A city of dazzling culture, Porto offers epic riverfront walks, hilly cobblestone streets, colorful-tiled walls, and a tantalizing port wine scene. It’s a city that begs to be explored on foot. And a city that is impossible to forget.
After two months of traveling in Europe, Porto was a welcoming breath of fresh air. My first thought when I hopped off the plane was how clean and modern everything was. The train was easy for us non-Portuguese-speakers to navigate, the sidewalks were intricately laid with limestone tiles, and the buildings were detailed with azulejo tiles in every color and pattern imaginable. Christmas lights illuminated holiday markets and locals chatted enthusiastically in the streets over glasses of desert wine. Everywhere I looked, I found more details. Quirky nooks, street musicians, edgy vintage shops, and architectural wonders all layered on top of each other along the great Douro River.
I fell in love instantly. The city was full of life – a cultural cacophony – that made my heart do a happy dance. It also had the best vegetarian food that I tried anywhere in Europe and some of the best street musicians that we found abroad.
Below, I’ve included some recommendations so that you can get to the heart of Porto – and connect more deeply with this quirky city (even if you only have 48 hours).
Bolhão Food Market. December 2024.
Listening to a Red Hot Chile Peppers Cover Band in Gaia - view of the Douro River and the Ribeira District across the way.
A Traditional Azuelejo Mural.
Where to Stay in Porto, Portugal: We booked an Airbnb in the Bolhão neighborhood. Click here to see where we stayed. The Bolhão neighborhood was the perfect basecamp for us to explore the city – and to access the different neighborhoods by foot. The Bolhão Market and train stop were one block away (as was my favorite vegetarian restaurant in all of Europe). The downsides of our airbnb location was that it was a bit louder at night than we had anticipated (the Portuguese typically start dinner at 9PM and go out for drinks after that).
Our Airbnb in Bolhão - check out that fun hammock!
Visiting Porto, Portugal in December: Just go! December is the ideal time to visit Porto. The weather (although it was a little rainy) was temperate and perfect for exploring. The markets and shops were all dressed up for Christmas, and holidays lights decorated the streets – adding to the charm and artistry of this destination. The holiday markets went live on December 08th this year, but were already setting up when we arrived on the 6th.
What to do in Porto, Portugal:
1. Start with a Free Walking Tour of Porto: We did our first EVER walking tour in Porto, and it changed the way we travel. I’ve always had a figure-it-out-for-yourself mentality about exploring new cities, but I was wrong. It’s way better to get the lay of the land first from a local (and then explore on your own later). As someone who has guided hiking tours for 10 years, I should’ve known this, but I’d never considered the importance of city guides before. We opted for Porto’s dark history tour, choosing to explore the city through the lens of its storied ghosts, love quarrels, murder mysteries, and conquests. We joined 8 other adults on a 2-hour tour and made friends along the way. Our guide took us through Porto’s distinct neighborhoods and shared stories, tips, restaurant recommendations, and bits of Portuguese cultural I never would’ve picked up on my own. From now on (especially when traveling to new European cities), I plan to sign up for a walking tour. The tour itself is free, but tipping ($15-25 EURO pp) is expected. The same walking tour company also offers a basic history tour, which also would’ve been great.
2. Experience World-Class Music at a Fado Show: One of our goals while traveling in Portugal was to see some live music. We’d never heard of Fado music before traveling to Portugal but quickly became enthralled by this soulful, bluesy, vocal-heavy, storytelling genre. Fado was invented by the country’s working class and explores themes of love, loss, working days, and hardship. We attended a 1-hour show at a local music school and sipped on locally-produced Port Wine while the artists did their thing. The Fado show did not disappoint. It was also way more emotional that we’d planned for, but we liked it so much we went to another Fado show in Lisbon.
3. Enjoy Porto’s Vegetarian Scene: A quick google search of what to eat in Porto suggests meat-heavy dishes, salted cod, and grilled sardines. As a vegetarian, I wasn’t exactly stoked on that, but I figured I’d get by when traveling just like I always do. To my surprise, I was OVERJOYED by Porto’s vegetarian and vegan scene. For dinner, I highly recommend Casa Vegetariana. For breakfast, lunch, or a smoothie, I recommend Vrasserie.
4. Visit the World’s ‘Prettiest Bookstore’: Lello Livraria is an intricate bookstore, packed floor to ceiling with colorful books, a twisting staircase that inspired JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, and ornate stained-glass windows. The bookstore has been around since the early 1900s and was dubbed the “world’s prettiest bookstore,” in 2006 by Spanish writer Enrique Vila-Matas. There are books in several languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. To enter, you must purchase an $8 ticket at the door (the price of which you can apply to any purchase in the store). Overall, it was a cool place to visit (and I bought a book!), but if crowds aren’t your thing (it was overwhelmingly crowded when we visited), you can skip it.
Lello Livraria - on the inside! Dec 2024.
