Porto: How to have an absolutley fabulous city break

Porto is one of Europe’s most glorious city break destinations. Unlike its sister-city Lisbon, Porto didn’t suffer any major historical disasters. This means it’s retained its mediaeval charm. Lisbon was rebuilt after a major earthquake and fire in 1755. As a result, it echoes the architecture of Paris and London. But Porto’s steep, narrow streets reflect its much older origins. This makes you feel like you’re stepping back in time. 

One thing that surprised me about Porto was how obvious it was that real, local people still live in the centre of the city. As a Londoner, I’m used to the idea that the centre of cities are for rich, absentee tenants and short-stay airbnbs. But from my Porto airbnb I was looking right into someone’s living room. This offsets the rampant tourism in the centre of the city. It gives it a more authentic vibe than many other European cities I’ve visited. 

Porto Climate

Porto gets hot early in the year. I visited in April and it was already in the mid-20s (c.77F). The Douro valley was already hovering around the 30c mark. For me, Porto is definitely a city to visit in spring or autumn. The highs of peak summer are too hot for much effective touristing, especially given that the city is hilly. However, if you do go in summer and need a respite from the heat, do as the locals do – head to the beach on the shores of the river. 

How to get to Porto 

Most people will arrive in Porto by plane, with budget and main airlines offering flights from around Europe. The airport is conveniently located close to the city – about a 20 minute drive – and taxi transfers are easily available. This will be particularly useful if your budget flights arrive very late/early (as mine did). If you want to choose this option, it’s likely that your hotel or airbnb host will be able to help you organise this. 

There’s also a direct metro from the airport to the city centre, taking about 40 minutes. This takes you to Metro de Trinidade. This is a little bit of a walk from the river/main tourist area. Trains run every half an hour or so until 00.42. More information on schedules can be found here.

There are also two buses from the airport to the city centre. These both leave from Arrivals, take about 50 minutes and also run every half an hour. 

Both the bus and train cost 2e each way.

Finally, there is a shuttle service from the airport to most city hotels. This takes between 30-50 minutes depending on the amount of drop offs. The cost starts from 12e, and decreases depending on the number of tickets you buy. This runs 24 hours. 

Is Porto safe? 

Porto is as safe as any other European city, meaning that your main concerns will be petty crime like pickpocketing. While pickpocketing is lower than some cities like Barcelona or Paris, make sure to keep an eye on your things. 

For single women at night time, I always find Iberian cities very safe as the nightlife goes on so long that there are always people around. You are much less likely to find yourself walking down a deserted road than you are in London, for example. However, take the usual precautions as you would anywhere else. 

Porto highlights

Porto has so many highlights it’s hard to know where to start! The first is always going to be port tasting – it’s literally synonymous with the city. But there’s much more to Porto than that. And then there’s the opportunity to get out of Porto for the day. 

The biggest highlight for me was wandering the city streets and alleys, visiting the many insta-friendly shops. You can then head to the Macdonalds (yes really) to take in the architecture, to the Clerigos tower, and even to a bookshop said to have inspired Harry Potter. 

Thinking of your next city break after Porto? Check out my guide to Brasov, Romania. A glorious fairy tale city off the beaten track filled with castles and bears. 

Top 9 things to do on your visit

1. Wandering the streets of Porto

As mentioned above, the streets in central Porto date from medieaval times, and it definitely feels like it. There’s nothing lovelier than a slow wander up and down the hilly streets, to and from the river, to get a feel for the city. Take your time, enjoy the insta-friendly shops, and stop for coffee or drinks to give your legs a break from the slopes.

Make sure your wandering includes the river banks. Although crowded, walking up and down the river was one of my absolute favourite things in Porto. They have a buzzing, holiday vibe that puts you immediately in a good mood. 

2. Taking in Porto’s stunning churches and architecture

As I’ve said throughout this article, Porto is stunningly beautiful. There’s a mix of architecture to admire, from mediaeval through to 18th/19th century and art-deco. 

Some of the highlights include:

• Clerigos Tower, a 75 metre high bell tower in the centre of the city. Construction was finished in 1750 and it’s been one of the most enduring symbols of the city ever since. You can climb to the top for stunning views over the city. However, be aware that it’s extremely popular and you are likely to have to queue. It’s open every day from 9am to 7pm and the climb is free. 

