Welcome to part 2 of our guide about things to do in Porto. It’s a truly beautiful city with its lovely red-roofed buildings tumbling down steep hills to the great river below, the extraordinary bridge, ancient churches, oasis-like gardens, gorgeous traditional tiling, excellent shopping and vibrant nightlife. So let’s go on a Porto adventure!
Get busy on the water
The Douro winds its way through the city, an awesome sight in itself with the lovely buildings and bridges reflected in the shining water. One of the most popular river excursions is the famous six bridges cruise, taking in all the city’s dramatic bridges one by one. But there’s more. You might like to sample a leisurely river cruise with wine and tapas included, a cruise designed especially for stag and hen parties, one for solo travellers, another on board a private yacht, and even cruises with local fishermen. As you can imagine, each one delivers a different flavour of life on the river.
Chill out at São Pedro da Afurada fishing village
São Pedro da Afurada at Vila Nova da Gaia is a little fishing community made up of small, low-slung homes. There are plenty of small wooden fishing boats alongside a load of posh luxury yachts and cruisers in Douro Marina, but the community and its heritage is much more interesting than the fat-cat boats. There’s an ‘interpretation centre’ where you’ll learn about the history of the place, and there are plenty of good eateries to sample local seafood, freshly grilled to perfection. Add a bottle of good local wine and you’re more or less in holiday heaven.
Sample the Piscina das Marés seawater swimming pools at Leça da Palmeira
Designed by the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, the Piscina das Marés seawater swimming pools at Leça da Palmeira have been built amongst the craggy rocks, a fantastic place for a dip next to the sea, not actually in it. Obviously the water is always calm in the huge pools, and there are sandy stretches of beach to enjoy as well. The pools are open from June to September.
If gourmet food floats your boat try the Casa de Chá de Boa Nova, also known as the Boa Nova Tea House, nestling amongst the rocks overlooking the Atlantic and designed by the same architect as the swimming pools. This is where one of Portugal’s best-loved chefs, Rui Paula, spins his delicious foodie magic, not to be missed provided you can snag a table. It’s incredibly popular. If not, take a look at the little chapel on the same rocky bit of coast, the location of an old lighthouse now long gone. The viewing terrace offers lovely sea views as well as industrial views of an oil refinery, just as beautiful in its own strange way.
Fall in love with fishing on the waterfront at Foz
The waterfront at Foz is accessible by tram on line 1 from Porto, or you can rent a bicycle or electric bike and get there under your own steam. Locals love to walk their dogs at Foz so if you’re a dog lover you’ll be stopping every couple of minutes to meet and greet the local pooches.
The Victorians loved it here, travelling from the UK to enjoy the balmy weather, pretty houses and colourful tiling. Back then it was completely separate from Porto itself. These days Foz is a suburb but it still retains its old-school charm.
If the weather’s a bit iffy, try one of the glass-fronted bars overlooking the beach and water, especially good at Praia do Molhe. There’s plenty of sand to lounge on but if you’re not a lounger there are rock pools and rocky outcrops to keep things interesting. This isn’t the best place to swim but you can if you like. If the sea’s rough, try wandering along the piers or making your way through the sea-spray to the lighthouse. It’s great fun dodging the great sheets of salty water thrown up by the tide and the strong winds.
The fortress on top of its slab-of-cheese-like rock is a popular attraction, actually called cheese castle. Then there’s the lovely old 1930s Foz pergola, which is also wonderfully Instagrammable. Head south to Jardim do Passeio Alegre for a gorgeous green space filled with flowers, palms, trees and pools, a place where the loos are a feast for the eye in themselves thanks to their curvy Art Nouveau styling.
Stroll the stunning Paiva boardwalk
The beautiful Paiva riverside boardwalk at Arouca runs for five glorious miles through the Paiva Valley, a walkway so popular it has won World Travel Awards every year since it opened. There’s a transparent suspension bridge billed as ‘the most exciting 516 metres of your life’, a dizzying pedestrian bridge hanging far above one of Europe’s wildest rivers. The surrounding landscape is classified as a UNESCO Global Geopark and the scenery is utterly awe-inspiring.
