Porto

Portugal's second largest city has been under the radar for years, but thanks to a rash of new galleries, restaurants, boutiques and hotels, it is started to get seriously noticed. The Cais da Ribeira with its fine old stone-built houses characterised by their azulejos (tiles), is the most striking original place in Porto, where the architecture, cuisine, commerce and traditions of the region can be seen at their most typical. On the river, the boats transport the famous porto in 535 litre barrels.

The city of Porto has historical records that contain many secrets, legends and myths.

From the airport

Train: metro trains depart every 20 minutes for the centre. 

Bus: number 601 runs every 30 minutes to the centre of town.

Muuda is a concept store for art, food and design, including fashion and jewellery from local Portuguese designers, Katty Xiomara, La Paz and Andreia Quelhas Lima among them.

Rua des Flores, between the Sao Bento train station and river, offers a wide variety of wine sellers, clothing and accessory shops, as well as cafes and snack bars.

Foz is a chic area with an attractive beach promenade. Go for a pleasant stroll past the 19th-century buildings and impressive fort.

Andante tickets can be used on all means of public transport. It is best to buy either a day ticket or 10 trips at once. You can get them from most newsagents.

The museum at Serralves offers art exhibitions, cafes and beautiful gardens for long walks.

The first tramcar line in Porto was inaugurated on the 12th of September 1895. It was a small line that operated from Carmo to Arrabida, via Restauracao Street, which was rapidly extended to Foz and Matosinhos. Following this the city's tramcar system was to expand throughout the city and neighbouring counties becoming the most important means of transportation since the end of the nineteenth century until th early 1960s. The Porto Tram City Tour circuit, operated by fully restored vehicles of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s offers you the chance to revive part of recent history of the city through one of its main protagonists, the tramcar.

To see/do

Clerigos Tower

Miragaia neighbourhood

Aliados Aavenue

Bolhao Market

Majestic Cafe

Sao Bento train station

Dom Luis I bridge

cathedral

Ribeira neighbourhood

Sao Francisco church

Palacio da Bolsa

Porto Wine Cellars

Sao Lazaro gardens

Batalha Square

Santa Clara church

Se neighbourhood

Coordoaria gardens

Virtudes balcony

Sereias Palace

Jewish Hill

Vitoria neighbourhood

Boavista neighbourhood

Day trip

The town of Trofa, 25 kilometres from Porto, has its annual Lady of Sorrows procession on 17 August. The event dates back to 1766 and involves 10 huge andores, colourful wooden frameworks holding statues of saints.

Guimaraes. A world heritage city, Guimaraes offers an impressive castle (the birthplace of the first king of Portugal), an extensive palace, medieval town centre, Celtic archaeological site and much more. It is about an hour away from Porto.

Braga. Known as Portugal's Rome due to the number of 17th and 18th-century churches. The Old Town is small enough to explore in just a couple of hours, the Acro da Porta Nova (New City Gate) and City Hall are particularly striking. Hourly trains from Porto.

Porto is, and always has been, an industrial town. In the 16th century merchants obtained a royal decree forbidding nobility from building housses in the city, to protect the merchants' wives and daughters from noblemen when they were away.