Where?: Rua São Filipe Nery.
Things to do in Porto
Porto's best sights
Lisbon might be the country’s capital, but Portugal’s second city, Porto, is certainly not second best. Dramatically situated at the mouth of the Rio Douro, it’s a hugely atmospheric place with fine architecture, a Harry Potter bookshop and more port wine cellars than you can shake a bottle at. You’ll never run dry for things to do in Porto.
- Climb the Torre dos Clérigos
- Tour the port wine cellars
- Visit the Sé
- Marvel at the Igreja de São Francisco
- Discover the Palácio da Bolsa
- Explore the Jadim do Palácio de Cristal
- Feast the eyes at Estação de São Bento
- Peek inside the Harry Potter bookshop
- Make for Serralves art museum
- Take to the water
1. Climb the Torre dos Clérigos
Top tip: You can rent binoculars at the ticket desk.
2. Tour the port wine cellars
Where?: Vila Nova de Gaia.
Top tip: Tours of the smaller, lesser-known companies tend to be more personal.
3. Visit the Sé
Where?: Terreiro da Sé.
Top tip: On the bell tower, look for the very worn bas-relief depicting a fourteenth-century ship - a reminder of Porto’s maritime past.
4. Marvel at the Igreja de São Francisco
The city’s only truly Gothic church, the fourteenth-century Igreja de São Francisco (now deconsecrated), is even more remarkable for what lies within. Not only did it get an opulent Rococo makeover in the eighteenth century - the gilded interior has to be seen to be believed - but it also retains its catacombs, containing thousands of scrubbed human bones. It’s an eerie sight for modern sensibilities.
Where?: Rua do Infante Dom Henrique.
Top tip: Don’t miss the gilded and painted altarpiece - the Tree of Jesse (1718–21) - depicting Christ’s genealogy.
5. Discover the Palácio da Bolsa
Where?: Rua Ferreira Borges, at Praça do Infante Dom Henrique.
Top tip: You don’t need to buy a ticket to see the dramatic iron, glass-and-tile Patio das Nações courtyard.
6. Explore the Jardim do Palácio de Cristal
The Jardim do Palácio de Cristal, whose centrepiece pavilion - a kind of concrete tea cosy - replaced a far more elegant 1860s iron-and-glass ‘Crystal Palace’, hosts various concerts and events. It’s the surrounding gardens that are the real draw, though, with an avenue of lime trees and river views from high vantage points.
Where?: Rua Dom Manual II.
Top tip: The municipal library is sited near the main entrance, while other buildings and galleries put on exhibitions, workshops, summer concerts and children’s activities.
7. Feast the eyes at Estação de São Bento
Where?: Praça de Almeida Garrett.
Top tip: Try to spot theazulejos with scenes of traditional life in northern Portugal, too.
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8. Peek inside the Harry Potter bookshop
Where?: Rua das Carmelitas, 144.
Top tip: Remember to book online before you visit or purchase a voucher at the corner shop up the road.
9. Make for Serralves art museum
Where?: Rua Dom João de Castro 210.
Top tip: July and August see a sequence of ‘Jazz no Parque’ concerts held in the gardens - easily one of the most atmospheric things to do in Porto.
10. Take to the water
Wondering what to do in Porto to get away from it all? Simply choose a sunny day, jump on one of the boats along the quayside and enjoy a delightful hour’s cruise admiring the remarkable engineering and elegance of the six city bridges.
If the beach is more your scene, take the vintage tram to the local sands at Foz do Douro.
Where?: Boat tour companies have kiosks on both sides of the river.
Top tip: Some companies offer tours with a voucher included for port tasting at Vila Nova de Gaia.
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