amarante, where we had 30 minutes of free time. You can visit the church here for free, shop around, or try one of the city’s famous pastries representative of St. Gonçalo, a monk who lived here in the 13th century and was known to “help” ladies if their husbands had fertility issues.

We then made a quick stop at Miradouro de São Leonardo de Galafura to bask in the views of Douro River Valley before heading to lunch nearby. Lunch was included in the tour and consisted of soup, salad, pork loin, rice, potato, and cake and watermelon for dessert. There was bottled water, red and white house wine, and espresso served during the meal.

Afterwards, we went to Quinta da Roêda – Croft Port vineyard for a port wine tasting and tour (note that port wine is sweet). Our last stop was a scenic boat tour through Douro River. Although you’ll have to buy your own drinks on the cruise, the views from it were beautiful.

Things to do in Porto

Ponte Luís – You can’t miss the iconic views of Porto from Luis I Bridge. We went to several viewpoints and found the ones on the upper level, south side of the bridge were the best.

• Miradouro da Ribeira – One of our favorite viewpoints on the upper level, south side of the bridge. Best spot is near the entrance to the tram.
• Miradouro da Serra do Pilar – Our other favorite spot that is also on the upper level, south side of the bridge. You’ll have to walk further up a hill to this spot, which is next to a church and monastery.
• Cais da Ribeira de Gaia – On the lower level, south side of the bridge, you’ll find a view similar to that from Miradouro da Ribeira. If you have time, consider walking across the bridge and exploring the hillside for views from both lower and upper levels. Otherwise feel free to skip the lower levels as they weren’t as good as the upper.
• On the lower level, north side of the bridge, across the street from the entrance to the funicular (which is not free), you get a very clear view of Luis I Bridge. You won’t be able to see Porto city downtown so feel free to bypass this spot.

Livraria Lello – Harry Potter fans flock to this bookstore that many say is reminiscent of Hogwarts. It costs €8 for the basic ticket to enter the store and can be applied to a book purchase. You’ll need to buy tickets online and at least one day in advance to ensure your desired time slot. We bought our tickets the night before; there were still a lot of tickets available for the afternoon but morning slots were sold out.

We arrived at the bookstore a little after 12pm for our 12:30pm time slot and found a long line already formed. It’s important to read the signs indicating your entry time, as there are separate lines for the current and upcoming slots. Arriving for the 12:30pm slot, we were among the first quarter of the line and managed to enter by 12:40pm. Expect to wait on line, so arriving a bit earlier might be advisable

Once inside the bookstore you can spend as long as you want, albeit it’s a small store. Be prepared it’ll be crowded with people trying to take pictures.

Overall I would skip this but if you’re a Harry Potter fan or a bibliophile, then Livraria Lello may be worth it.

Chapel of Souls – This chapel is famous for its exterior blue and white tiles that depict the lives of saints. It’s a bit north from city center, but if you have the time and aren’t too far, it’s a nice quick stop.

Miradouros – Portugal is full of miradouros (viewpoints), and these are the ones we visited in Porto in the order of our favorite:

• Miradouro da Rua das Aldas
• Miradouro da Vitória
• Miradouro do Passeio das Virtudes

We visited a few other quick spots around Porto. Feel free to skip these unless you have extra time and they happen to be on your route:

• Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos (Clérigos Church & Tower)
• Universidade do Porto
• Igreja do Carmo
  

Where to eat in Porto

Brasão Aliados – This restaurant is known for its francesinha, a Portuguese sandwich with layers of meat covered with melted cheese and served in a tomato-beer sauce.

We came at 7:30pm and they told us to put our name down and come back in 75 minutes. We actually came back in 45 minutes and they gave us a table right away. For Portuguese guests, they took down phone numbers and gave them a call when their table was ready. But for non-Portuguese guests we were told to wait and come back after a certain time.

I ordered the 1/2 size francesinha with egg and it was more than enough because the dish is very heavy. There’s a full size that is €2 more. The white sangria here was also very good.