5. Marvel at the Gorgeous Azulejo tiles and Take a Tile Painting Class: When the Moors seized the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, they brought their detailed tradition of tile work with them to Portugal. Today, Portugal’s azulejos feature colorful, repetitive patterns or mural scenes. They adorn the walls of homes, shops, and churches. As a surface pattern designer, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of them. I found myself photographing every pattern and detail. My favorite, off-the-beaten-path tile shop in Porto was Gazete Azulejos. It’s very small, the tiles are inexpensive, and they are all hand-painted by local artists. We came home with 1 or 2 or 3 of our own. Gazete Azulejos also offers tile-painting classes that looked like fun. We would’ve signed up for them if we had more advanced notice (the tiles need a day to dry).
6. Savor a Port Wine Tasting in Gaia: The Douro region is famous for their Port Wine. This sweet dessert beverage comes in a few styles and flavors. It’s too sweet for my liking, but it’s definitely a go-to cultural move (and a great souvenier
From the Ribeira district, cross over the mighty Douro River and head to Vila Nova de Gaia. There, opt for a port-wine tasting at Calem (our walking guide said this was the best cellar) or taste your way through a few cellars. was is a very sweet desert wine, which is usually enjoyed at the end of the meal. It’s too sweet for my liking (to me, it tastes like maple syrup+wine), but it’s definitely the go-to cultural move here. After your tasting tour enjoy a meal along the Duoro River – and take in post-card worthy views of Porto. We were told by locals that the Gaia side of the river (as opposed to the Ribeira-side of the river) has way better food.
7. Admire the tiles in the Sao Bento Train Station and stop by the Time Out Market for a Bite to Eat Afterwards: Feast your eyes on the 20,000 blue and white azulejo tiles that adorn the interior walls of the Sao Bento Train Station. We visited the train station in the company of our local dark history tour guide who shared the spooky history of the nun whose ghost still haunts the station. After you’re satisfied with your visit, head next door to the modern Time Out Porto Market, a local food hall where you can find everything from the local specialty Francesinha (meat and cheese monstrosity sandwich) to pizza to coffee and vegetarian offerings.
8. Explore the Ribeira District: Nestled along the banks of the Douro River, the Ribeira District is the “center of it all.” Journey to this lively section of the city for excellent sunset views, street performances, and shops to explore. If you’ve still got energy in you, cross the Douro River and get some food and Port Wine in Gaia (we were told the food is better on the other side of the river), or head up into the Jewish Quarter for more views.
9. Other Random Local Recommendations:
Our walking guide mentioned that Taberna d Avo in the Jewish Quarter was one of the most authentic places to have dinner. We did not get to try it this time, but if we ever get back to Portugal, we will put it on our list.
Walk everywhere! Put on some tennis shoes and just get out there and explore. The city is meant to be visited on foot - and you never know what fun artists or street musicians you may come across.
The Portuguese drink espresso morning, afternoon, and evening. It is quite impressive. We enjoyed getting coffee in traditional Portuguese cafes, but when we couldn’t handle another high-intensity espresso we went to C’Alma Coffee Room in Bolhao. The small, but mighty shop had a digital nomad presence and the best cappuccinos we had in Portugal (we were addicted to cappucinos after Italy).
Even though neither Nick or I are skaters, we wandered into a local skate shop called Ementa. The owner was young and proud of his brand. We liked the shop so much that we ended up visiting their other store in Lisbon, where Nick bought a beautiful green flannel.
We poked our heads into Majestic Cafe, where JK Rowling wrote a chapter of her iconic book, Harry Potter. The breakfast restaurant was beautiful bus also over the top. Tourists were snapping photos every ten seconds. We didn’t end up eating there because it felt like a bit of a tourist trap, but if you want to walk a day in JK Rowling’s footsteps, I wouldn’t judge.
Porto locals are proud of their famous Francesinha sandwich. It has a TON of meat on it, so I wasn’t able to try it, but everywhere we went, people asked us if we’d had one yet. Nick enjoyed one at the Time Out Market and another local recommended that we try it at a place called Brasao Aliados.
Pastel de Natas are egg-custard tart pastries that originated at a monastery in Lisbon. They are the pride and joy of Portugal. Make sure you try one at some point during your stay.
What’s Next?
That’s all! I hope that these suggestions and photos inspire you and that you get the opportunity to visit Porto. There are a number of direct flights to Portugal from the US - and I highly recommend going. Stay tuned because I’m in the process of creating posts for Lisbon and the Azores (which we also visited when we were in Portugal). I will post these shortly. If you are interested in reading about my other travels in Europe, please check out my post about the Italian Alps / Dolomites and my post about Tuscany and Umbria.
For those who are new to my blog, I run a surface pattern design business! This December, I released a new sardine pattern (available for purchase on my Spoonflower site). This January, I’ll be releasing a new collection of alpine headbands in my shop (so stay tuned). You can purchase my designs directly from my Spoonflower Shop (as fabric, wallpaper, tea-towels, etc.) or show your support on Instagram (with a like, a comment, a referral or a follow). I appreciate every like, comment and follow!!!!