Imagine a city that combines ancient history, rich culture, custard pastries, and incredible landscape views: that’s Porto. Portugal’s second-biggest city is a cornucopia of charming delights and walkable explorations. It is considered one of Europe’s best summer destinations and is a starting point for the Camino Portugues.
Named by the Romans (“Portus Cale”) in the 1st century BC, Porto’s old town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Buses and trains leave the airport regularly and bring you right into the heart of this old town. Pack good walking shoes because you’ll be doing a lot of hill walking, stair climbing, and bridge crossing. Here’s what to do in Porto when you only have a day to explore its delights.
1. Visit São Bento Train Station
São Bento Train Station is thought to be one of the world’s most beautiful train stations. It was completed in 1916 and built on the site of a 16th-century Benedictine demolished convent. It is a striking example of the beaux-arts style and is characterised by its symmetrical U-shape. Inside the station, you’ll find one of Porto’s treasures: 20,000 tiles depicting historic battles – such as Henry the Navigator‘s conquest of Ceuta, painted by Jorge Colaço between 1905 and 1908.
In 2024, it was elected as the seventh most beautiful train station in Europe by the magazine European Best Destinations.
Image source:Rostyslav Savchyn / unsplash
2. Marvel at the Sé de Porto (Porto’s Cathedral)
The Sé de Porto is the one of the most important religious buildings in Porto and sits imposingly, looking down on the city. Pilgrims beginning their Camino to Santiago de Compostela in Porto can collect their Pilgrim Passports (Credencial) from here. You might even enjoy attending a service. For a small fee, visitors can explore the cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century, and see its cloisters, blue (azulejo) tile galleries, paintings and chapel.
3. Explore the catacombs of Igreja de São Francisco
The Church of São Francisco is located in Porto’s Ribeira district. Begun in the 14th century, this impressive Franciscan Roman Catholic church houses baroque altarpieces made from Brazilian wood and gold leaves – relics of Portugal’s age of nautical exploration and South American colonialism. If catacombs are your thing, then the Igreja de São Francisco is just the ticket when you only have a day to explore Porto.
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4. Cross the Dom Luís I Bridge
The Dom Luís I Bridge is the place to come for that perfect Instagram photo that’ll vicariously wow your followers and fill them with unadulterated FOMO jealousy. It’s not quite the place for those who fear heights, but the views are exceptional. On a windy day, it’s best to hold down your hat or watch it fly into the waters below.
A stroll across the Dom Luís I Bridge is easily accomplished when you only have a day in Porto. This iconic example of Porto engineering is an aesthetic double-decker masterpiece that spans the Douro River and was completed in 1886.
5. Climb the Torre dos Clérigos
Igreja dos Clérigos (Church of the Clergymen) is a baroque church built in the 18th century and is famous for its 75-metre-high granite clock tower – a Porto must-see. No itinerary is complete without stomping up its 240 stairs to see the incredible panoramic views of the city below.
6. Browse the shelves of Livraria Lello
Here’s one for all you bookworms (me included). Livraria Lello is one of the world’s most beautiful bookshops and one of Portugal’s oldest, inaugurated in 1906. It is iconically characterised by its neogothic and art nouveau architecture, picturesque central wooden staircase, and large stained windows. Each year, thousands of people visit this bookstore, seeking inspiration and literary knowledge.
7. Taste the soft flavour of Porto’s wine
Porto’s wine is produced in the Douro Valley of Northern Portugal. Originally, the Douro Valley was one of the most rugged regions of the territory. However, the landscape has been sculpted by man over time, shaping it into terraces, which defy the gravity of the steep slopes where the vines are planted. For its authenticity, beauty and monumentality, the Douro wine region was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
If you’re holding a glass, visit a Porto wine cellar, and experience the different flavours.
When visiting Porto for a day, I followed a sign, struck lucky, and got a spot on a tour, though usually you need to book a cellar tour due to their popularity. There are several cellars to choose from, all offering tours in different languages. These tours explain the history and process of making port, some of the old equipment used in the past, and a social port tasting at the end.
Image source:Janine Magnin
8. Indulge with some ice cream by the river
This seems an obvious choice on a hot day. But if you’re looking for that cool treat on a hot day, make your way to the river and indulge in a gelato or ice cream cone while listening to buskers and watching the boats glide up and down. As simple as it seems, it’s honestly a highlight of the city for me.
9. Treat yourself to a Pastel de Nata
The Pastel de Nata (“cream pastry”) is a traditional Portuguese custard tart (best sprinkled with cinnamon). Its history dates back to the 18th century (Pastéis de nata tarts are pastries inspired by an original recipe called Pastéis de Belém, which were created before the 18th century by Catholic monks at the Jerónimo Monastery in the civil parish of Saint Mary of Bethlehem, in Lisbon), and it is the pastry that is most synonymous with Portugal.
Image source:Contiki
10. Sustain yourself with a Francesinha (a not-so-little sandwich)
If you’re looking for that quintessential Portuguese cuisine experience, you must try a francesinha. It’s a meat-filled and calorically-dense sandwich that’ll keep you fuelled all day while you cross bridges, descend stairs, climb hills, and ascend towers. The francesinha is comprised of three types of meat and cheese sauce.
On leaving the airport
Getting from the airport to the centre of Porto is easy. You can take the Metro train (35 minutes) to Trindade and it runs every 30 minutes (check timetable). Alternatively (and cheaper) take the bus 601 or 602 (going to Cordoaria) or bus 604 (going Hospital de São João). The journey takes around 50 minutes, but offers you a chance to see the narrow suburban streets of Porto. Taxis are also an option.
Explore Porto and Portugal
Organised tours eliminate all the research and planning, making exploring new cities easy. They also organise your accommodation and many of your meals and help you focus on the highlights of a city when time is of the essence. Contiki’s Best of Spain and Portugal trip is a 19-day romp that begins and ends in Madrid (Spain) and takes you through a number of cities, including Burgos, Pamplona, Barcelona, Grenade, Lisbon, and Porto. Highlights also include a day trip to the beautiful beaches of San Sebastián, exploring the medieval city of Toledo, and a visit to Lisbon’s ‘museum district’.
Another option is the 10-day Spain and Portugal Highlights tour, or the 9-day Portugal City and Surf tour, which includes a Porto food tour of bars and restaurants and a guided Portuguese wine tasting experience at the vineyards of Quinta do Sanguinhal.