• Sao Bento station, the main station in Porto, is in the centre of the city. Built in the 20th century, it’s an art deco masterpiece well worth wandering around.

• Porto cathedral is a Romanesque cathedral primarily built between the 12th and 16th centuries. Built on a hill, it towers over the city. It’s quite a walk to get up there, but well worth it to visit the cathedral itself and enjoy the views over the city and river

3. A trip to Mcdonalds

Yes, really! This isn’t usually on my rec list for a major city, but Porto gets an exception. The main Mcdonalds in the city centre occupies a stunning art-deco space, and tourists flock to it to enjoy the architecture. Opened in 1995 and often called the most beautiful McDonalds in the world, it occupies the site of the former Imperial Cafe, a historic site from the 1930s named for the eagle which still stands on the entrance. 

You don’t have to buy those chicken nuggets (although I certainly won’t judge if you do), you can just pop your head in and stare around in awe. You won’t be the only one. 

4. Port tasting

Porto is the home of port, a fortified wine that’s slightly stronger than standard wine. While wine has been made from grapes near Porto since at least Roman times, the first shipment of port wasn’t until 1678. It sprung from the historic association between Portugal and Great Britain, which can still be seen in many port houses today.

While England was at war with the French in the 17th century, import of French wine was banned, sending the English seeking an alternative. They weren’t a fan of traditional Portuguese wine, so a stronger, fuller bodied alternative was born: Port. This was a longer journey than French wine usually took, so a small amount of spirit was added to help preserve the wine, creating the fortified drink you’ll enjoy so much on your trip. These new wines took the name of the city they were shipped from: Oporto, or Porto in English. 

Port comes as both a red and white wine, with red much more common. White port, however, is increasingly popular with tonic, as an alternative to gin. To get the best out of your port tasting experience, there are a number of excellent port houses offering tasting menus or single glasses. Many port houses also offer tours: I’d say you only need to do one or two of these, so choose wisely (and book in advance!)

These were a few of my favourites:

• Calem – like many of the port houses, Calem is on the river bank, giving you the chance to take in stunning views while you drink. They offer a tasting menu as well as a la carte options and food to accompany. You can also tour their cellars, learning about their history, or combine your tour with a Fado show (see below for more on Fado).

• Taylor’s offers something completely different. It’s a long, steep walk up to the Taylor’s site, but once you’re there it’s utterly worth it. Set within beautiful gardens, a trip to Taylor’s makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the heyday of British involvement in Porto, right down to peacocks wandering the gardens. 

• Graham’s is one of the oldest Port houses in the city, with one of the top rated tours. While I didn’t go myself (make sure you book in advance!), it has excellent reviews and a long history to draw on.
• Fonseca offer a self-guided tour through their cellars, which is also a bit off the beaten track. This is a great option if you’re a bit short on time, prefer to go at your own pace, or if you failed to book in advance elsewhere. It was also very quiet, unlike some of the bigger houses. 

• Finally, Sandeman’s is probably one of the biggest names in port. Situated front and centre on the river, it has one of the best known and most interactive tours. However, personally I preferred to sample their port at my own pace, sitting out front in their waterfront bar. They also offer a limited food menu to help you line your stomach. This does of course get very busy, so grab a table when you can!

5. Visiting the Douro valley

One of the best things to do in Porto is leave Porto for the day! The most popular excursion is out to the Douro valley, Portugal’s premier wine region. In my opinion, the best way to do this is to take a guided tour. It’s perfectly possible to rent a car and drive yourself, but the roads are exceptionally windy and at least one person will miss out on wine tasting to be the designated driver.

The trip will take you out into stunning countryside, winding through mountain roads until you get to the Douro valley itself. There are plenty of photo opportunities along the way. 

I took my tour with Oporto Sensations and highly recommend it. It was a small group tour, with a minivan capping the tour at 8 guests – I always prefer to pay extra for a small group tour if possible. The huge list of TripAdvisor awards on their homepage will definitely back up my recommendation!

We started with a short boat ride down the river, taking in the gorgeous scenery. We then visited three wineries, and had lunch in one of the most scenic spots I’ve ever eaten – at the top of a hill, overlooking the rolling valleys. Our guide was knowledgeable about wine and Porto itself and really made the day more interesting. We visited Croft, Quinta da Gingeira and Quinta do Val Moreira, trying a mix of ports and Douro valley wines at each. 

