Travel Guide - Porto
World-famous for its port wine, Porto is Portugal's second largest city and is the commercial and industrial centre for the zone north of the Mondego River. The historic centre of Porto was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. Porto is the only European city with 6 bridges, and all six of them run over the Douro river. They all look gorgeous and show off the excellent architecture of the Portuguese.
Entry Requirements:
Covid-19 Vaccine Certificate with 2 doses
Passenger Locator Form, that can be filled here
Hotel:
We stayed at Pur Porto Boutique Hotel which is a new boutique hotel located at the heart of Porto, which was very convenient. When we arrived, the staff welcomed us with welcome drinks - a glass of White Port wine which is something I didn’t know existed before. I am not a fan of wines, but this wine was very sweet and you couldn’t feel the alcohol. The staff was very welcoming and showed us the best sites, cafes and restaurants to visit
Restaurants:
Cafe Majestic opened in 1924 and won many honours and awards. It is known as the 6th most beautiful cafe in the world. The most influential figures of Porto became regular customers and it is rumoured that JK Rowling spent a lot of time in this cafe writing her first Harry Potter novel.
The decor is Belle Époque with grand ceilings. I had a latte and a French toast, which is their speciality. The French toast was the best French toast I’ve ever had - it was moist and had custard, jam and nuts on it.
Fabrica da Nata is known for its cream custard tart “Pastel de Nata”, a Portuguese speciality. It was delicious, warm, and its filling had lots of custard cream in it - so much better than Pastel de Nata we find in London!
Known as one of the most instagrammable cafes in the world and dubbed by the national and international press as “THE GOD OF THE BRUNCH”, Zenith is the perfect place for brunch. You can sit indoors or outdoors. There are many healthy options including vegan and gluten-free dishes, but I opted for a Dulce de Leche Pancake. It was delicious and you could really taste the dulce de leche and nuts. The portion was big and I couldn’t finish it, so I’d recommend sharing.
Located on the 17th floor of Hotel Dom Henrique Downtown, this restaurant offers panoramic views of Porto with a really atmosphere and chic crowd.
The food was delicious and I had scallops as a starter and king prawns as a main. They were both delicious and the prawns also came with a crab risotto, which was delicious. Seafood in Porto is very fresh and I highly recommend it.
Activities:
Hidden Streets
Stroll around hidden, small streets in Porto covered with graffiti. You’ll see many colourful houses, too. Everything is on a hill, so be prepared to walk.
Dom Luis Bridge
Walk along the Dom Luis Bridge and you'll be rewarded with spectacular views. It spans the River Douro linking the Port wine houses of Vila Nova de Gaia with Porto. Construction took place between 1881 and 1886 with the bridge being built adjacent to an existing bridge which it replaced. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel, so you may find some similarities with the Eiffel Tower.
Caves Calem
When Antonio Calm founded Porto Cálem in 1859, he set his sights on crossing the Atlantic and exporting to Brazil at a time when Port was typically shipped to the UK and other European markets. Once he eventually set route to Brazil, his first transactions were done in exotic woods. By 1965, Porto Calém’s reputation for fearlessness had made its way around the world along its ships and crews.
We enjoyed a wine tasting experience where we tasted and learned about the history of different wines and also tasted some wine chocolates, which were delicious and you couldn’t taste the alcohol at all.
Port
Stroll around the port and watch boats sailing. They also have a day market here where you can purchase local, handmade items such as watches, sunglasses, and jewellery made of cork and much more. I bought fun sunglasses and a bracelet.
Cable Car
To get one of the most complete and impressive panoramas of Porto, you’ll have to take a cable car. It is at 300 meters of altitude. On the way there, you can contemplate the historic area of Porto, the roofs of the cellars of Gaia, the Ribeira, the Clérigos and the Douro in all their splendor.
It only costs 6 euros per person and is so worth it.
Igreja Do Carmo
The Igreja do Carmo was built between 1756 and 1768 in the late Baroque style by a disciple of Nicolau Nasoni, Jose de Figueiredo Seixas. It is very beautiful inside and you can enjoy a sense of peace.