Thanksgiving break is a great time to escape to a place that doesn’t celebrate the holiday, and to capitalize on already having days off from work. Or, to celebrate your birthday as Steve wanted to do! We used Google flights with an open-ended destination over those dates, and Portugal came up as the cheapest option. We’ve been to Sintra, Évora, the Algarve, and Lisbon twice (1, 2), but never Porto. I guess we really like Portugal!
Our adventure began with an overnight flight to Lisbon, which was cheaper than Porto to fly into. Then, we hopped in a rental car to drive up to Porto. It takes a little under 3 hours, and it’s nearly impossible to get lost. Exit the airport, hop on the highway, and it’s a straight shot on one road up to Porto. There are plenty of rest stops along the way, and they are the nicest I have ever seen. Made-to-order meals, a full espresso bar, gift shop, and spotless restrooms. Sorry, but Sheetz doesn’t hold a candle to Portuguese rest stops!
After we arrived in Porto, we parked the car for the remainder of our time in the city. Almost every major attraction is within a 20 minute walk radius, making it easy to see everything on foot. There’s a subway system, but we opted to see more and get some exercise by walking.
SIGHTS TO SEE:
Clérigos tower and church: This baroque church was built in the 1700’s. Climb to the top for one of the best views of the city! It’s 240 steps and not for the claustrophobic. If you want to see the museum too, visit during the day 9am-7pm, or opt for night ticket valid 7-11pm just for the views. Admission was 5 euros, cash only.
Interesting tidbit: above is a metal coffer, used to hold valuables. Now I see where the phrase “fill the coffers” originates from.
Serralves Museum: This is the only attraction on my list outside the walkable city center, and also one of the only things we missed due to time constraints. It looked to be a 20 minute drive from our Airbnb and is open daily. For 20 euros, visitors can access the museum, park, treetop walk, house and cinema. If we ever find our way back to Porto, I won’t miss it.
There are a number of notable gardens across the city, but seen as how we visited in November, that wasn’t high on my list to see.
Livraria Lello: This is a bookstore J.K. Rowling frequented when she taught English in Porto. Supposedly, part of the Harry Potter series is inspired by this building. Yes, it’s a tourist trap, but it was stunning inside! It is open 9:30-7 every day. You must buy a ticket next door for 5 euros, but that value can be used in a book purchase. They have English and Portuguese language books. We thumbed through a book about cats (naturally), and realized Penny is a fancy, rare cat breed, the Nebelung. Or at least part fancy cat…And somewhat related, apparently Nebelung cats are part of the Harry Potter world.
Porto Cathedral: Construction started in 1110 and wasn’t completed until 1737. I know construction delays happen, but c’,mon! The cathedral is set on the top of a hill, making for a great view of the city.
Look closely and see the guy repairing a roof? My stomach dropped just watching him work without any restraints. Literally living on the edge.
Ribeira: Walk along the Douro River, and consider going across the Ponte de D. Luis bridge to see Porto from a different angle. While you’re over there, do a port tasting!
I had pinned a coffee shop, and Google maps walking directions showed a road right across from the bridge. Perfect! Turns out that “road” was about a million steep steps. The view (and coffee) was worth it, though!
Liberdade Square: Check out the ‘Porto’ sign, right next to the monument to Pedro IV. Plus, this one-eyed fountain face.
Street art and beautiful tiles! They are both found throughout the city. Also, cats. I find them everywhere we go.
WHAT TO BUY:
Claus Porto: Pop into this soap store for all sorts of good smelling stuff. This iconic brand started in Porto in 1887 and has recently opened a store in NYC. If you’re really into soap, head upstairs for a soap museum.
Chocolataria Equador: It smells heavenly! This chocolate shop works with São Tomé & Príncipe, an African island to produce incredible chocolate. It took all my willpower to not buy one of each to sample…
WHERE TO EAT:
If you’re looking for somewhat traditional food, try out Aduela or Trasca.
If you’re looking for healthy, hearty options, check out Nicolau (locations in Lisbon, too). Open on a Sunday night (hard to find!) and doesn’t take reservations.
Garden Porto Cafe: This spot is open 9-8 daily, has healthy options, is plant-filled, and I found a table with a swing!
Combi Coffee: Very hip coffee shop near our Airbnb, open 9-5pm. They also have delicious smoothie bowls.
My Coffee Porto: The aforementioned coffee shop 1 zillion steps up from the river. Great views from their tiny patio!
Mesa 325: This cozy coffee shop was around the corner from our Airbnb and came with a dog. SOLD! I already had it pinned to my map, but when our Airbnb host mentioned the resident canine, I knew we had to pay them a visit. Excellent overnight oats, too!
Noshi Coffee: We are about to go to Clerigos Tower when Steve decided he was hungry. Good thing we took a slight detour to eat, because climbing those stairs hangry would not have been fun (for either of us). This cute spot had a bright sunroom in the back AND an outlet. Charged up the phones and had excellent gluten free toast and tacos.
So many places to eat, so little time. If we were in town for longer, we would have made reservations at Mistu or Flow.
Casual spots that had inconvenient hours, but sounded good: Epoca Cafe and O Diplomata.
Namban Oporto Cafe: Offers Japanese Portuguese fusion
Majestic Cafe: A Porto institution. I hear the coffee and food is overpriced, but you go for the atmosphere. The outdoor patio looked beautiful, and I imagine it is packed in warmer weather.
TIPS:
If you do end up driving, keep in mind that gas is crazy expensive. At the pumps we used, you have to select quantity first (in liters), so think about how much you may need. After filling up, then you go inside to pay. That system would never fly in the U.S.!
Check the weather- they have a rainy season, which happened to be when we were there. If you’re smart, you’ll follow the rule of umbrellas/raincoats. Bring one/wear one, and it won’t rain. But as soon as you forget to carry it along, a downpour will ensue. That was our intro to the city after dinner the first night, but we didn’t get stuck in any rain after that.
WHERE TO STAY:
As I mentioned, the city is very walkable, and it felt safe any place that we wandered through. I’d say anywhere is a good spot to stay! Our Airbnb ended up being on the outskirts of the city, but still walkable to everything. It was easy to drive around, and we got an Airbnb with parking included, so we didn’t need to figure that out upon arrival. Our host said they don’t really enforce parking restrictions on the weekends (or ever?), but better safe than sorry with a rental car. Our place was located near coffee shops, a Lidl grocery store, local fruit and vegetable market, and a subway stop.
The Airbnb itself was on the ground floor of a beautiful, old building. The host lived upstairs, and had another rental unit. Plus, cats!! They had a number of rescue cats, and the black cat took a liking to us.
Here’s a handy map of attractions in Porto (zoom in to see Lisbon, Porto, and Douro Valley). Stay tuned for my recap of the Douro Valley!