Right before Christmas 2024, our family spend a long weekend in Porto. Us parents had visited Porto for a week back in 2011, and we were super excited to be going back with the kids.
Porto is a beautiful city and one of the oldest European centers with a 2,000-year history! It is no surprise that its core was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The designation is for the “Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra Do Pilar.”
If you are planning a trip to Portugal, I would strongly recommend you fit Porto into your itinerary. Or if you live in Portugal, take advantage of the easy train routes and make sure to visit this beautiful and historic city!
How to get there
Getting to Porto from Lisbon is super easy! You could drive there in about 3 hours, or you could take a hight speed train that will get you there in about the same time, if not less. We booked our train tickets online with Comboios de Portugal. Because we booked our tickets early, we got a discounted price.
The train ride to Porto was super comfortable. There was a cafe cart to get snacks at, plenty of spaces for storing luggage, and bathrooms in different carts. The train originates in Santa Apolonia, in the old city center, but we boarded it at Estaçao Oriente. Where you catch the train doesn’t really matter as you have reserved seats for the ride.
Where to Stay
The first time we visited Porto we stayed on the river front with a beautiful view of the Ponte Luis I. We really loved our stay in that area, but for this visit we decided to try something new. We found a great Airbnb apartment a block away from the Bolhão Metro stop, and right across the street from the Mercado do Bolhão. This apartment was centrally located and close to everything! And having a metro stop right outside our apartment meant we could just take the metro back if we were too tired to walk.
Another benefit of this location was that we were just a couple of stops away from Campanhá, the train station we arrived into from Lisbon.
What to do
As we do on most trips, we did a lot of exploring Porto on foot. The kids actually enjoy walking around new cities, which is great! For Porto, we divided the city into areas based on what we wanted to see and do. Then we tackled an area at a time. We usually did one area in the morning, and then another in the afternoon with a break in between.
Here are some of the things we saw and did while in Porto:
Torre dos Clérigos
We visited the Torre dos Clérigos right after we arrived to Porto in the late afternoon. I figured it would be a less crowded time to visit and, as we walked up to the tower, I realized we’d be getting there around sunset. Let me tell you, I was right about it being less crowded, and the golden hour was definitely a beautiful time to be up there!
Entrance to the tower includes a visit to the museum and church as well. We kind of rushed past the museum because we wanted to reach the top of the tower before it was dark. We did stop to admire the beautiful organs inside the church because our son loves organs. The climb up the spiral staircase to the top of the 76 meter hight tower is rewarded with beautiful city-wide views! This is definitely a must do when visiting Porto (we did it the first time we were in Porto too!)!
Livraria Lello
Livraria Lello is a quick walk from the Torres dos Clérigos. This bookstore is famous because it is thought to have inspired some of Hogwarts scenery in Harry Potter. JK Rowlings used to live in Porto, and she used to visit this bookstore, so it’s easy to picture her finding inspiration for her books in Porto.
There is a fee to visit the bookstore that can later be used towards purchases. There was a long line of people waiting to go in, so we just skipped it this time.
Riberira do Porto
If you are visiting Porto, you should definitely take a stroll down the waterfront! This area is super lively with lots of places to eat, grab a drink, enjoy the sunshine, or listen to live music (there is so much live music in Porto!). The view of Ponte Dom Luís I and Vila Nova de Gaia across the river are really pretty!
Ponte Dom Luís I
This bridge is definitely a symbol of Porto! The bridge was originally designed by Gustav Eiffel (as in Eiffel Tower), and built by Theophile Seyrig, a former partner of Eiffel and author of the project. There’s so many places from which to admire this architectural beauty, but the best way to experience it is to walk across it. You can walk across, or you could take the tram that runs on it, it’s up to you, but I would definitely recommend walking it.
We walked across the top level and headed over to Vila Nova de Gaia for a drink and a bite. On the way back, since we were down by the Ribeira, we walked back to Porto on the lower level. The lower level is also used by cars, but pedestrians definitely dominate the whole space.
