Porto

The second largest city in Portugal, Porto, is well worth a trip to the North of the country. I skipped Porto on my first trip to Portugal, though had always wanted to return, so when my parents added it to their list of places that we would be visiting, I was thrilled. Getting to Porto is relatively easy from all over Europe; a few hour train or bus ride, or quick flight from within Portugal or other parts of Europe.

We spent the first couple days in Porto site-seeing in a way that I had never done before - via the ‘Hop On, Hop Off’ bus offered by Citysightseeing in most major cities across the world. This company allows you to hop on and off the bus as much as you would like, all at stops near the tourist attractions around the city for a set fee. They provide you with a set of headphones to plug into their system, and provide you with information about areas you see whilst driving or stop at, so its also a great way to learn more about the city. They typically offer different routes depending on what you’re looking for in the cities at different costs, and is definitely worth it to scope it out if you don’t want to spend your time walking or Ubering to different sites if you want to hit them all.

Things that Porto is known for? The obvious - Port wine. Similar to wine, Port is created using grapes and in order to call it ‘Port’ it needs to be exclusively distilled in the Duoro valley in Northern Portugal with grapes from this region. Aguardente is added to the wine to stop the fermentation process and in turn leaves behind a residual sugar in its place, as well as boosting its alcohol content. Port is typically a sweet, dessert-like red wine with higher % of alcohol, more similar to a liqueur like Brandy. The Port is then stored in barrels in a cellar before being bottled. Paying a visit to the Port wine houses along the Duoro River valley or within the Gaia area near Porto can provide ample opportunities to try out different flavours and brands of Port!

The not so obvious, but worth noting food that Porto is known for are the francesinhas. Meaning ‘frenchie’ in Portuguese, these bundles are not something to snack on. Sandwiched between 2 pieces of bread is cured ham, sausage, roast beef, followed by a fried egg and topped off with melted cheese and a beer-tomato sauce. To accompany the already filling dish, it’s traditionally served with french fries and a beer. Though we weren’t the biggest fan of the dish, many people are, and (provided you aren’t vegetarian) is worth a try while in the city of Porto where they were first created.

Other noteworthy things to do in Portugal include a river boat up the Duoro River, visiting the São Bento train station to admire the tile work, paying a visit to the Monastery in Gaia (even if it is just for the view over the Ribeira district and the Duoro River valley), climbing the Clergy tower for some impressive views over the city, and be sure to pay a visit to the Igreja de São Francisco Church and catacombs. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, for 3€ you can walk into the infamous Livraria Lello - a bookstore with a vibe resembling that of Flourish and Blotts, and with a staircase that resembles that of Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling frequented this store often while she lived in the city from 1991 - 1993. To make your Harry Potter tour in Porto complete, head to Cafe Majestic, a huge tourist cafe(/trap) where Rowling wrote her first draft of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.