Better Detours in Porto: Quiet Corners, Odd Stops and Slower Streets
I avoid calling places “hidden gems” in Porto. The useful detour is usually a real neighbourhood a few minutes beyond the busiest route, with no […]
Activities
Matosinhos Beach: How to Go, Where to Eat and When to Visit
Matosinhos is the easiest proper beach day from Porto: wide sand, surf schools, a metro station close by and a serious fish lunch within walking […]
Vila Nova de Gaia: Cellars, Views and When to Stay There
Gaia is its own city, but most visitors make the same good half-day of it: cross the Douro, visit one port lodge, walk the waterfront […]
Cedofeita in Porto: Shops, Cafes, Galleries and Local Streets
When friends ask me for a central Porto walk that is not just Clérigos and Ribeira, I send them through Cedofeita. Start around Praça Carlos […]
Foz do Douro in Porto: Beaches, Cafes, Walks and Transport
Foz is still Porto, but it is not the Porto people picture from the postcards. I come here for a walk along the water, not […]
Baixa in Porto: Where First-Time Visitors Actually Spend Time
Most visitors end up in Baixa whether or not they use the word. São Bento, Aliados, Bolhão, Santa Catarina and Clérigos are close enough to […]
Ribeira in Porto: Riverfront, Crowds, Views and Where to Be Careful
Go to Ribeira for the river, the bridge and the view across to Gaia. I still take people there on a first visit. I just […]
Bookstores in Porto: Livraria Lello and Quieter Alternatives
Livraria Lello is worth seeing for the building. It is not where I go when I want half an hour of quiet book browsing. For […]
Porto Architecture: Stone, Tiles, Siza, Koolhaas and City Layers
Porto’s architecture makes most sense when you stop treating it as one style. In a single day you can go from granite and carved church […]
Churches in Porto: Sé, Clérigos, São Francisco and What to See
If you only have time for two Porto churches, I would choose Santa Clara for the gilded interior and São Francisco for the museum and […]