We went to Porto at the start of June 2014 and spent 10 days in the city (3 of those at the festival- see my last post on this). We arrived by plane and our accommodation arranged for a transfer to the appartment for us. This took about 30minutes and cost 6euros per person which is a bargain! The metro also goes straight from the airport to the city centre, but we had some heavy bags and 2 flights so were feeling a bit lazy!
We stayed in a studio appartment near the Ribeira area of the city, which is in the old town/ downtown. This beautiful area is protected meaning the historic buildings and streets are well looked after, making it beautiful to look at but also where most tourists stay. There is plenty of accomodation in this area and suitable for all budgets. From our appartment it was a 5 minute walk down to the river Douro where you can look across to the city of Gaia and its port cellars.
Weather was warm and sunny but there was also a breeze and a coolness in the shade which made it comfortable to leisurely walk around. I also got away with wearing jeans most days which made me very happy. The city is built on hills and to walk anywhere you'll be working those legs. It is very easy to get around the city on foot despite this though. But if you do want to go further out, like to the beach, the public transport system is pretty easy to use. We got a 3 day pass which works on metros and buses for 15euros. There are also quite a few tourist buses and guide tours but we decided to explore by ourselves.
Walking around the city and admiring the architecture and historic scenary was one of my favourite things to do, everything is so pictureesque in the sunlight. A lot of the buildings' exteriors were coated in brightly coloured and decorated tiles which reflect the light amazingly. Even if architecture is not your scene I would recommend a quick visit to the train station. The walls inside are tiled with large blue and white images of country life and battles. How I would love to commute to work from that station every day.
A couple of other architecturally leaning tourist spots are Majestic Cafe and Livraria Lello. Although quite pricey and filled with tourists I would recommend Majestic for the classy atmosphere and the french toast. When inside you feel like you have went back in time and went up a full social class. Livraria Lello is a book shop with a pretty famous staircase (internet says it is the one a certain staircase in Harry Potter was based on...) You're not allowed to take photos inside except on Monday and Tuesday mornings but I saw a couple of tourists taking some not so sneaky snaps.
Food wise it is all about the Franchesinas. The traditional sandwich is not like any other. Normally filled with sausage, steak and ham between 2 slice of white bread then covered in cheese in a pool of beer and tomato gravy this is not a lunchtime snack! Oh and it also comes with chips and you should really have some beer with it. It is mighty and I admit to not managing all of mine but it is very satisfying after a day of climbing hills.These can be found in a lot of restaurants in the Ribeira area and are very affordable.
Other popular dishes are steak and seafood. I was surprised to learn that chicken is not as popular and not on many menus. Duoro wine, Sangria and Port are also very popular. Some places to eat that we enjoyed were Presto Pizza (banana and apple on a pizza! and a really nice, casual feel- we went twice!), Mercado (a modern eatery with a twist on traditional dishes as well as nice deserts and sweets in jars at the end of your meal) and Casa Grande (a lunchtime coffee shop that makes their own chocolate and amazing hot chocolate). There are also a lot of bakeries and little cake shops dotted around the place which are really affordable and filled with an amazing selection.
To get to the beach you can get the 500 bus from across from the train station. This takes about 40 minutes and you get off just after Sea Life, next to the city park. The day we went it was too cold to go in the water and as it is the Atlantic I've heard it is pretty chilly but there were a lot of people out surfing with a surf school nearby if that is your thing.
We also had a day across the river in Gaia. We walked across the top of the bridge which actually freaked me out a little at the height. However, the views are amazing. I'd recommend it if you're braver than me! In Gaia we went to a few of the wine cellars and done a couple of tastings which was a great experience as we had never drank Port before. I thought it might be a bit awkward but the guides were very friendly and spoke fluent English. I'd recommend Taylors for a more grown up experience and Sandeman if you're looking for something a bit more fun. Although, the tastings we had only cost a couple of euros so if you have time you could try a few!
I never knew much about Porto before going and this was our first trip to Portugal but it didn't take us long to find our feet. I'd recommend it for a long weekend or even for a bit longer like we did. We done a lot of walking and relaxing and took our time wandering round the city. This is just a rough guide to the highlights and bits I can remember but if you'd like any more specific information please let me know and I'll try to help.
Oh, and if it helps we're a young couple in our early twenties but we saw all sorts of tourists from older couples, backpackers and families. I just wouldn't recommend wearing heels for walking around!
No comments:
Post a Comment