Overview to Porto: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
- Porto Information
- Eating & drinking in Porto
- Night life in Porto
- Getting around in Porto
- Things to do in Porto
- Where to stay in Porto
- Porto street map
Portugal's second city is by turns a beguiling and bewildering place. At once heavily industrial and beautifully archaic, Porto has a refreshingly unpretentious air to it. Add to this the city’s unceasing supply of excellent port wine, and you've got a pretty attractive travel destination.
Built on the valleys and hills overlooking the mouth of the Rio Douro, Porto can initially be a touch hard to get to grips with. With this in mind, scaling the 250 steps of the Igreja dos Clerigos reveals a wonderful view of the city and a better understanding of how its layout.
Characterized by charmingly down-to-earth architecture, the UNESCO-protected Old Town contains a compact range of attractions, decorative paths and steep staircases. Here, the Igreja dos Grilos and the large Palacio Episcopal (which lies just south of the Feira de Vandorma) stand out.
A few roads to the west, the Igreja de Sao Francisco is well worth a visit. Behind its plain façade is hidden a stunning interior. The church is situated on a square (with which it shares the Palacio da Bolsa) that pays homage to Porto’s iconic figure of Henry the Navigator.
As you near the river, the area’s merchant past becomes increasingly apparent. And amongst the brightly painted buildings, outdoor cafés offer a (slightly pricey) chance to sit in the sun over a glass or two of the local vintage.
Cross the river at Ponte de Dom Luis and you’re in the neighboring town of Vila Nova de Gaia, where the very same produce is made and packaged. A sweet and heavily alcoholic fortified wine, Port is exported worldwide and a tour around the lodges comes with a welcome free sample.
Another area out to the west of the city provides a cultural antidote to the heady effects of the wine region: the Rue de Dom Manuel II includes the Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis (Portugal’s first national museum) and the verdant Jardin do Palacio de Cristal.
Further along the same road the extensive art collection at the Museu de Arte Contemporanea can be found. By the time you’ve reached it, though, the coast really isn’t too far away, and an afternoon of simply surfing and sunbathing begins to beckon.