As part of our 9 day vacation in Portugal, we visited the much-talked-about city of Porto. As mentioned at the top of our post on what we did in Lisbon, this post is simply what we did in Porto with an 8 year old child (and a guy who likes to try beers he hasn’t had before). Considering an 8 year old in tow, anything a kid would find super boring is out – as well, any long line ups (as this writer doesn’t do that). The itinerary isn’t kid-focused but is kid-friendly.
Day one in Porto: Train arrival and Ribeira
Arriving in Porto by train from Lisbon
We arrived in Porto via train from Lisbon at around 3 p.m. The train ride was quite enjoyable. Taking around 3 and a half hours, we took the Intercidades train from Santa Apolonia in Lisbon to Campanha station in Porto. From there, a quick transfer to the regional train (Urbano) and then one stop to get to São Bento station. Arriving at São Bento puts you right in the heart of Porto – on the edge of the Ribeira neighbourhood.
When booking train tickets on the Comboios de Portugal website, the ticket for the regional train is included if you put São Bento as your destination. Changing at Campanha station between trains is super quick. Essentially, come down one staircase from your arrival platform and then up the next staircase for the platform where your next train will arrive. We had no issues at all.
There is a slightly faster train option between Lisbon and Porto, but the Intercidades train had a better schedule for us. We opted for first class, with the real benefit being that there are only 3 seats across the train (2+1) instead of 4 (2+2). When booking your train tickets, you can select your seats – with some including power outlets.
B28 Apartments
Our prebooked accommodation for Porto was B28 Apartments – a less-than-10-minute walk from São Bento train station. The building has various styles of apartments, in a beautifully renovated building that is in a super walkable area of Porto. This place was a really fantastic – our favourite of all the places we stayed at when in Portugal. The apartment was great – and they even added a small bed for our daughter. Each morning, your breakfast groceries arrive at your door: Eggs, bread, juice, yogurt, cheese, and the likes. The owner is a true gem. We saw her in the hall one day and she asked if we wanted anything different in our breakfast bag – and also arranged for an early drop off of groceries on the morning we had to leave early. The apartment featured large doors that opened out to the street Juliette balcony style, allowing for a nice place to hang out when taking a break from sightseeing.
Oh, and if you came to Porto unprepared – or want to know what locals recommend, you’ll be sent a link to a Google map of all the places that the owners recommended in Porto.
We dropped our belongings and then headed out for a walk around the neighbourhood. “Little-one” wasn’t feeling super great (we think from something she ate in Lisbon), so plans were a bit less intense for the first day or so in Porto. In that, we searched for quick take-out option to take back to the apartment.
Empanadas Malvón
We stumbled upon Empanadas Malvón on Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira where they serve up various styles of empanadas. It ended up being perfect – so perfect that we went back another day during our time in Porto to get more. If you need a bite on-the-go, this writer highly recommends Empanadas Malvón.
Casa Triunfo
To help with our night in, a few doors down from B28 Apartments is Casa Triunfo, a little wine and craft beer shop. I can only comment on the beer: They bring in a lot of different Portuguese and Spanish craft beers, allowing for a nice sampling. If you’re nearby, and are looking to try local micro beers, Casa Triunfo is a must-visit. Yes, I visited this establishment multiple times while in Porto!
Ribeira
“Little-one” and Mama hunkered down in the apartment to get some rest, so this writer wandered Ribeira for a couple of hours that night. More details on that later, but essentially wandering around the Ribeira, from the waterfront and through the winding and hilly streets just north of that is highly recommended! Get off the main streets and take a walk down those narrow winding paths. It’s such a great neighbourhood to aimlessly explore! And, yes, make your way across the bridge. Again, more on that later.
Estação ferroviária de São Bento
Without baggage this time, this writer revisited Estação ferroviária de São Bento, aka São Bento train station. If nearby, the tiled walls are worth a gaze.
Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados
While I did not venture inside, right near Estação ferroviária de São Bento sits Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados which includes some of blue and white Portuguese tiling.
Day two in Porto: Boavista
“Little-one” stayed close to home again today (still not feeling great) so today this writer went solo – and thus decided to hit an area of Porto that was a bit more out of the way. Namely, Boavista.
Wandering north, including stopping briefly at Jardins do Palácio de Cristal (more on that later: Hint: yes, you should go there), I made my way up to Boavista, through Jardins da Rotunda da Boavista and up to Casa da Música.
Is either worth the walk up there? Not in the opinion of this writer. But there is one place that does make Boavista a worthy visit.
Cemitério de Agramonte
Cemitério de Agramonte is, indeed, worth a visit. It’s at least a 40 minute walk from Ribeira, so the subway may be a better option if you have a child in tow.
