The Igreja do Carmo & Igreja dos Carmelitas are two churches in Porto divided by a narrow, 1m-wide house, built to separate monks and nuns.
Portugal: Porto – Historical Centre
Located along the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centers and its core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, as the "Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar".
CONTENTS
1. About Porto
2. Things to do
– Visit the Cathedral of Porto
– Visit the Igreja do Carmo
– Catch the views from Luís I bridge & Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar
– Visit the iconic Clérigos Church
– The bookshop that inspired the Hogwarts staircases
– ‘Free’ Walking Tour
– Port tasting
– Walk the streets of the Ribeira District
– Explore the waterfronts of Ribeira and Vila Nova de Gaia
– Douro River cruises
– Catch a fado performance
About Porto
Porto lies along the Douro River, 2 miles (3 km) from the river’s mouth on the Atlantic Ocean and 175 miles (280 km) north of Lisbon. World-famous for its port wine, Porto is Portugal’s second-largest city and is the commercial and industrial centre for the zone north of the Mondego River. The historic centre of Porto was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.
History
Porto was called Portus Cale in Roman times and was earlier a flourishing settlement on the Douro’s south bank; the nomadic Alani tribe later founded the city of Castrum Novum on the north bank. The Visigoths took possession of the site about 540 CE but yielded in 716 to the Moors. In 997 Christian forces recaptured Porto, which for a time became the capital of the counts of Portucalense (northern Portugal) during Moorish rule in the southern part of the kingdom. The Moors held the city briefly again, but in 1092 it was finally brought under Christian domination. In the 14th century, the city became an important port, and Prince Henry the Navigator was born there in 1394. During the Peninsular War, British forces under Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) crossed the Douro, routed the French, and captured the city on May 12, 1809.
The contemporary city
The present-day city lies chiefly on the Douro’s north (right) bank, sprawling outward from the older riverside district known as the Ribeira. The red-tiled warehouses of the town of Vila Nova de Gaia, where vast quantities of port wine are blended and stored, are on the south bank of the Douro; other suburbs include Matosinhos, Leça da Palmeira, and Aguas Santas to the north and Gondomar and Oliveira do Douro to the southeast.
Things to do
Cathedral of Porto
Dating to the twelfth century, Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto in Portuguese) is the most important religious edifice in the city and has been declared a National Monument.
See our full blog post on visiting the Cathedral of Porto
Igreja do Carmo
The Igreja do Carmo was built between 1756 and 1768 in the Rococo or late Baroque. Its sister church Igreja dos Carmelitas, is the earlier of the two churches and was built in the mid-17th century with the exterior completed in 1628. The church was part of a convent that no longer exists. The two churches are separated by a very narrow (1 metre wide) house that was inhabited until the 1980s.
See our full blog post on visiting Igreja do Carmo
Luís I bridge & Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar
The Luis I is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. It spans 172 metres (564 feet) and when it was completed in 1886 it was the longest bridge of its type in the world. Gustave Eiffel was originally commissioned to design a bridge across the Douro, but the single-span design was deemed insufficient to meet the expected growth needs of the city, so a competition was held to find a more compatible solution. On 21 November 1881, the public work was awarded to the Belgian Société de Willebroek, from Brussels. The design was done by Théophile Seyrig, a disciple of Gustave Eiffel. They had worked together on the D. Maria bridge, also in Porto, which bears similarities to the Luís I bridge – with its framed arch.
Our route took us across the higher span of the bridge, which has some amazing views across the city.
Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, another landmark of Porto (although it is in Guia), along with the Luís I bridge is part of Porto’s inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage register.
The convent built in the 16th century belonged to the Order of Saint Augustine. The church is characterised by a circular shape, a replica of the Church of Santa Maria Redonda in Rome and is covered by a hemispheric vault with a narrow balcony. It took 72 years to complete due to the lack of funding and the political turmoil of those times – with the kingdom of Portugal having fallen to neighbouring Spain. One legacy of that event was the adoption of a Spanish saint for the monastery, Our Lady of Pilar.
In 1832, during the Siege of Oporto, its military value was made use of with the convent swiftly turned into an improvised fort. At the beginning of the 20th century, the monastery was used for military barracks and remains under the tutelage of the Serra do Pilar Artillery Regiment.
Sadly it is indefinitely closed for maintenance work. Still, there were some great views from the balcony outside the monastery.
