If Lisbon is Portugal's city of sprawl, colossal avenues and grandeur, Porto, proud and deeply traditional, is the opposite. An endless labyrinth of cobbled side streets and viewpoints that will enchant you from the beginning. Your first job upon arrival is to get lost in the effortless, earthy charm of the Douro river. If that doesn’t do it for you, work your way up towards one of the traditional taverns, or Tascas and get stuck into a plate of tripas à modo do Porto or of course, one of the city’s infamously gargantuan francesinhas.
It is a city for those in search of lifestyle, of rhythm and of comfort. You will find hipsters and seniors sipping on the same ice-cold beers together in one of the city’s many outdoor watering holes, and you will see families from all walks of life flocking to the Ribeira to enjoy the buzz of Porto’s beautiful waterside. It is smaller, it is more compact, and it is humbler than the big sister down south. But Porto folk will adamantly and ferociously defend their city and claim it to be the true capital of Portugal. You will have to visit to make your own mind up.
Located on the other side of the imposing Dom Luis I bridge in the neighbouring city of Vila Nova de Gaia is this spectacular park with views across the Douro onto the breath-taking old centre of Porto. During summer months expect beer festivals and more.
There are many cities of astonishing beauties. Few boast the embarrassing riches of Porto when it comes to viewpoints. Palácio de Cristal is a beautifully curated park ideal for picnics, peacock spotting and that wonderful Porto laze you will come to depend upon.
For lovers of art and architecture, the Serralves complex is an absolute must visit. It houses a world class gallery space inside one of the primary examples of art-deco architecture in the country.
Much like Lisbon, Porto gathers much of its charm from being a coastal city. Technically a city in its own right, Matosinhos has the gorgeous beach located just 25 minutes from the centre. It is clean, surrounded by astonishing shops and restaurants and provides everything you could hope for on a sunny Sunday.
The best Japanese food I have had outside of London! In a small, completely non conspicuous place called Namban Oporto Kitchen Cafe. I promise you, this place is serving some incredibly interesting Japanese cuisine and the little touches and influences from Portugal make it a seriously cool place for food. The guy who owns it with his Japanese wife makes a mean Americano coffee too.
Try Praça de Poveiros, a trendy square perfectly designed for summery outdoor drinking where there are a bunch of little spots. When the time feels right, you can set off down Rua de Passos Manuel in the direction of two of the city’s coolest establishments, Maus Hábitos or the theatre at Coliseu over the road. Sticking to the same neighbourhood, you can enjoy delicious craft beers at Letraria or Nortada.
Candelabro: an incredibly bohemian and hipster spot perfect for meeting the young people of Porto. You can get some fantastic, genuinely world class wines for a really good value 2/3 euros and it is located on a beautiful square. You are also by the Trindade Cinema Bingo which is pretty cool! Every Wednesday they do a promotion night. You get free nibbles and free, UNLIMITED alcohol whilst you are playing. It is only 1 euro a ticket! It is great fun drinking and chatting with people from all generations. Free alcohol never loses it's appeal... even for the 70 something folk you will be vibing with.
The opportunities are endless. For bigger nights out, look no further than Indústria for big names and beautiful seaside breeze when you stagger out.
There are some beautiful places where you can go camping. I want to go to Peneda-Gerês which is probably the nearest and easiest one to organise. You also should do a Douro River tour if you are interested in green, expansive views, some of the best wine in the world and general good vibes. Yet to be done because I am broke... but it is meant to be an absolute GEM!
Finding a place to stay in Porto is made significantly easier by its small size. Bonfim, Santo Ildefonso, Boavista, Cedofeita and Lapa are probably the most central and trendy parts of town. However, worry not. You can cross the bulk of the city in 40 minutes by foot and transport is cheap and simple. With this in mind, the options become far more varied. You could live by the beach around Matosinhos or take a gamble and cross the river for a very traditional experience in Gaia. Definitely visit the house and meet the landlord(s) before you sign. I arrived and the guy offered me a beer, some bread and butter and we had a little chat. It made a big difference and is definitely worth doing! Don't be shy!
Porto is small. Depending on what your daily routine looks like and your commute, you can easily get through a week without using transport too much. The wider city centre is connected by a metro network. It is very cheap and very easy to use, with tickets starting at €1.20. Porto is small. Depending on what your daily routine looks like and your commute, you can easily get through a week without using transport too much. The wider city centre is connected by a metro network. It is very cheap and very easy to use, with tickets starting at €1.20. Do pay attention when buying your tickets as there is a slightly complex zonal system and different stations may require different tickets. Buses can be used with the same “Andante” (Walker) pass that you use on the metro and are particularly useful when trying to cross the river. Uber journeys are very useful and it will typically cost around €5-8 for a journey back from a night out.
