The top 6 things to do in Porto, Portugal

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3 years ago

Part 3 of Portugal Travel Blog Series: The top 6 things to do in Porto, Portugal. Our guide provides details for a relaxed city tour in 3 days.

Part 1: Lisbon, the hilly capital of Portugal

Part 2: The sun-kissed beaches of Algarve

Porto, the gateway to Portugal’s wine region, has a charm of its own. Those beautiful tiled churches, European city charm, and endless Port Wine made us fall in love with this city. Thinking about our travel days, I remember escaping a major storm in the country by just one day, so the weather wasn’t great for the first few days of our trip. But there are some moments that outweigh the weather condition. One of them was walking by and enjoying some time at the Ribeira. I also distinctly remember enjoying live Opera performed by buskers, on the streets of Porto. I don’t have words to describe how beautiful the performance was. So, here are the top things to do in Porto to make memories of a lifetime.

The top 6 things to do in Porto, Portugal

For about 3 days of relaxed city tour, you will have enough to cover with the list below. Let’s explore all the top fun things to do in Porto.

Ribeira

Porto’s riverside quarter and UNESCO world heritage site is for sure a show-stealer. On one side of the river Douro (Cais da Ribeira), you will find numerous cafes and touristy shops and the other side (Vila Nova de Gaia) is dotted with numerous port wine houses. Take a stroll with no agenda, get lost in the narrow alleyways around Praça da Ribeira, sit at the banks of Douro river and soak all the beauty in. Chances are, you will make memories of a lifetime by just enjoying the charm of Ribeira.

Ponte De Dom Luis I

While at Ribeira, you can’t miss this iconic bridge which sure is a landmark of Porto and links Porto with Gaia. We recommend going here during sunset, as the view from either side of the bridge is amazing.

Porto’s Azulejo Art

Very unique to Portugal, Azulejo tile art, also known as azulejos, is a cultural and historical representation of Porto. These beautiful paintings and artwork in blue and white covered all over landmark buildings in Porto, tell a historic story. Some of this artwork can be admired in the metro station São Bento Station and Igreja do Carmo church for free. At São Bento Station you will see the hallway covered with 20,000 azulejo tiles and is a piece of art to be admired. Igreja do Carmo is the Instagram famous church in Porto and the outer wall is covered in a beautifully detailed blue and white painting.

Livraria Lello

Any Harry Potter fans out there? Well, this bookstore is a must-visit as the architecture is stunning. J K Rowling is said to have been inspired by this bookstore while writing her Harry Potter series. No wonder, there is a huge queue to enter and even an admission fee of about 5 euro. For such a small bookstore, it did feel very crowded in the afternoon. We recommend going early in the morning at opening hours for some quiet time to soak in the beauty and architecture.

Porto Wine

One can’t miss wine bars and wine tours while in a city known for its Port Wines. Sign-up for a wine tour at one of the many port houses Vila Nova de Gaia. Ferreira and Sandeman are the famous ones, but there are so many port houses to choose from and experience. We really enjoyed visiting small wine bars though out the town and tasting a variety of port wines in smaller quantities.

Day trip to Douro Valley

Keeping the best one to the last. If wine tours in the city don’t cut the deal for you, we recommend taking a day tour to Porto’s wine region i.e. Douro Valley. There are so many wine houses to choose from and so many varieties of red and port wine to taste. We did a winery tour and port wine tasting at Quinta do Bomfim and a red wine tasting at Quinta do Pôpa. Quinta do Pôpa is a modern winery and the view from this location was amazing. If you have time, you can also go to Miradouro de São Salvador do Mundo was some stunning Douro Valley views.

Where to Stay in Porto

We always look for budget places to stay during our travels, as we spend most of the time outdoors. We booked RS Porto Flats through booking.com, and the stay was affordable and comfortable, in a convenient location.