There are many tours available – if the company i used is fully booked, try these highly rated options on GetYourGuide:

Douro Valley with Boat Tour, wine tasting and lunch (10k+ reviews)

Douro Valley: Wine Tour with Lunch, Tastings and River Cruise (5k+ reviews) 

6. Listen to Fado music

No trip to Porto is complete without taking in the local music, Fado. Believed to have originated in working class areas in Lisbon in the 19th century, Fado is a crucial part of Portuguese culture. Characterised by mournful lyrics and infused with a sense of fate, you should expect to feel deeply while listening. 

I’m not going to lie, it’s difficult to find Fado in Porto that’s not squarely aimed at tourists. So I chose to fully embrace that, attending a show that mixed singing with interludes explaining the history and significance of the music. This was at Fado na Baixa, a spot in central Porto. It offers two 1 hour shows each day at 6.00 and 7.30pm. I found this useful as I could better organise it around dinner. Tickets are available online in advance, and it was a relatively small audience, creating a sense of intimacy. 

However, if this doesn’t work for you, GetYourGuide offers a number of alternatives, including this highly rated option in Sao Bento train station, another of Porto’s architectural treasures.  

The Dom Luis I bridge is a sight in Porto. Spanning the river Douro, the bridge was built by Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel) and echoes the steel construction of the Eiffel Tower. It has two levels – the street level, taking you across to the side of the river with the major Port houses, and the upper level. It’s well worth enjoying both.

7. Dom Luis Bridge and the cable car

To get to the upper level, you can either walk or take a lift from the main city-side of the bridge. It goes without saying that the views from up here are superb. From the port house side, you can then take the cable car/gondolas down to the end of the promenade. This was a lovely trip, and it drops you by a beautiful food market which reminded me of similar spots in London like Brixton market or the Box parks.  

8. Eat!

Porto has an abundance of wonderful food options. My first tip would be to have as many pastel de natas as you can while you’re there. They’re available everywhere but if you want a real Porto experience, find a side street with a local’s cafe and eat them with a coffee, standing at the bar. 

There were two food markets I enjoyed in the city for an on-the-go/informal bite. The first is Mercado Beira-Rio at the end of the cable car, at the far end of the river where the port houses are. This is a deeply informal food-court style spot, with a variety of food stalls/trucks and centralised seating. It’s cheap and quick and a great spot to have a quick lunch.

The second is the Mercado de Bolhao, Porto’s historic fresh food market. It still sells that fresh food (though not cheaply!) as well as a few craft stalls. It also has a number of stalls and restaurants scattered throughout offering upscale street food. This is a much more upmarket experience and a big step above the Mercado Beira-Rio in terms of cuisine. It’s a little bit out of the main tourist centre, past the train station and Mcdonalds, but well worth the walk. 

It goes without saying that there are hundreds of restaurant options for you in Porto. These range from the typical tourist offerings on the riverfront to more upmarket spots. If you want to eat on the river, your choice is likely to be guided more by table availability than food quality, but I did eat at Muro Do Bacalhau, a tiny spot with impeccable views and food. Sadly, it doesn’t take reservations, so good luck.

9. Livraria Lello

No guide to Porto would be complete without mention of Livraria Lello, one of the most famous spots in the city. An instagram-perfect bookshop, it’s said to have been part of the inspiration for Hogwarts, and people flock to it each day.

For this reason you need to book in advance and pay the 5e fee. You’ll then need to queue for entry – people absolutely start queuing more than half an hour early, so if you turn up just before your time slot you will still have to wait a substantial amount of time to enter. 

My honest opinion: it’s certainly beautiful. However, the crowds inside the shop made the experience unbearable for me – it was like the tube at rush hour. People were pressed back to back and fighting to get up and down the winding staircases. Bear this in mind if you do want to visit. If you struggle in crowded places, this might not be the best experience for you. 

Summary

There is of course more to Porto than this, and that’s before you get out into the countryside around the city. But hopefully this will provide a starting point for your city break and give you an unforgettable experience in one of my favourite cities. 

Now that you’ve planned your city break, it’s time to think about a longer trip! Check out my guide to Skiathos for a typical summer break, or find out Everything you need to know about visiting Montenegro, one of Europe’s most up and coming destinations. I’ve compiled a Top 10 guide to help you plan your visit!