Things to do in Porto, Portugal

Porto is a vibrant city in which will mesmerize you with its charm and lovely people. We visited Porto in the first week of September and enjoyed it a lot! In this guideline we will take you on a tour through the second largest city in Portugal. There is a reason why Portugal is a must visit in 2018!

Getting by

Porto has a great public transport network. The metro, bus and tram (all from the same company and integrated in the tickets) can take you anywhere in the city and neighboring cities. There are different tickets available for your convenience: You can buy a ticket for € 0,50 which is rechargeable. One hour unlimited travel is as cheap as € 1,20. You can also purchase special visitors tickets for 24 hours for € 7,- per person or for 3 days for € 15,-. We recommend not taking them, unless you are planning to take the public transport to a lot of places during your stay.

1) Dining with the locals

Porto can be really cheap! Use couchsurfing to meet up with locals and explore where locals eat. We ate at a local cozy restaurant which was family run. Good quality and quantity for a small amount! We paid 14 euros in total for 3 dishes of fish, a salad and a bottle of wine for 3 persons! And for 2,20 euros per person we enjoyed a breakfast which was also tasty. Be sure for dinner to try the local  Francesinha, the famous dish from Porto which looks like a lasagna.

2) Hunt for Tiles

Tiles, you will see them everywhere in Porto. But, not just on the streets. You will find buildings decorated with unique tiles everywhere you can see. Even churches! There are also free to visit museums, like the Sao Bento museum, which save the tiles to see for the public.

3) Visit the Churches

The churches are interesting to see from the outside, but do not underestimate the inside. It is worth visiting the Igreja de Sao Francisco or the Church of São Pedro dos Clérigos. But the Igreja do Carmo is our favorite! The site consists of two churches next to each other, with a small house in between. This because the holy walls are not allowed to touch one another. Also the blue tiles on the outside are an interesting look.

4) Cross the Luis I-Bridge

Crossing the Luis-I-Bridge is a must do. The view is all worth it! We were fortunate to visit during the Red Bull Air race event. Planes making tricks with Porto in the background, perfect.

You can use the train to go fast, or walk from the top of the bridge or on the lower street level.

5) Visit Vila Nova de Gaia and drink Port

After you crossed the bridge, you are in the city of Gaia. With a great view over the city of Porto.

Walk along the coastline and definitely wait until sunset. Seeing Porto light up is worth it.

While in Gaia, be sure to visit one of the Port breweries! Seeing how this godly good is created, get into the rich history  and of course the tasting (drinking) of Port. We visited Graham’s lodge. You can taste 3 types for as cheap as 12 euros. For the most recent prices and opening hours check here.

6) Take a tour through Estádio do Dragão

If you are a football fan like me, visiting stadiums is always a cool thing to do. for  15 euros per person you can visit the museum with the rich history of the club, with all the European cups the football club won. Also the history of the other sports that FC Porto plays are displayed. You can also view the stadium from the inside with a guide (tour is in Portuguese and English). Just see the pictures below!

There is also a huge fan shop at the entrance of the museum. Be sure to get your gear here!

7) Go for a tram ride

The unique and vintage trams still ride through the city, and are spectacular to see! There are heritage tram routes within the city, which use the vintage trams exclusively.

8) Visit the food markets and get yourself a well earned desert

Be sure to visit the local mercado’s while staying in Portugal. Fresh food, the sweetest sweets, fresh drinks and cool souvenirs!

Porto is an amazing place to visit! Good food, cheap beers and a vibrant city life make Porto a must visit while in Porto! We approve 🙂

Previous

Trip Guide: Visiting the Terracotta Army

Next

Bruges: daytrip to the most romantic city in Belgium (winter edition)

4 Comments

  1. Porto seems so picturesque and breathtaking, Robert. Plus that wine seems mouth-watering. Was it possible to buy a bottle of wine directly from the winery?

    • Robert Dolmans

      Oh yes, the port is amazing! And yes, they have a shop where you can pick up your favorite one 🙂

  2. Hi! I know this is kіnd of off topic
    but I was wondering if you knew wherе I could get a captcha plugin fοr my comment form?

    I’m using the same blog pⅼatform as yours and I’m having difficulty finding one?
    Tһanks a ⅼot!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén