Travel to Porto with me!

6/1/2017

Portugal is a special country to discover, I was lucky enough to visit the most beautiful sights. The topic of my blog this summer will be Portugal: lovely cities, breathtaking beaches, lifestyle and gastronomy. In June I'm taking you to Porto.

As soon as you arrive to a place, you feel the vibes of the city. Porto is a charming place, people are kind and helpful, the architecture is something you don't see anywhere else: baroque buildings, azulejo-covered churches, little romantic squares make you fall in love with the place. I adore cities with river, and here there is the ocean too, giving you the chance to discover the hidden, wild beaches.

Short history

Did you know that Portugal got its name from Porto? The Latin name for Porto was originally Portus Cale. In the Medieval times, the region north of the Douro was named the “Condado Portucalense” (County of Portucale), which then eventually led to the country of Portugal. Today it's the second largest city after Lisbon. The golden age of the city is linked to the great geographical discoveries, from the 15th to the 17th century. That was the time when Portugal became a great sea trade force in Europe and Porto had one of the largest shipyards of the country. In the 18th century the Douro wine region got established, wine trade started at that time.

Where to stay?

If you book accommodation in the center, you will not really need a car, you can walk around easily. Choose comfortable shoes because it's a hilly little city. I was staying at Mercure Centro, I must say that I was absolutely satisfied with it. Quit, clean and center located with excellent breakfast and nice view. I rented a car only to spend some time at the ocean and check out the beaches, otherwise everything was walking distance.

The room

View from the room

Breakfast at the hotel

How to get to the river from the hotel? There are several ways: You can simply walk, or take the little tram, which stops at the funicular, which is another way to reach the riverside at Ribeira. The historical tram is the nostalgic way to discover the city, it brings you back to the old times, however it might be little hot and crowded during summer. Single ticket costs 3 EUR.

Take the funicular and enjoy the view.

Now you arrived to Ribeira district, it's listed as Unesco's World Heritage and it's the most popular district in the city for dining. Have a drink and enjoy the unique atmosphere!

River cruising

River cruise is a must try in Porto, boats are boarding from the Ribeira side. I chose the 6 bridges cruise, which lasted about an hour and it was a nice, relaxing cruise on the Douro, anytime you need a break, go and try it. I didn't book in advance, there are trips in every half an hour.

Dom Luis Bridge is the symbol of Porto. It joins the two part of the city and its not only an impressive structure, but also a great view point, from the top you can observe the town. At its construction, its 172 metres (564 ft) span was the longest in the world. The designer this time, Téophile Seyrig, had been Eiffel's partner on the previous project.

There are several ways to cross the river: one is the bridge, than there are water taxis available. Believe me, it's wort visiting the other side, opposite the Ribeira district, this is the place where the history of Port wine started. In Vila Nova de Gaia you will find the most famous wince cellars of the city. If you don't want to walk all along the street, take the cable car, it's fun and you can still walk on the way back to the bridge.

My wine cellar visit

While walking in Nova de Gaia, I really wanted to visit a wine cellar. Ramos Pinto looked like a charming, more intimate place, it turned out that the next visit in English is scheduled in 5 minutes, so I was very lucky to join the tour.

Ramos Pinto entrance

The lodge

Ramos Pinto founded his company at the age of 21. Casa Ramos Pinto rapidly became noted, at the time, for its innovative and enterprising strategy, they advertised their wine with provoking posters that were rare but very creative at the time. They exported wine first to Brazil. We visited the museum part, which was originally Pinto's office. In the middle there was a throne for the most important clients. The office is made from hardwood furniture, beautiful pieces. Finally we walked down to the wine cellar. I was amazed by the huge barrels. This is the place where wine is aged.

On the wall I noticed a sign, it turned out that these signs show the water level in the cellar during the floods of Douro in the past.

We got to learn about Port wine and the process of wine making. The guide was really helpful and professional. In the end you can try two types of wine, one white and one ruby Port. Highly recommended program!

Speaking of UNESCO and culture, there are three more things you should definitely see in the center: The Porto Cathedral, Clerigos Clock Tower and Sao Bento Railway Station.

The Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): This Roman Catholic church is one of the city's oldest monuments and one of the most important local Romanesque style building as well. The interior was also altered during the baroque era, and you can notice some gothic elements on the church.

Clérigos Clock Tower: The church and the Tower are part of a baroque-inspired building from the 18th century

Sao Bento Railway Station: The station is located in the historic center. It's pretty amazing outside and inside too. It contains approximately 20,000 Azulejo tiles, portraying historical scenes on huge wall murals.

If you are just like me and you want to experience the real life of the locals, Bolhao market is a place you cannot miss. Farmers sell fruits and vegetables, but you can even buy souvenirs and Port wine.

Beaches

There are more than 100 km of splendid beaches by the Atlantic Ocean. The cuisine focused on fish dishes mainly, I couldn't get enough of that. You can find good beaches in the capital of the north, specially in the south of the Douro river. My favorite was Matosinhos and the famous fish market, where you can eat grilled fish or seafood. Excellent choice for lunch or dinner accompanied by some local Vino Verde (Green Wine).