Porto is Portugal's captivating second city — a place where centuries-old wine cellars face a UNESCO waterfront, where baroque churches hide golden interiors, and where the world's most beautiful bookshop sits on an unassuming street corner. With 6 million visitors a year and growing, Porto has stepped out of Lisbon's shadow to become one of Europe's most exciting city destinations.
Getting to Porto
By air: Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) is 11 km from the centre. Metro line E (Violet) runs directly to downtown in 30 minutes (€2.00 + €0.60 reusable Andante card).
By train: The high-speed Alfa Pendular from Lisbon takes just 2 hours 40 minutes to Campanhã station (from €25). From there, take a short metro or train ride to São Bento — Porto's stunning tile-covered central station, worth a visit in itself.
Getting around: Porto is best explored on foot — it's compact but hilly. Load an Andante card with a 24-hour pass (€7.00) for unlimited metro, bus, and tram rides. The vintage Tram 1 along the Douro River is a charming ride.
Ribeira — The Heart of Porto
The Ribeira district is Porto's UNESCO-listed waterfront and the city's emotional centre. Medieval houses in faded shades of terracotta, yellow, and blue tumble down the hillside to the Douro River, where restaurants line the quay and traditional rabelo boats bob gently on the water.
This is where Porto feels most alive — street musicians play, locals sit on the river wall with a glass of port, and the iron lattice of the Dom Luís I Bridge frames every view. The best time to be here is late afternoon when the golden light turns the Ribeira into a living painting.
Dom Luís I Bridge — Porto's Iron Icon
Designed by a student of Gustave Eiffel, the Ponte Dom Luís I (1886) is Porto's most photographed landmark. This double-deck iron arch bridge spans 172 metres across the Douro, connecting Porto's Ribeira with Vila Nova de Gaia's wine cellars.
Walk across the upper deck (60 metres above the river!) for heart-stopping views. The lower deck is for cars and pedestrians who prefer solid ground. At sunset, the bridge, river, and both waterfronts create one of Europe's most spectacular urban panoramas.
Livraria Lello — The World's Most Beautiful Bookshop
Before Harry Potter, before Instagram, Livraria Lello (1906) was already magical. Its neo-Gothic facade opens into a dreamscape of carved wood, crimson-red Art Nouveau staircase, and a stained-glass skylight that floods the two floors with celestial light.
J.K. Rowling lived in Porto in the early 1990s teaching English, and the bookshop's moving staircase is widely believed to have inspired the staircases of Hogwarts. Buy a ticket (€8, redeemable against a book purchase) and arrive at opening time (9:30 AM) to photograph the staircase without crowds.
Port Wine Cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia
Cross the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia and you enter the kingdom of Port wine. Dozens of historic wine cellars line the riverside, their dark stone warehouses filled with thousands of oak barrels ageing ruby, tawny, vintage, and vintage Colheita ports.
Top cellars to visit:
- Graham's — perched on the hilltop with a terrace offering the best views of Porto. Outstanding tasting experience (from €15)
- Taylor's — one of the oldest houses (1692). The audioguided tour ends with a generous tasting in beautiful gardens
- Sandeman — the iconic caped figure. Great introductory tour for Port wine beginners
- Ferreira — the only major house that has always been Portuguese-owned
Wine tip: Don't leave without trying a 20-year Tawny Port — the caramel and dried fruit flavours are extraordinary.
Igreja de São Francisco — Baroque in Gold
From the outside, the Igreja de São Francisco looks like a modest Gothic church. Step inside, and you'll gasp — every surface is covered in talha dourada (gilded woodwork), with over 300 kg of gold leaf covering the altar, columns, and ceiling in an explosion of Baroque excess.
The Tree of Jesse, a carved and gilded genealogy of Christ on the north wall, is one of the finest pieces of Baroque art in Europe. Below the church, the catacombs hold centuries of burials — including a mass grave from the 1833 siege of Porto.
Torre dos Clérigos — Porto's Defining Silhouette
The Clérigos Tower (1763) is Porto's most recognizable landmark — a 76-metre Baroque bell tower that dominates the skyline. Climb the 240 narrow steps for the best 360° panorama of the city: the Douro River, the red rooftops, the Dom Luís Bridge, and on clear days, the Atlantic Ocean.
The tower was designed by Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni, who also designed much of Porto's Baroque heritage. Visit at night when the tower is illuminated and the city sparkles below.
Palácio da Bolsa — The Arab Room
Built in the 19th century as Porto's stock exchange, the Palácio da Bolsa is worth visiting for one room alone: the Salão Árabe (Arab Room). Inspired by the Alhambra in Granada, this Moorish Revival hall is covered floor-to-ceiling in intricate golden arabesques, with stained-glass windows and a dazzling chandelier. Guided tours (€12) are the only way in, and they're worth every cent.
Porto at Night — Douro Dreams
Porto's nightlife ranges from intimate fado houses to bustling Rua das Galerias de Paris in the historic centre. But the most magical Porto experience is simply standing on the upper deck of the Dom Luís Bridge at night, watching the illuminated Ribeira and Gaia waterfronts reflected in the dark Douro below.
For a special evening, book a Six Bridges cruise — a one-hour boat trip under Porto's six bridges with wine tasting. Or head to Rua de Miguel Bombarda for art galleries, alternative bars, and Porto's creative scene.
Practical Tips for Porto
- Best time to visit: May-June and September — warm, dry, and festive (São João festival on June 23rd is unmissable)
- Budget meal: A francesinha (Porto's legendary meat-and-cheese-smothered sandwich, around €8-12) at Café Santiago or Capa Negra II
- Porto Card: 1-4 day pass (from €13) with free transport and discounts on attractions and wine tastings
- Day trips: Douro Valley wine tour (full day), Braga & Guimarães (1 hour), Aveiro (45 min by train)
- Don't miss: São Bento Station's 20,000 azulejo tiles — free to see, 5 minutes of jaw-dropping art
Bring Porto Home
The colourful Ribeira, the iron elegance of the Dom Luís Bridge, the golden glow of a Port wine cellar — Porto leaves an impression that lasts forever. Our MemBoards souvenir cutting boards capture the magic of Porto in beautifully detailed artwork that turns your kitchen into a gallery of travel memories.