Is Porto Worth Visiting? Honest Thoughts After 3 Months There!

Wondering whether Porto is worth visiting? Well, I spent 3 months living there and I have a lot to say on the topic. Without giving it all away, Porto is a fantastic place to visit for history lovers, wine connoisseurs and fans of ‘second cities’ that are more chill than the capitals.

However, there are a few things you should know before visiting Portugal‘s second city, so I’ll present the pros and cons so you can make an informed decision based on the type of traveller you are.

PORTO ESSENTIALS

Accommodation: Booking.com / Hostelworld

Getting there: flight (Skyscanner), train (Omio), bus (Flixbus)

Porto activities: GetYourGuide / Viator

Car hire: Rentalcars.com

Guidebook: Lonely Planet Porto

When I think back on my time in Porto, the sunsets immediately come to mind. Come the early evening, you could find me eating a dinner picnic (more about the food in Porto to come) in a sunset-facing park, or in a bar with €3 Aperol Spritz in hand… I was so happy!

There are fantastic places to watch sunset in Porto but my favourite is the top level of Luis I Bridge, designed by Gustav Eiffel (not his most famous monument!). The bridge connects characterful Riberia (Porto Old Town known for its tall houses and tight alleyways, plus the sunny riverfront promenade of Cais da Ribeira) with Vila Nova de Gaia.

The bridge leads to Jardim do Morro where there’s a grassy seating area and a bar. Another great sunset viewpoint is from the Crystal Palace Gardens on the other side of the city.

There are wonderful sunsets around the year, aside from when it’s cloudy. But even in December and January, I watched beautiful sunsets most nights around 5.30pm. In July, they happen around 9pm.

Stunning azulejos (tiles)

If you love beautiful cities and interesting architecture, you will absolutely think Porto is worth visiting. Drenched in intricate clay tiles – the majority bright shades of blue – it’s one the prettiest cities I’ve ever visited.

Some of the most attractive places to admire azulejos are São Bento train station, Santo Ildefonso church, the Chapel of Souls near Bolhão Market and Igreja do Carmo, a ‘twin church’ connected to Igreja das Carmelitas by a tiny house used for meetings during the Siege of Porto.

We have the Middle East to thank for Portuguese tiles. Tiles were first invented in Egypt but came to Spain with Arabs in the 13th century. The word azulejos doesn’t stem from the Spanish or Portuguese word blue but an Arabic word meaning ‘small polished stone’. Blue was simply fashionable in Portugal during the Age of Discoveries (15th-18th centuries) and synonymous with wealth and power.

Whether you’re looking for historic towns or sweeping valleys with nature and fantastic local wines, Porto is worth visiting as the gateway to Northern Portugal.

Hands down my favourite day trip from Porto was to the Douro Valley, an ancient wine region with spectacular scenery. I have visited the Douro Valley as a day trip from Porto and also stayed overnight. Although I preferred spending a few days, a day trip provides a taste of the region if you’re short of time.

Some of the best tours include:

Another day trip I enjoyed was to Aveiro, a canal city an hour’s train ride from Porto. While there, you can take a side trip to Costa Nova seaside where there’s a beautiful beach and colourful beach huts. I managed to squeeze in the main things to do in Aveiro and Costa Nova, arriving back in Porto early evening.

Other Porto day trips for history fans include Braga, Coimbra and Guimarães, while nature lovers can head to Peneda-Gerês National Park for hiking and sweeping vistas.

If you’re not already a fan of port wine, this might not initially seem like a reason to visit Porto. I’ll admit that before my trip I thought of port as something my grandma might drink. Flash forward a few weeks and I had a bottle in the house that I was sipping nightly in place of dessert (okay, sometimes as well as dessert!).

Sweet port wine was invented when regular wine would spoil during the boat ride from Portugal to Britain. Fortified grape spirit was added to preserve it and – voila – port was born!

There are two types of red port (tawny and ruby), dry and sweet whites, and even a rosé port that was invented to tempt younger customers. A fun activity in Porto is going port tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia, the area across Luis I Bridge.

The famous port houses like Graham’s Port Lodge offer pricey history tours and tasting packages but you can simply head to a modest waterfront bar like Bar Soares to try five types for €5!

If you’re the type of traveller – like myself – who enjoys ticking off the main attractions in a new city but then getting off the beaten track for some hidden gems and unusual neighbourhoods, you’re going to enjoy Porto.

The trendiest hood is Cedofeita, a hit with young people looking for world cuisine and cool brunch places in Porto.

Then, there’s Bonfim, a lesser-known area (where I used to live) that is starting to host third-wave coffee shops, cocktail bars and even a kombucha brewery. Just a short walk away is Fontainhas, a local neighbourhood with cheap food and wonderful river views.

So, whatever you like, there’s plenty to explore in Porto!

To street art fans wondering if Porto is worth visiting, I would say YES! As a street art devotee, I was impressed with the colourful murals I saw in Porto especially the giant blue cat on Rua das Flores.

However, the one thing that disappointed me about the Porto street art scene was that all the artists are men. I researched many of the murals and couldn’t find a single woman artist. For shame, Porto!

This is a great destination for coffee fanatics because there are plenty of third-wave coffee shops in Porto like Combi Coffee Roasters, C’alma and Fábrica Coffee Roasters. For the best views in town, head to My Coffee Porto.

Be sure to try the local coffee, too. Authentic bakeries and cafes serve pingus (espresso with a touch of foam) for a fraction of the cost of a flat white. At my local, I’d get a morning coffee and pastel de nata for €1. You can’t beat that!

The (tenuous) Harry Potter connection – Porto plays up the fact that JK Rowling allegedly drew inspiration while living in the city. Other blogs may tell you Porto is worth visiting for Livraria Lello and Cafe Majestic (built in Art Nouveau style) where it’s said she wrote first drafts on napkins.

However, she’s debunked the rumours by saying she never went inside Livraria Lello! Both locations are PACKED from dawn to dusk and horribly overpriced. So, if you were thinking of visiting Porto for the Harry Potter connection alone, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Many hills – travellers with mobility issues may find Porto a difficult city to visit. Even as a young, able-bodied person, some of the hills were a struggle. A lot of work has clearly gone into accessibility with several cable cars and lifts available (these are usually crowded) but the way the city was built centuries ago is hard to overcome.