Peel back the centuries at Guimarães
Portugal’s first king, Dom Afonso Henriques I, was born at Guimarães but there’s an even older castle there, high on a hill, rebuilt in the country’s earliest days. Wander down the hill to see the stunning 1300s Ducal Palace and ancient medieval streets, the ultimate in photo opportunities. Book yourself a day trip to Guimarães by train if you like, and watch the scenery unfold. It’s an hour’s train journey from Porto.
More about marvellous Matosinhos…
We briefly mentioned Matosinhos in part one of our guide, but there’s more to say about it. Get there by bus, metro, car or tuktuk for truly exceptional seafood served in special marisqueiras restaurants. En route you might fancy stopping off at the huge and very lovely Parque da Cidade and São Francisco Fortress.
You might also want to see the magnificent net sculpture ‘She Changes’, created by sculptor Janet Echelman, an extraordinary sight that’s curiously moving. It will blow your mind! Matosinhos itself offers an ancient village feel in some places and modern life in others, complete with a nice beachfront promenade, a port, ferry terminal, fish market and town market.
Climb the stairs at Bom Jesus sanctuary in Braga
There’s a water-powered funicular lift if you like, or you can drive, but the walk up to the sanctuary at Bom Jesus makes a fabulous climb up a series of steps leading to a very lovely building overlooking the town. The gardens surrounding it are just as nice, full of interesting statues, follies and places to stop, admire, and enjoy a picnic. There are also places to eat near the he funicular, with great views.
The city of Braga itself is also well worth exploring thanks to its cathedral where there’s a mummified Bishop to marvel at, the Biscainhos Museum inside an old palace with its own pretty gardens, and the Nogueira da Silva Museum and gardens.
Marvel at the colourful houses and fascinating canals of Aveiro
The striped houses at Costa Nova, Aveiro, are a feast for the eyes. In fact the entire city of Aveiro is lovely, surrounded by lagoons with its own unique inner city waterways once used to take local products like seaweed and salt inland. The boats are even more colourful than the houses, a lot like Italian gondolas with decorated curved prows. The Art Nouveau buildings and patterned pavements add even more interest to this visually extraordinary place. Head for the ocean end of Ria de Aveiro lagoon to reach the picturesque fishing village of Costa Nova. Then stop off at the Maritime Museum and enjoy Vista Alegre.
Discover vinho verde wine
This unique wine region is known and loved for its fresh, cool, young wine, bottled early to keep the gentle fizz. You can get red vinho verde as well as white and rose, and there’s an endless variety to sample. Head for the lush, green Minho region north of Porto, closer to Porto than the famous Douro Valley. There are wineries to tour, some of which also serve food.
Meet the Barcelos cockerel
The colourful Barcelos cockerel on its stone cross is the most powerful symbol of Portugal. The medieval town of Barcelos is where you can buy pottery figurines of the cockerel, which symbolises an old story about a pilgrim walking to Santiago in the 1400s.
When making his way through Barcelos he was accused of a crime he didn’t commit and sentenced to death by hanging. In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence he asked to see the judge, who was eating at the time. The pilgrim claimed the dead rooster on the dinner table would crow as a sign of his innocence… and lo and behold, it did. The pilgrim was released and the bird fast became a potent representative of faith, justice, and good luck.
Years later the pilgrim came back to the city to make a sculpture, the Monumento do Senhor do Galo, still on display at the Archaeology Museum of Barcelos. There’s also a lovely Romanesque church to explore and a medieval watchtower-turned-gallery full of great work by local potters. Visit on a Thursday for the outdoor market, perfect for picking up souvenirs.
As you can tell there’s an endless supply of cool stuff to see and do in and around Porto. When will you be visiting this gorgeous place?
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