What To Do in Porto, Portugal

Wondering what to do in Porto? The city is one of those that’s hard not to fall in love with. That’s exactly what happened to many travellers on their first visit, including yours truly.

That very first trip was during the city’s Saint John’s celebrations, which takes place late June and, after that, I returned a number of times.

My latest trip, however, was for a different type of celebration. So let me tell you about all the wonders and the best places to visit in Porto.

The city keeps its historical part pretty much intact, with historical buildings dotted all over the city centre. If you’re into architecture – or even if you’re not – you’ll be amazed by the number of different styles displayed on the buildings’ façades.

What To Do In Porto, Portugal

Any trip to the city should start on Santa Catarina street, just a few minutes’ walk from São Bento railway station. I mention São Bento station specifically because of its amazing blue-tile murals.

Each mural depicts parts of Portuguese history, as well as cultural elements. I like to just hang around and admire the details, but if you’re a history buff, I highly recommend hiring a guide to help you better understand them.

Nearby, you will find one of the top places to visit in Porto, the Catedral da Sé. The city cathedral was built between the 12th and 13th centuries in Romanesque style.

Later, it got a Gothic funeral chapel, but the facade we see today is in fact 18th century Baroque. Located atop a small hill, I love to enjoy the views of the red-tile rooftops, as well as the Clerigos Tower in the distance.

Right, after this massive U-turn on my explanation, let’s go back to Santa Catarina street, the city’s main commercial hub.

Filled with shops to suit every budget, it’s also here that you’ll find the famous Café Majestic, with its unmissable art nouveau façade. This grand cafe is a favourite with tourist and locals alike, for its intrinsical decoration with stained mirrors and chandeliers.

It is said that J.K. Rowling, who lived in the city, used to be a regular wrote the first drafts of the Harry Potter series here.

A few blocks from Cafe Majestic, you will find Mercado do Bolhão, the city’s main market and another icon portuense. It is one of the best places to visit in Porto (if not THE best) if you’re into fresh produce, colourful fruit and vegetable displays, good wine and great food.

A good way to visit it is by joining a tour with Taste Porto Food Tour, with whom I went to taste some local wine and olive oil at the market and all over the city.

Despite a small gentrified area, Mercado do Bolhão still keeps its local feel, with people buying their fresh produce from here.

I was particularly intrigued by the butchers’ skills in cutting and slicing meat with huge sharp knives – something we’d better not play with at home! If after trying some of the delicacies at the market you want to thank the seller, thank you in Portuguese is obrigado.

I would also recommend walking around area that surrounds Mercado do Bolhão. Many of the shops date from over a century and still keep a very historical feel and atmosphere.

But if Santa Catarina Street is where you should start exploring the city, there’s no doubt that the heart of Porto is the Ribeira area, located by the Rio Douro. No matter how many days you’ll be in the city, this is an area that will also top your Porto itinerary.

The historical houses have been beautifully restored and seem to be falling from the hill that forms the higher part of the city. Dom Luís Bridge crosses the river Douro, linking Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia on the other bank.

Most people cross it on foot from the lower level, but I highly recommend crossing it from the top deck to enjoy the fantastic views of both sides.

If you’re hungry, you should try Fish Fixe, a seafood restaurant located right by Dom Luis Bridge, serving amazing seafood and quality wine.

When I ate there, I sat outdoors with my group, enjoying the fantastic views of the river, Vila Nova de Gaia and the bridge from a closer angle.

During the “Festas de São João“, or St John’s celebrations, that take place on 24th June, the whole Ribeira area is filled with a crowd of party-goers hitting each other with plastic hammers, holding long garlic stems (a local tradition) and drinking Sagres beer.

On the other side of the city, in the very upmarket Boa Vista neighbourhood, you should visit the Casa da Música, designed by Duch architect Rem Koolhaas.

This futuristic building, finished in 2005, which to me resembles some sort of spaceship, hosts all kinds of cultural events, from operas to popular music concerts. But it is definitely a multi-purpose space, with restaurants, cafes, meeting rooms and grand halls where exhibitions and fairs take place.

My recommendation is to first admire the façade, then go on a guided tour to see the incredible design and learn how it became one of Portugal’s most important cultural spaces.

Also, if you want to walk the famous Camino de Santiago, Porto is one of the many cities you will visit as part of the Portuguese Camino, which starts in Lisbon. Camino de Santiago has several different routes, since pilgrims would come from all directions and Portuguese Camino is one of the most beautiful and less known ones.

What about you, have you been to Porto? What’s your favourite place in the city?

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– Harry Potter and the City of Porto
– A Delicious Food Tour of Lisbon
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– Is Cadaqués the Most Romantic City in Spain?
– Morbihan and the South of Brittany, France