Once you get back to Porto, you can opt to walk on the Ribeira to get some food or a refreshment, or you could head back up the hill to the old city center. If you choose to head back up, you could take the Funicular dos Guindais to make things easy. Alternatively, you could choose to climb the more than 200 steps of Escada do Codeçal up to the top of the hill. We did both, and the stairs definitely gave our family a big sense of achievement. The views going up the stairs are also better in my opinion.
Vila Nova de Gaia
Last time we visited Vila Nova de Gaia, Joe and I went port wine tasting at Sandeman and we had a fun time. This time we walked around the waterfront (with 2 very tired kids!), and sat on a stone wall to just take it all in while a guy played music in the distance. Sometimes, that’s the best way to experience a place, right?
Mercado do Bolhão
Porto’s historic market received a full makeover starting in 2018, and it reopened to the public in 2022. When we first visited it in 2011, this market was just a traditional market with fruit, meats and cheese stalls. We have great memories of getting the best cheese from one of the stalls there. The person working there recommended a mountain cheese that we still think about!
We didn’t know about the makeover, so imagine our surprise when we walked in and found a modern, trendy and beautiful new market! This is a great place to grab some food on the go, or delicious goodies for a picnic, or even some souvenirs. There was even a gorgeous plant stall and I wish I could’ve bought one!
Rua Santa Catarina
This 1,500 meter long pedestrian street is one Porto’s main attractions. This street is lined up with all kinds of shopping, several cafes and eateries, and always a street performer or more to keep things lively! Run Santa Catarina is home to Café Majestic, and the stunning azulejo-adorned Capela das Almas (right outside the Bolhão metro stop).
Whenever we could, we took this street to reach our destination or to come home. I mean, who doesn’t love a lively pedestrian street, right?
Majestic Cafe
Joe and I had our first ever affogato at the Majestic Café back in 2011, so we had great memories of it!
This stunning and world-famous art nouveau café is worth a visit when in Porto. The prices can definitely be a bit steep, but if you choose to just get tea and a small snack (like we did), you’ll get to experience the beautiful interior without breaking the bank. Even if you don’t go inside, you should stop by it to admire its facade.
Sé de Porto
This Roman-Catholic Gothic church built in the 12th century on the highest point in the city is Porto’s most important religious monument.
The exterior is pretty, and once you enter the cloisters and then the cathedral you’ll be amazed! The azulejos here are also stunning. Make sure you climb up to the terrace for a nice view of Porto.
Igreja de São Francisco
The entrance fee for this church was quite steep, but it was really worth it! There were no photos allowed inside the church, but trust me when I saw that the interior was stunning. The entire place was covered in gold like I’ve never seen before (and I’ve been to the Vatican!).
This church was built starting in the 14th century, and its interior is decorated with intricate carved panels that are all covered with a layer of gold leaf. My jaw dropped when I went inside. No wonder it’s known as the Gold Church.
In addition to the church, you can visit a museum and the catacombs.
Best Azulejos In Porto
If you go to Porto and don’t see azulejos, did you even go to Porto? Seriously, azulejos are absolute works of art and they are worth all the attention they get. Below is a list of the most iconic spots around Porto for seeing azulejos, but don’t forget to look at the beautiful azulejos that adorn the houses all over Porto as well!
Capela das Almas
Capela das Almas (Chapel of the Souls) is also called Capela de Santa Catarina. The chapel dates back to the 18th century and it’s mostly known due to its beautifully tiled façade. The tiled panels (made up of 16,000 tiles!) were added in 1929 and they represent episodes from the lives of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine.
Igreja do Carmo
The Igreja do Carmo was built in the 18th century in the baroque style. On the outside you’ll see the beautiful blue and white tiles representing the Brown Scapular imposition on Mount Carmel. The scapular was given to the Carmelites by Our Lady Mary, who said “Whoever dies in this garment shall not suffer eternal fire.” The panels were designed by Silvestro Silvestri (cool name, huh?).
