10 essentials: what to see and do in Porto in 2 or 3 days

Porto It was one of the cities that we had wanted to visit for a long time, and recently we were able to visit it with the purpose of getting to know a special establishment, the Bluesock hostel.

In this article I am going to discover you what is essential to see and visit, and the best thing to do on your getaway to the city of Porto.

At the outset I will tell you that all Porto visit It is divided into two large areas to know.

On one hand, the old town of the city, where you can see its most characteristic churches, walls and neighborhoods.

And on the opposite shore of the Douro river you have Vila Nova de Gaia, with the typical wineries of its famous wines, and from where the cruises on the Douro river.

Precisely its location next to the mouth of the Douro river has marked throughout history the life and evolution of the Porto city.

What to see and do when visiting Porto for tourism

Within the old town, in addition to enjoying the beautiful facades with the typical portuguese balconies, there are some stops that are worth making.

Alleys of the old town of Porto

Without a doubt one of the most beautiful corners of all cities are its narrow streets full of history.

Right at the foot of Louis I bridge, on the shores of Douro river and behind the area where the bars and restaurants are currently concentrated, you can walk through these streets that in Porto They are very narrow and vertical.

Being on the banks of the riverbed, Porto It is a city that has had several serious floods.

For this reason, one of the most interesting corners of this walk is precisely the point where you can see the marks that indicate the year and the height to which the water has reached in each of the floods.

San Bento train station in Porto

Another corner that you should not miss in this beautiful Portuguese city is the Porto train station, located in the upper part of the historic center.

Inaugurated in 1916, it is the work of a Portuguese architect who studied in France, who when he designed it did not know that he was going to end up building it since the project was his final degree project.

He liked this design so much that he was commissioned to build it, which took 16 years due to the historical conflict that the country was experiencing at that time.

Only after constructing the building did they realize that it was architecturally beautiful, but from an operational point of view it presented many problems, to the point that the station was inaugurated without ticket offices, bathrooms, or waiting rooms.

In the Porto station you can see paintings and mosaics that represent everyday scenes from the different times of the year set in the 20th century.

In these scenes you can see above all how people lived before the arrival of the train to the city, in addition to representing some of the most relevant events in the history of Portugal.

Lello Bookstore in Porto

It is anecdotal that one of the Most popular visits in Porto is a bookstore, But Lello It has deservedly become an icon of the city.

Built by the brothers Lello and run for 52 years by the charismatic bookseller El Mr. Domingos, Lello bookshop maintains an impressive charm.

With a staircase and carefully carved ceilings, it is said that it served as inspiration for the author of the saga of Harry Potter, JKRowling.

Clérigos Church and Tower in Porto

No doubt the Clerigos Tower It is one of the emblems of the city; almost from any point of Porto can be seen, so it serves as an orientation to locate yourself in the city.

Located at the top of the hill, a few steps from the Lello bookshop, Cleric's TowerIt dates back to the 78th century and measures XNUMX meters.

You can visit it and go up to the viewpoint at the top; Yes, be prepared to climb 200 steps, but it is definitely worth it.

Porto Cathedral

Built from the 12th to the 13th century in romantic style, Porto cathedral It has been expanded and renovated several times.

It is a cathedral with a peculiar main façade, and on whose side façades you can see decoration of Gothic style with blue tile murals characteristic in Portugal.

Church of Mercy in Porto

Nearby is the Church of Mercy, Renaissance style, completed in 1550, and which marks the beginning of one of the most beautiful streets in the city, the Rua das Flores, where the balconies, mosaics and color stand out.

Luis I Bridge in Porto

El Bridge of Luis I is one of icon images of the city of Porto.

Built by one of the assistants of Gustave Eiffel, the influence of the famous French architect undoubtedly marks the style of this bridge that crosses the river linking the towns of Porto y Vila Nova de Gaia.

It has pedestrian access both at the bottom and at the top.

