Yahoo News 10 reasons why you should visit Porto
For most of us Portugal conjures up the sunny beaches and golf courses of the Algarve but tourist figures show that the country’s most popular destination is actually its capital Lisbon. And even its second city claims more foreign visitors than the south.
Porto, as it is now universally known (although older Brits might still call it Oporto), is a great place for a weekend city break. Barely two hours’ flight time from London, it’s easy and cheap to reach by air, and compact enough to explore on foot – if you’re fit enough to navigate its hilly terrain.
Built on the hills rising from the Douro river that winds through the centre, its gaily painted houses are picture-postcard pretty – the historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre - its architecture blends medieval and modern to stunning effect, it’s bursting with culture and packed with places to eat and drink.
Here are ten more reasons to visit Porto:
1. Port
The clue is in the name. The sweet fortified after-dinner wine was popularised by the English during the early 18th century, when it was discovered that mixing Portuguese red wine with brandy would make it last the long sea journey back to Britain, which was suffering a shortage of French wine due to war with our neighbours across the Channel. Porto’s port lodges are clustered along the river’s southern bank, known as Vila Nova de Gaia, and visitors can tour most of them, and indulge in tastings. You may leave with your head spinning – it’s strong stuff - but you’ll know your tawny from your ruby and your white. And remember, if you bring a bottle home, to pass it to the left at the dinner table – otherwise you may be asked the cryptic question: “Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?”
2. Sardines
There are, as we all know, plenty of fish in the sea. Especially sardines. They’re on almost every menu and there are entire shops devoted to the tinned versions, with their own sub-genre of artwork. For the most authentic sardine experience, it’s well worth taking a tram along the river from the centre of Porto. Get out just after the towering Ponte do Arrábida and take the little ferry across the mighty Douro to the sleepy fishing village of Afurada. A world away from the big city just a mile upriver, its little harbour is full of fishing boats bobbing by the jetty, and the streets are full of alluringly smoky smells from its colourful restaurants, barbecuing sardines – and bream, sea bass and prawns – on hot coals in front of your smoke-filled eyes.
3. Gold
Porto is full of baroque churches, whose often austere exteriors conceal some of the most OTT decor you’ll find this side of a pool party held jointly by Donatella Versace and Sir Elton John. Gilt is the word – literally everything inside is dripping in gold. There’s the elaborately gilded woodwork of the Igreja de Santa Clara (once a Franciscan convent) for one. But that’s just an appetiser for a trip to the Igreja de São Francisco, whose dull stone facade conceals an explosion of gold leaf (100kg of it, supposedly) covering what looks like an acid-crazed artist’s idea of Heaven. Watch out for the Virgin Mary impaled by a dozen spears for something seriously grotesque. Speaking of which, you can also visit the catacombs where Porto’s rich and famous were laid to rest – and watch out for the trapdoor to a pile of monks’ bones.
4. Ribeira
The maze of medieval alleys that makes up the historic centre of Porto – Ribeira - leads down to the spectacular riverside promenade lined with pastel-painted merchants’ houses that make up the archetypal picture-postcard view of the city. You’ll need no filter to fill your Instagram account with colourful vistas of Ribeira, rising majestically from the river. And you’ll need no second invitation to sit and drink at an outside table in one of the many cafes, bars and restaurants with river views – or pop into a hole-in-the-wall ‘tasca’ for a more authentic experience (and cheaper prices).
5. Seaside
When the sightseeing gets too much, or you just fancy a break, it’s the simplest thing on earth to take a trip to the seaside. The nearest beaches are the rocky coves of Foz, a swish seaside suburb easily reached by tram from the river bank in central Porto: a 20-minute ride for little more than £1. You’ll feel immediately at home on the Praia dos Ingleses, but there’s a better beach a little further north at Matosinhos, where the gourmands of Porto go for the many excellent (and affordable) seafood restaurants. And the best news of all – it’s on the Metro system and only half an hour from the central station of Trindade.
6. Architecture
There’s plenty of medieval beauty in Porto but there’s also some significant modern architecture. Well worth seeking out is the Casa da Música, designed by Dutch modern master Rem Koolhaas for Porto’s elevation to European Capital of Culture in 2001 – and built by engineers from London’s own Arup Group. It’s an extraordinary asymmetrical edifice, like some odd spacecraft that’s just landed in a marble plaza whose sloping curves make it a natural hub for skateboarders. Inside there’s a surprisingly tiny concert hall inside, home to the Porto National Orchestra and famed for its extraordinary acoustics. There are guided tours, or you can go for a drink on the terrace of the restaurant, from which you can just about see the Atlantic.
7. Parks
When you’ve had enough of pounding pavements and it’s time to chill, there’s nowhere better to go than Parque de Serralves, about four miles west of the centre. The jewel in the crown of this tranquil sculpture park, set around a lake, is not the white minimalist contemporary art museum (though that’s worth a visit) but the stunning pink art-deco villa, Casa de Serralves. It’s open to the public free of charge (once you’ve paid for entry to the park) and sometimes has art exhibitions in its otherwise unfurnished interior. The pink marble bathroom will have you drooling with envy.
8. Bridges
Porto is sometimes called ‘the city of six bridges’, a distinction that makes it unique in Europe... unless you count Vila Nova de Gaia on the opposite bank, which is technically a different city. You’ll hear the term especially from the many boat operators who try to lure tourists on to cruises on their traditional rabelo boats. But the only one you really need to know about is the staggering double-decker Ponte Luis I metal arch bridge that crosses from the cathedral. Once the largest of its type in the world, it’s not so much its 172-metre span that takes your breath away but its staggering 45-metre height, best appreciated by taking a Metro train from central Porto (Trindade, Aliados or São Bento) across the Douro to Gaia. The train traverses the upper tier of the bridge, affording the best views of the city, and from the Jardim do Morro stop you can wind your way down the steep cobbled streets to the riverbank in Gaia – then walk (or drive) back to Porto across the lower tier.
9. Hiking
Everything’s a hike in Porto because the entire city is built on two massive hills rising up from the Douro river. You’ve probably been to hilly cities before but apart from Lisbon nothing really compares with Porto. After 48 hours your hamstrings will be burning from the constant strain of battling up 45-degree gradients and your calves will be on fire from the stress of slowing up on the downhill stretch. On the plus side, you’ll get your 10,000 steps a day done in no time; on the negative side, it might feel more like 20,000. Thankfully you can always get an Uber home if you’re heading uphill again and one of the best things about Porto is that Ubers are insanely cheap. So cheap that it’s almost embarrassing paying a bloke 2 euros to drive you home at 2am. Almost.
10. Metro
You’ve been on the Tube and maybe you’ve been on the Metro in Paris or the Subway in New York and you think you know your underground transit systems. Porto’s is a blast. For a start there’s hardly anyone on it most of the time. Secondly the stations are ENORMOUS. Thirdly they come in two varieties – modern and what you might call vintage – and both are stunningly beautiful. For a modern classic, try Faria Guimarães, so squeaky clean you’d be happy to eat your breakfast off the platform. Then compare and contrast with 19th century São Bento, with its classical blue-and-white azulejo tiles and friezes depicting ancient battles and historic modes of transport.