The Clérigos Church
The Clérigos Church (“Church of the Clergymen”) is a Baroque church, and its 75-metre-tall bell tower is one of the most prominent symbols of Porto. The church was built for the Brotherhood of the Clérigos (Clergy) by Nicolau Nasoni, an Italian architect and painter who left an extensive body of work in the north of Portugal during the 18th century.
Construction of the church began in 1732 and was finished in 1750, while the bell tower and the stairway in front of the church were not completed until 1763.
Livraria Lello & Irmão bookshop
Livraria Lello & Irmão, commonly known in English as the Lello Bookshop, rated one of the top bookshops in the world. It is not just the books that draw people here it is the Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs throughout the store. One of the main features of the store is the stairs and bridges linking parts of the store together. Rumour has it that these are what inspired J K Rowling’s staircases in Hogwarts. As well as the stairs there is an Art Deco stained-glass ceiling.
It is not the sort of store you just walk in, hence the long line outside. You need to buy a ticket voucher for 8€ to enter the store. The voucher can be used against the purchase price of a book. Clever really.
‘Free’ Walking Tour
One of the best ways to learn more about Porto is to join a walking tour. There are many available and you can find them in local tour guide shop fronts in the city, or online with TripAdvisor, GetYourGuide or Viator.
A site we like to use is GuruWalk where you can find free walking tours. Of course, nothing is free, so whilst there is no set price for the tour you are expected to tip the guide at the end of the tour.
Port tasting
As they say ‘When in Rome …’ so one thing you have to do when you are in Porto is to try the port wine. Luckily, there are no shortage of places to sample the city’s famous tipple!
Walking the streets of old Porto
In our opinion, one of the best ways to explore a city is often on foot. Porto is no exception to this rule. The Ribeira District is the old part of the city and covers most of the area listed within the scope of Porto’s UNESCO World Heritage site listing. The streets are narrow and covered in cobbles. Although you might not expect cars to use these streets be careful to look out at junctions and on corners. Another thing to be aware of is that these streets can be steep in places!
Exploring the banks of the Douro River
The Douro River waterfronts on both the Ribeira and the Vila Nova de Gaia sides are fun places to explore. They are full of lively bars and restaurants – a great place to people watch and view life on the river.
On the river banks on the Gaia side, you can visit the port wine caves. There are over fifty wine companies found in this area, with wine lodges offering organised tours and tasting sessions.
Douro River Tours
If you would like to see Porto from the water there are several companies offering trips along the river.
Alternatively, if you want to explore further afield there are multiple-day cruises available that travel along the Douro Valley – visiting its famous wine region.
Go to a Fado show
Fado is the most well known popular folkloric music of the Portuguese.
The musical genre of fado dates back to the end of the 18th century and was born in the most humble streets and port districts of Lisbon. This music portrays a message of the feeling of longing for what could have been. Once the radio was invented and became popular, Fado music spread throughout Portugal like wildfire.
There are several venues throughout Porto that host Fado performances if you would like to enjoy a unique cultural experience.
Getting to and around Porto
Arriving in Porto
Flying
Porto’s closest airport is Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. Located about 11 kilometres north of the city centre, and recently considered the best airport in Europe, it is served by about 20 airline companies which operate both business class and low-cost flights. These airline companies establish connections between Porto and several national and international destinations. Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport is accessible by both public means of transport (buses and metro) and private means (rented cars and taxis).
Car
Porto is surrounded by motorways, meaning the city enjoys excellent road connections with the entire country. Estradas de Portugal offers complete information on the motorway and national road networks of Portugal.
Train
Getting to Porto by train is a reliable alternative. Porto’s main railway station is Campanhã, located in the eastern part of the city. This railway station includes both national and international services. From here, both light rail and suburban rail services connect to the city centre. The main central station is São Bento Station, in Praça Almeida Garrett, which is itself a notable landmark located in the heart of Porto. This railway station includes suburban and regional services and also offers an international service to Vigo, Spain.
Bus
Rede Nacional de Expressos: Links Porto to nearly the entire country. For complete and updated information please visit Rede Expressos.
InterNorte: Might come in handy for tourists who want to travel between Porto and Lisbon, but also for travellers who want to go from Portugal to Paris, France. For complete and updated information please visit InterNorte website.
Eurolines: Offers the best deals when it comes to international connections between Porto and assorted destinations on the continent.
Getting around
Metro
Much of the subway tracks are at ground level. Despite making it slow, you get to enjoy the views. Connects the airport to the city.
