As the world slowly starts showing signs of reopening and a new, new normal on the horizon, it seems like Americans will finally have a chance to get back into Europe after more than a year of travel restrictions. Many people already have their passports out of retirement and the grams are admittedly making my sense of wanderlust tingle. To fight off the fomo, I decided what better time to revive my blog to cover some of the adventures I never got around to writing about before. Not because they weren’t excellent stops but because there always seemed to be 7 other higher priority things happening. After some reflection on what style to do and some time away from writing, I think I’ll do another round similar to my Croatia blog with more of a what to do format. So here we go.
One of my absolute favorite weekend trips Bill and I took during our time abroad was to Porto, Portugal. For our anniversary in 2019 we decided in place of gifts we would each plan a weekend away. My gift to Bill was Porto and I must say wow did I pick a good spot. Porto is located north of Lisbon and is most notably known for (you may have guessed it) port! Port is a sweet desert wine that comes in several varieties. Our personal favorite was the LBV – late bottle vintage – but other popular varieties include tawnies and rubies. Before deciding on if Porto is good destination for you, you may want to try port beforehand although even if you’re absolutely out on port, there is plenty to do, see and eat in Porto. So come along!
Getting There
Porto has its own airport right outside of town. There is a tram that connects you to the city pretty efficiently. You might have to switch lines to get exactly where you need to go but it’s super easy to navigate. There is also a train station directly in the center of the city if you are traveling from elsewhere in Portugal.
Practicalities
Like most of the EU, Portugal is on the euro which is very convenient. They speak Portuguese (duh) which is sort of a mix of Spanish and French. You may think if you know Spanish you can just speak that and they will be fine. It won’t work and you might offend someone so either attempt some Portuguese phases (obrigada is thank you, bom dia is good day/morning, etc.) or stick to English. Most places, people will speak at least some English. Cost wise, Portugal tends to be less expensive than a lot of Western Europe. I think this is quickly changing as tourism becomes more popular but in general most places are reasonably priced. Finally, the Portuguese are super friendly in my experience (been to Portugal 3 separate times) so really it’s overall a super pleasant country to visit.
When to Go and For How Long
We went to Porto in the middle of September which I thought was great. In general the weather is fairly temperate in Portugal as it’s by the coast but it seems like more and more these days Europe is getting hit with summer heat waves. September we were wearing short sleeves without sweating and there weren’t hoards of tourists so I think that was a good middle ground.
For me, a weekend was plenty of time to get everything checked off our list but that being said I wouldn’t have complained having and extra day in Porto to eat, drink and be merry! You can also build in extra time to head up the river and go into the Douro valley itself to check out some wineries live and in person.
Where to Stay
Porto is split in two sides by the Douro River and is connected by a few bridges but most notably and centrally by the Ponte Luis 1 (named for the King at the time). The bridge is walkable and makes for easy access between the two sides of the river. It was designed by an apprentice of Mr Eiffel, of Parisian tower fame. In fact, Mr. Eiffel also has a bridge in Porto right up the river – the Ponte Maria Pia (named for the queen at the time). Interestingly it’s not as famous.
We stayed on the North side of the river off a pedestrian street called R. Das Flores. There were tons of bars and restaurants all around and the famous sites were also close by. I would highly recommend a spot in this area. I included a link to our Airbnb we stayed at. Our host was very friendly and the apartment was gorgeous and reasonably priced.
What to Do
Drink Port
Let’s start with the obvious. If you’re in Porto you should definitely drink port! Most of the port houses are on the south side of the river all along the bank. While you can take a tour and it’s nice I think to do at least one to learn a bit about the process, you don’t have to. Most houses have a patio and or bar where you can sit, enjoy some port, people watch, and enjoy the sun.
Our first night we stumbled upon an unpretentious shop with tastings called Casa do Galo. Would recommend. The port was super cheap and they had cheese plates you could order which if you know anything about port, you know it pairs fantastically with cheese. We got a flight of 3-4 ports each and it was incredibly inexpensive too which was a big bonus.
We also went to Graham’s where we did the full tasting. Graham’s is probably the most well known port brand which is why we chose it. The tour was fine, kinda commercial which is I guess to be expected. You might be better taking a tour at a smaller shop for a more authentic feel. The trip to Graham’s though is mostly worth it for the FABULOUS restaurant there. On the pricey end so if you want to save a bit, go for a big lunch as opposed to dinner like we did.
We also sat on the patio at Sandeman’s and saw an incredible sunset. The nice thing about Sandeman’s was the also had port cocktails so it was a good break from just straight port.
Take an Electric Bike Tour
If you want to cover a lot of distance and sights in not a lot of time, let me suggest to you an electric bike tour. Porto has a lot of hills and the locations can be pretty spread out so a bike tour is a great way to cover a lot of ground and an electric bike makes getting uphill a breeze.
We used the following company but feel free to click around on your own. I thought this group did a good job though and the price was decent.
We started on the north side of the river just east of the Ponte Luis then crossed over the bottom of the bridge to head up the hill and take in the city from above. We were served excellent views – great for some pictures.
We then crossed over the river back to the north side slowly making our way through Porto’s greatest hits (some of which I highlight later as worth seeing even if you don’t opt for an all inclusive tour). Stops included the Church Santo Ildefonso, the Porto Cathedral, the train station, City hall and Av. dos Aliados, Clérigos Tower, Livraria Lello, Fonte dos Leões and Igreja do Carmo, before finishing with the church of San Francisco.
The Train Station
One of the main stops in Porto is the main train station but not really for transport, instead for the over 22,000 hand painted tiles that beautifully decorate the walls at the entrance. Believe it or not this used to the site of a convent. In fact, they had to wait 50 years for last nun to die. The tiles in the front depict important economic stables while those on the sides are important historical events. The top pictures show the evolution of transportation. Interestingly this train station doesn’t really have much by way of trains. There are only two cities you can go to from here.
Church of San Francisco
Ok I know Europe can be church overload but this one is actually worth going inside. The outside as you can see below is rather unremarkable but the inside… wow! Talk about ornate. You have to buy a ticket to enter and there are some exhibits you can see before going into the church itself but to be honest, the exhibits are not really memorable. The inside of the church is where you want to spend your time.
Livraria Lello Bookshop
If you’re a Harry Potter super fan you probably already know of this bookstore as a watering hole of one JK herself. Even if you aren’t a Harry Potter aficionado, the inside is supposed to be rather beautiful. I personally didn’t have a real urge to go inside and the line was insanity so I will just have to settle on the pictures I have seen on the gram. If you want to go I would do a little research and see what others suggest as the best way to avoid the line because when we were there mid afternoon it was as long as the eye can see and to be honest there are far better ways to spend your time in Porto.
Climb Clérigos Tower
This is another activity we didn’t do but I think if we had a bit more time we probably would have because who doesn’t love a good tower climb? You get some exercise and are rewarded with some awesome views and then you feel far less guilty later when you indulge in some extra port and pastel de nata. The tower is right next to the bookstore so you could easily combine the two. At only 200 steps I would classify this as a light climb by European standards.
Wander Around
Porto is a beautiful city so it’s nice to just wander around and take in the scene. There are so many buildings with blue and white tile facades that are just candy to the eyes.
What to Eat
Pastel de Nata
So this isn’t necessarily a Porto specific item but it is a Portuguese specific item. It’s essentially a little custard pastry and it’s delightful. It actually hails from Belem outside of Lisbon. The origin of the pastry is linked to ironing. They would use the egg whites for ironing clothes but then they had all these egg yolks left over. So born was the pastel de nata – that’s what’s gives it it’s yellow color. You can find these all over and if you see one I recommend giving them a try.
Francesinha
Now this. This hails from Porto. And let me tell you, it’s not for the faint of heart. This is a sandwich although you can’t tell from the looks of it. Before you go ahead and order it, let me tell you what you are in for. This monstrosity is made with bread, wet-cured ham, fresh sausage, steak or roast meat, and covered with melted cheese and a hot and thick spiced tomato and beer sauce. Oh and throw an egg on top because, you know, all the other stuff wasn’t enough. If you want to indulge, just be prepared to enter immediate food coma. Our tour guide recommended Alfandega Douro Restaurante to try this out. The restaurant is actually inside a museum. I would probably give the sandwich a 6/10. It was worth trying but I wouldn’t rave about it. The nice thing about the restaurant we went to was they did have half sandwiches which was more than enough.
Sardines
I’ll keep this section brief – the Portuguese love sardines. So expect to see them on menus. I personally can’t stand them but if you’re a fan, you are in luck!
And there you have it. Porto! I so hope you get the chance to go and explore this awesome city. We loved it and I hope these tips help you love it just are much as we did. Until next time!
Have Passport Will Travel 