Not surprisingly, the Igreja das Carmelitas sits next to the Igreja do Carmo, only separated by one of the world’s narrowest houses (the house is included in your ticket when you visit Igreja do Carmo). The house was built to make all contact between nuns and monks impossible.
Estaçao São Bento
When we first visited Porto years ago, our host told us we should not miss the São Bento Railway Station. I’m glad we visited, as it has to be one of the most beautiful train stations I’ve ever seen!
Opened to the public in 1916 on the site of a former Benedictine monastery (Bento means Benedict in English), São Bento Station is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The interior of the station is adorned with large panels of around twenty thousand azulejo tiles that represent moments in the country’s history. The tiles were designed by Jorge Colaço.
Because the station is in the center of the city, you’ll likely walk by it multiple times. Make sure you go inside every time you pass by as the light inside the station will vary dramatically depending on the time of the day. A favorite was when we walked through it at sunset and everything in the station was covered in a warm yellow light.
Igreja de São Idelfonso
Also designed by Jorge Colaço, the tiles adorning this church represent scenes from the life of Saint Idelfonso and the Gospel. The church was completed in 1730, but the tiles weren’t placed until 1931. This is also where the pedestrian part of Santa Catarina street ends.
Off the Beaten Track
What I love about walking around cities is that sometimes you find yourself in new and unexpected places. This is exactly what happened to us in Porto. We found a restaurant to grab a snack and, in the distance, we saw a glass dome. Intrigued by the structured, we decided to go check it out. When we got to it, we found ourselves in a beautiful park filled with peacocks, ducks and the most amazing views of Porto and the Duoro River!
Jardin do Palácio de Cristal
This garden was such a treat of a find! Our kids spent so much time chasing falling leaves, and watching the wildlife. This ornate park is truly a gem in the city. A peaceful oasis under the shade of mature trees. It was so beautiful! This would be an ideal place for a picnic.
We thought we’d be able to make our way down to the lower parts of the park and find an exit, but that wasn’t the case. We did explore the lower areas, but then had to climb back up and retrace our steps to the main entrance in order to exit the park. The bonus were the gorgeous views of the Duoro River and Porto’s cityscape in the distance.
Where to Eat
We mostly picked restaurants as we went, but these are a couple that we really enjoyed:
Vícios à Mesa
This restaurant is located inside Maus Hábitos and serves mediterranean-inspired food. Check out their menu here. We all loved the food here, and also really enjoyed the ambiance.
Puro 4050
We ate at Puro 4050 on our first night in Porto and had a delicious meal! We got the Puro 4050 Special to share, and it was super tasty! Kids ordered focaccia style pizzas that they gobbled up!
Buga Ramen
Buga Ramen is a Japanese food chain that’s in Spain and Portugal. We first saw it in Porto, and it actually had a line out the door! The ramen was delicious, so we were thrilled to find it in Lisbon too! The decorations are super fun, with lots of anime characters all around, and even a robot serving drinks!
Miraduoro Ignez
This is more a place to get a drink or a refreshment. We ate food here because we were all starving and the kids were not in the mood to keep walking around looking for food. This was right after visiting the Palacio do Cristal. The views were fantastic, so that was a plus!
Final Thoughts
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with Porto! There is so much history and culture hidden around every corner, so the best way to really experience this city is to walk around it. There is so much more we saw than what I’m including here. Sometimes it’s the places you see in between the main sights that really become your favorite. Like us randomly walking into a square and seeing a group of people singing Christmas carols. You can’t plan that! Which leads me to my next point: Porto is absolutely beautiful during the holidays! There’s cheer everywhere, the lights and decorations are next level, and there’s a lot of activities setup to celebrate this special time. We even caught a classical music public concert on our way to dinner one night!
We are a family of four who moved to Portugal in July 2024. Our family loves exploring our new home country, and enjoy sharing our adventures with others. To learn more about our adventures in Portugal, click here.