Tramway
Porto is surrounded by motorways, meaning the city enjoys excellent road connections with the entire country. Estradas de Portugal offers complete information on the motorway and national road networks of Portugal.
Buses
A large network of coaches that could work better. Useful if you don’t have a subway station nearby.
Funicular Dos Guindais
Porto is surrounded by motorways, meaning the city enjoys excellent road connections with the entire country. Estradas de Portugal offers complete information on the motorway and national road networks of Portugal.
Gaia Cable Car
A ride over the Port wine cellars, with one of the best views of the city. The ride takes only five minutes.
Andante Card
This is the card used for fare payment in Porto’s subway and buses. You save by charging money on it instead of buying a single ticket on board. You can buy it at the airport or at any subway station.
Porto Card
The Porto tourist card has a version with unlimited access to the city’s public transportation. It is cheap and a good option if you plan to use the subway or buses throughout your visit.
The best time to visit Porto
Sitting along the Douro River in northwest Portugal, Porto enjoys a Mediterranean climate, more specifically defined as a warm summer Mediterranean climate under the Köppen climate classification, marked by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The climate shifts subtly throughout the year, with changes most noticeable in temperature and rainfall patterns.
The best time to visit Porto
Considering Porto’s overall climate and weather data, the best time to visit Porto would be from May to September. During these months, the city experiences ample sunshine hours, ranging from 7.2 hours in April to a peak of 9.9 hours in July. Sea temperatures also become inviting during these months, starting off from a warm 16.5°C (61.7°F) in May and reaching a luxurious 18.2°C (64.8°F) in September. This is coupled with a low level of rainfall, ranging from just 40mm (1.57″) in June to a still considerable 90mm (3.54″) in May.
The worst time to visit Porto
Although Porto doesn’t experience harsh weather extremes, travellers might want to avoid the city in the wintertime, primarily between November and February. Rainfall during these months is high, exceeding 150mm (5.91″) from November to December. Furthermore, sea temperatures moderately drop to between 14.3°C (57.7°F) to 15.6°C (60.1°F) and daylight hours fall to as few as 9 hours in December. During these months, sunshine hours also decrease to between 4 to 4.6 hours per day.
Where to stay in Porto
Ribeira District
The district of Ribeira, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, corresponds to the historic center of Porto.
Situated on the northern bank of the Douro River, it’s the city’s most picturesque and most visited district. It features narrow cobbled streets, beautiful houses with coloured facades, and historic buildings.
Aliados and Bolhao districts
Aliados and Bolhao districts, adjacent to Ribeira, are located to the north of the old town.
They are also part of downtown Porto.
These neighbourhoods are very lively, with an abundance of restaurants and shops.
Boavista District
Boavista is an upscale district of Porto.
Located to the Northwest of the old town, it is easily accessible by public transport.
Boavista is a posh neighborhood featuring both a chic and relaxed atmosphere.
The streets of this affluent area, much more modern than the other districts I’ve mentioned, are lined with numerous boutiques and trendy restaurants.
1. Luxury – GA Palace Hotel & Spa
This 5-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk and room service. The property is a 7-minute walk from Sao Bento Metro Station, and within 500 yards of the city center.
The rooms at the hotel come with air conditioning, a seating area, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a safety deposit box and a private bathroom with a bidet, bathrobes and slippers. Rooms come with a coffee machine, while some rooms include a balcony and others also feature pool views. At GA Palace Hotel & Spa, a XIXth-Century Villa each room has bed linen and towels.
2. Mid-Range – Jardim da Batalha Boutique Hotel
Located in Porto and with Sao Bento Metro Station reachable within a 7-minute walk, Jardim da Batalha Boutique Hotel by Shiadu provides concierge services, non-smoking rooms, a garden, free WiFithroughout the property and a shared lounge. This 3-star hotel offers room service and a tour desk. The property is 400 yards from the city centre and a 6-minute walk from Sao Bento Train Station.
The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms offering a desk, an electric teapot, a minibar, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a shower. At Jardim da Batalha Boutique Hotel by Shiadu every room includes bed linen and towels.
3. Budget – Porto Spot Hostel
Located in Porto’s city center, Porto Spot Hostel offers comfortable rooms with free WiFi. It is only a 2-minute walk from the Bolhão Metro Station.
Dinners are served every day (subject to minimum participants). Guests can benefit from the fully-equipped kitchen to cook their own meals.
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