Massarelos
From there, this writer got a bit lost looking for Jardim Botânico do Porto (oops) so wandered south via the Massarelos neighbourhood, to the waterfront and back to Ribeira.
Day three in Porto: Miragaia, Ribeira and Vila Nova de Gaia
This day for us could be described as churches by day and waterfront by night.
Miradouro da Vitória
A super short walk uphill from our apartment hotel on the edges of Ribeira sits Miradouro da Vitória, offering views of Porto.
Igreja Nossa Senhora da Vitória
Right beside Miradouro da Vitória, sits Igreja Nossa Senhora da Vitória. This church is free to enter – and worth visiting quickly if you’re nearby.
Centro Português de Fotografia
On you walk towards other things of interest in Porto, you’ll no doubt notice this old prison building that now houses a photography museum, Centro Português de Fotografia. This writer did not go in, but apparently it’s free of charge.
Steps from here continues our Porto church tour.
Torre dos Clérigos
A short walk further sits Torre dos Clérigos. While this writer did not partake, you are able to purchase tickets to climb the tower.
Igreja dos Clérigos
Igreja dos Clérigos is the church that is attached to the tower of the same name. It’s worth popping your head in to take it in for a few minutes.
A five-ish minute walk from here leads you to small square featuring Fonte dos Leões and, across the street, the twinned churches of Igreja do Carmo and Igreja das Carmelitas.
Igreja do Carmo
Igreja do Carmo is one of two churches right beside each other (well, almost – there’s a super narrow house in between — with all three buildings being all connected). If facing from the front, Igreja das Carmelitas is on the left with Igreja do Carmo being on the right (and at the street corner).
Igreja do Carmo is likely most famous for the beautiful azulejo tiled walls on the side of the building. When I was there, there was a €5 entry fee that included exploring much more than just the sanctuary. Overall, the entire experience was quite underwhelming. I would skip the inside (but not the outside), considering the entry fee and ensure you head ‘next door’ to Igreja das Carmelitas.
Igreja das Carmelitas
As mentioned, Igreja das Carmelitas sits to the left of Igreja do Carmo. This church is definitely the more impressive of the two on the inside. This writer highly recommends checking out Igreja das Carmelitas during your visit to Porto.
From there, a 20-ish minute walk eastward, past the train station, this writer arrived at yet another church.
Igreja de Santo Ildefonso
Overlooking Praca da Batalha, sits Igreja de Santo Ildefonso. This church was closed when we walked by, but I’d argue it’s worth viewing from the outside alone.
Capela das Almas
Less than a 10 minute walk from Igreja de Santo Ildefonso sits Capela das Almas. Again, I wouldn’t miss this one based on the outside alone – the beautiful Portuguese tiles dominating the exterior walls.
Restaurante Bragança
After a decent walk, our little threesome was super hungry. A popular sandwich shop we wanted to go to (A Sandeira do Porto) was full but not too far from there is Restaurante Bragança (aka Flor de Bragança), a crowded little restaurant where – I’m going to argue – you eat among the locals (despite the picture menus with multiple translations). When we arrived, nearly every table was taken – it was definitely a popular spot. We tried various seafood dishes. The family enjoyed their meals. I personally wasn’t a huge fan. It was “fine.” but I’m not a huge seafood fan anyway. I wouldn’t make this a destination restaurant, but – no question – many people do love this place according to online reviews, and it was packed when we were there.
We headed back to our accommodation for a bit a of a break, but by early evening it was time to head out once again.
Ponte de Dom Luís I and Jardim do Morro
A bit before sunset we walked across the top of the Ponte de Dom Luís I, the multi-level bridge that has cars along the bottom and transit across the top.
Once arriving at the other side, we joined in on the tradition of sitting on the grass at Jardim do Morro and enjoying the views of Porto – as well as people watching. There’s a bar/restaurant right beside the park that sells takeaway draught beer. You also have the option of purchasing cans of beer from the various “entrepreneurs” who walk through the crowds hoping for a sale (oh, and others who will sell you things well beyond beer). On a nice weather day, I highly recommend doing this.
From there, we walked down to the waterfront, a place that is one of the places to go to enjoy Port wine
While we didn’t partake in Port wine tasting, we did stop at a market.
Mercado Beira-Rio
Mercado Beira-Rio is part way down the waterfront, featuring various food stalls under one roof. We had a quick bite only: Empanadas — and beer (Super Bock!). Is it a “must visit?” Definitely not, but if you’re in the area and need a break for a bit it suits the bill for that.
Vila Nova de Gaia waterfront
We wandered back along the waterfront, taking the lower part of the Ponte de Dom Luís I to get back to Porto.