At the lowest part of the bridge the passage is opened for motor vehicles, and it joins the street on which most of the wineries in Vila Nova de Gaia with the old town of porto.

The upper part is reserved for the tram, and without a doubt it is where you will have one of the best views of the area. Douro river as it passes through the two towns.

Porto Funicular

On both sides of the river bank there is a funicular which takes you to the top of the bridge if you don't want to walk up the hill.

It should be noted that on the shore of Porto you can find the remains of the wall that protected the city.

As a curiosity, after its construction, the Porto wall During the time it stood it never received any attack, so it was decided to demolish it in order to expand the city, with such bad luck that shortly after removing it they suffered an invasion.

Our recommendation is not to miss one of the sunsets that can be seen from the top of the bridge.

Wineries in Vila Nova de Gaia in Porto

When we talk about Porto Their world-famous wine immediately comes to mind.

So much so, that a tourist trip to the city would be lame without visiting some of the wineries to learn about the particularities of their wine and its production process, since they are part of the essence of the city.

The traditional port wine cellars They have two curiosities that really surprise.

The first is that they are not in the same city, but on the opposite bank of the river, in the aforementioned Vila Nova de Gaia; and the second is that the grapes are brought from a vineyard area located next to the border with Spain.

Precisely in the river you will see the typical barges that transported the wine through the Duero, which, although currently no longer in use, remain in their original locations as a tourist attraction.

When recommending a winery to visit, I point out the one Porto Cruz for its impressive terrace from where you can see a spectacular panorama all el Douro river passing through Porto.

To get to know one of the most typical wineries, on my recent trip we went to Ramos Pinto, where through a guided tour we were able to learn about the production process of this famous port wine.

Douro River Cruise in Porto

Porto It is located at the mouth of the Douro river; This means that many activities that you can do in the city are linked to it.

The most recommended without a doubt is the boat cruise on the Douro.

Most of the companies that offer this cruise are located on the shore of Vila Nova de Gaia, right in front of the area where the wineries are located.

You also have the option of night cruise on the Douro, which has a special charm due to the lighting of the city.

With a duration of almost an hour, you will have unbeatable views.

Curiosities of the history of Porto

Looking ahead to your trip to Porto, it will be interesting to know that the real name of the city is Oporto, a word that means port in Portuguese, which denotes the fishing character of the area.

The sadness that the fishermen's departure gave its inhabitants for long periods of time marked every aspect of the city.

The well-known Portuguese fados have their origin here; They are sad songs that were sung because of the sadness it gave them to see their relatives leave for the open sea without knowing if they would return or not.

The colorful house facades that are found on the banks of the river have a similar origin to doom.

Painting them with those striking colors was a way to bring joy to the city so that it could overcome this sadness, and to be the first thing that the fishermen saw when they returned home.

The first known settlements in Porto sound roman origin, and are located on the other side of the river, in the aforementioned area of Vila Nova de Gaia, where the aforementioned wineries are currently located.

A curious characteristic of this enclave is that the Douro river acts as a natural border between the populations of Porto y Vila Nova de Gaia, currently linked by several bridges, among them the best known, the Louis I bridge.

Both towns sit face to face on two hills between which the mighty river makes its way.

Tours and guided visits in Porto

There are companies that offer you several Porto tours in which they include the visits to the wineries, tourist buses, and even the use of the funicular that leaves from the boat area to the top of the Louis I bridge.

Apart from complete tour of Porto, you can also sign up for the visit of the old town.

But if what you want is to simply enjoy the river, you can do it on foot or by bicycle, since on the edge of the old town they have built a path with bike lane that runs from the city to the mouth of the Duero.

There are many bike rental companies, so if this is the option that most appeals to you, you will have no problem finding one.

Map: how to get to Porto

The city of Porto is located three hours by motorway from Lisbon, and if you arrive from Spain, three and a half hours from Salamanca and two and a half hours from Vigo.