Bacalhau – If you go to a restaurant named after cod fish, then you have to order it. We got cod fish soup and cod fish with potato, onion, and egg. The fish was very fresh but the dishes themselves were salty (food in Portugal tends to be on the saltier/heavier side). If you do want to eat cod, this is a good place to go otherwise feel free to skip in my opinion.

Do Norte Café by Hungry Biker – This delicious breakfast spot was just a few steps from our hotel. We got the traditional brunch plate (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, salad, beans, yogurt, and coffee or tea) and french toast (with fruits, chocolate, and Port wine sauce), both of which are recommended. Keep in mind you may have to wait for a table starting after 10am.

Pastel de nata – No trip to Portugal is complete without eating pastel de natas (aka Portuguese egg tarts). We tried 3 major chains and here is our verdict:

• Castro – Our #1 choice as it is served warm, with a gooey custard and crispy shell. It does have a very sweet aftertaste though.
• Manteigaria – Very close runner up to Castro given the gooeyness of the egg tart. We do like the aftertaste isn’t as sweet as Castro’s, but it’s missing the crispiness that we liked from them.
• Fábrica da Nata – This was the one pastel de nata that wasn’t really served warm to us and the taste was a bit more plain.

Taxca – No frills, cash-only eatery that serves really good bifana (thin sliced pork sandwich). For €15 we ordered a bifana, cod fish cake, chicken wings, and two beers. That cod fish and wings weren’t good, but I highly recommend coming here for a “snack” with the bifana and beer.

Where to stay in Porto

d’Alma Boutique Hotel – Conveniently located in downtown Porto, this hotel is close to Porto São Bento train station and relatively walking distance from major interest points on our list.

The hotel comprises two buildings: the main building with the front desk offers elevator access, while the second building, where our room was located, is situated at the rear past a small courtyard and accessible only by stairs. Despite the absence of an elevator, our room was pleasantly quiet. The Twin comfort room is spacious and features a central divider that separates the sleeping area from the bathroom side. On the bathroom side, the toilet, shower, and vanity are each separate from one another

Breakfast is offered at an additional cost, and there is a water filter in the breakfast area that you can use throughout the day.

After 8pm, the front desk is unattended so they lock the doors, and you have to tap your room key to get into the building. But it’s very safe here because across the street is the Bank of Portugal, so there’s police stationed on the street at all times.

Other tips for visiting Porto:

Transportation – We opted for the ~3.5 hour train ride from Lisbon to Porto as it was more cost-effective and similar in duration to flying. From Oriente metro station in Lisbon, follow signs for “comboios/lejos,” which is for the Portugal trains. Proceed to the 2nd floor (one flight from street level) to purchase tickets if you haven’t booked them online. Different booths handle various ticket types; for Porto, we went to booths 20/21 where tickets cost €26.50 cash only. Platforms are on the 3rd floor, and platform details are displayed on screens around the station, though you can confirm at the booths too.

Make note of your seat and carriage number on the ticket as seats are assigned and will be checked by conductors. Carriage numbers are outside each car, and seat numbers are located above the seats, below overhead storage for bags.

Upon arrival in Porto, transfer for free at Campanhã station. Look for digital screens indicating Porto São Bento, which is downtown Porto. There may be multiple departure times, so aim for the earliest one.

Walking around – Porto can be hilly so be prepared for some leg workouts. Also, there are a lot of small alley ways that seem a bit shady when exploring Porto but that’s typical for the city.

Currency – They generally take card but some places like Taxca are cash only. Definitely make sure you have some extra cash on you. It’s good to note that none of the restaurants we went to have asked for tip.

Outlet type – Portugal uses Type F plug, the one with two round pins.

Language – You can get by with speaking English, though the locals seem to appreciate if you know some basic Portuguese. If you do want to learn a few phrases and words, be mindful that Google Translate and Duolingo teach Brazilian Portuguese by default, which is different than Portugal Portuguese.