Ribeira waterfront
Once back across the river, we wandered the Porto-side waterfront, which is lined with restaurant patios. Jumping into some of the narrow offshoot ‘streets’ is a great way to discover hidden-away shops and restaurants.
Day four in Porto: Massarelos, Miragaia and Ribeira
Our last full day in Porto took us to a couple of really great parks. As mentioned above, I got a bit of a taste of Jardins do Palácio de Cristal the other day when out by myself. After seeing the peacocks wandering around there I knew I had to take our daughter. So, that’s where we headed on foot, encountering some street art along the way.
Rua da Restauração street art
Unknown to us, there’s a street art along Rua da Restauração, a street we walked while headed towards Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. Featuring some of the icons of rap, you can walk past portraits of Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, 50 Cent, Eminem, Kanye West and Ice Cube.
Roughly a 10 minute walk from the murals above, we arrived at our destination.
Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
Jardins do Palácio de Cristal is a true gem for anyone – and is especially well suited to kids. The fairly large park is made up of different style gardens on different levels, with many overlooking the Douro river. There’s also a more open grassy space of the park. Throughout, though, expect to come across peacocks walking around. Oh, and there’s clean washrooms available, too!
Jardins do Palácio de Cristal is a “must do.” Walking back towards the city center, we walked through another park – albeit one completely different.
Parque das Virtudes
Parque das Virtudes is one of the most interesting parks I’ve ever been to. While we didn’t walk through the entire thing, it’s a mix of levels featuring stone walls, stone staircases, patches of grass, and benches. It’s a fantastic park to wander through, but keep an eye on your child while they maneuver down the staircases.
Once you’ve explored the park, it’s worth a quick walk down a narrow street, Calçada das Virtudes and on to Rua São Pedro de Miragaia. You’ll then run into Igreja de São Pedro de Miragaia.
Igreja de São Pedro de Miragaia
We did not get a chance to look inside, as it was closed, my incredible online investigation skills tell me it’s worth a peak if nearby.
For you basketball fans, near the church, behold: Allen Iverson. Yet more street art.
With that, we headed back to our home base on foot, looking for a bite to eat.
Cafeteria da Bolsa
Located in central Porto, Cafeteria da Bolsa was one of our neighbourhood restaurants. It’s a small place but with very friendly service. As for the food, this writer wasn’t impressed. Far too salty. You also may be sitting beside the back end of an ATM. I kid you not. There are better places to eat during your time in Porto. Again, though, many online reviews seem to disagree with my assessment.
Musa das Virtudes
After a bit of downtime, the craft beer drinker in the crew wanted to check out Musa das Virtudes, a craft beer place from Lisbon-based brewery Musa. Hugging the Parque das Virtudes, there’s a large amount of outdoor seating (with views of the park and river) but we opted to sit inside as it was a bit chilly. For food, we shared a few things: Arancini, fries, and churros. For beer, a couple of IPAs, a couple of pale ales, and an oatmeal stout. In the realm of Portuguese breweries that this writer tried, Musa was one of the better ones for sure. It’s worth a visit.
Before our final day was over, there were two popular churches we had not yet visited.
Igreja de São Francisco
No photos are allowed in Igreja de São Francisco, but it is definitely worth the admission fee. We arrived late in the afternoon and there were no line-ups. This mention is not doing it any justice, but you’re surrounded by immense (not sure of the word!) and detail that it’s a bit difficult to describe. Put it on your list of things to see in Porto!
Catedral da Sé de Porto
This writer had walked by Catedral da Sé de Porto a few times already during wanders around Porto, but hadn’t yet seen the inside. An attempt to squeak in 30 minutes before closing did not work. That said, it’s worth visiting – even just to see the outside. Looking back, we should have prioritized this church in our itinerary.
That concluded our nearly 4 days in Porto. During the entire stay we did not once use transit or taxis — walking everywhere is very doable!
Day five in Porto: Train to Lisbon
The fabulous B28 Apartments folks were kind enough to drop off breakfast at our apartment earlier than normal so we could catch our morning train to Lisbon. We already spent time in Lisbon but were headed back for one more day so we could catch our flight back to Toronto (as there are better flight options from Lisbon than Porto).
A quick walk to the historic São Bento station, one stop on the regional rail (Urbano) to Campanha station and then we took the Intercidades train back to Lisbon. As when we arrived in Porto, the transfer at Campanha station was seamless.
Final word on Porto: We loved it, despite maybe not seeing it exactly how we wanted (due to our daughter being sick for part of it). Could we have stayed more than 4 days? Easily. There was more to see and do!
For us, was Porto “better” than Lisbon? Yes. That said, if you have time, visit Lisbon as well.
Thank you, Porto, for having us!