There’s always something special and charming about this little city of Porto - there is the beautiful Douro River that is always calming and glistening with life along with many fascinating landmarks that tell tales that run through centuries. Coming to Porto, you will be amazed by the beauty and richness of history and culture that lies ahead, waiting to be explored. Here are the most iconic places of Porto that you definitely wouldn’t want to miss!
Clérigos Tower-The Tallest campanile in Portugal
Built between 1963 and 1974, the Clérigos tower was designed in Baroque style by Italian Architect Nicolau Nasoni. With an astounding height of 249ft ( 75metres), it is the tallest bell tower, or Campanile, in the whole of Portugal. This tower is one of Porto’s most symbolic and important monuments, with a 360° view over the city and the Douro River. To get that amazing view, you will need to climb its 200 steps, but all that effort ( and plus its free entrance!) will be worth it once you make it up to the top of the tower.
Address: Rua de São Filipe Nery, Porto, 4050-546.
Opening Hours: Daily from 9am-7pm
Igreja do Carmo
Another iconic landmark not far from the bell tower is the majestic Ireja do Carmo, a catholic church that is also inspired by Baroque style and designed by a disciple of Nicolau Nasoni. As such, you can see some architectural similarities of the Clérigos tower with this building. Built between 1756 and 1768, Ireja do Carmo is one of two churches that are joined together yet finely separated by a one-room wall, and is well known for its beautiful exterior wall that is completely covered with blue and white Azulejos tiles. These Azulejos tiles are traditional Portugeuse artworks that constitute a major part of architecture decoration and this church is a beautiful example of an ornamented work of art. Visitors can also visit the church on free admission and admire the interiors of the church as well
Address: Rua Carmo, Porto, 4050-164.
Opening hours: Monday 12pm-6pm, Tuesday - Sunday 10pm-6pm.
São Bento Train Station
Within a 7min’s walking distance from the church, lies the iconic São Bento train station, one of the world’s most beautiful train stations. This train station is one of the national valued landmarks that not only services people on their journey back and forth from the capital city of Lisbon, but also tells a tale of Portugal’s past. As you enter the train station, you will find yourself gasping at the 20,000 magnificent Azulejo ceramic tiles that decorate the entire interior of the train station. These ceramic tiles depict the rise and fall of old Portugal - the battles, the royal bloodline as well as the making of modern transportation. It is highly encouraged to sign up for a walking or guided tour to know more about the backstory of this intricate decoration.
Address: 122 Rua Santa Isabel, Porto, 4000-326
Opening hours: Open daily, from 7am-11am and from 2.30pm-6pm
Avenida Dos Aliados (Main Square/ City Hall)
The next stop you should definitely visit is Avenida Dos Aliados, the main square or the city hall of Porto. This is probably the busiest street in all of Porto, with the most traffic and people roaming in and out of the cafes. This square is the heart of the little city with an array of splendid buildings along the promenade. In the middle of the square stands a grand statue of King Pedro IV on his horse, holding the Constitution representing the deed he had fought to protect during the Liberal Wars. There is a lot of significance in this square so it is certainly worth taking a stroll around the square for a glance of history. There’s also a Mcdonald’s branch that is considered “ one of the most beautiful Mcdonald’s in the world”, you can check that out!
Address: Av. dos Aliados, Porto
Palácio de Cristal
Palácio de Cristal is a gorgeous botanical garden located at the heart of Porto, with a view looking towards the Douro River. Here, you can take a lovely stroll around the park and catch picturesque views from a few observation decks. If you are lucky, you might get the chance to spot some peacocks parading around the garden. No doubt, this is one of the most beautiful places in Porto to both indulge in nature as well as admire the river-scape.
Address: Rua Dom Manuel II, Porto 4050-345
Opening Hours: Daily, Free Admission
Serra do Pilar Monastery
Among the various viewpoints in Porto, Serra do Pilar is one of the best locations to catch a perfect glimpse of the river town during the sunset. Due to its strategic viewpoint as well as its towering defensive location, this Monastery today is still used by the Portuguese Army to look out for potential enemies coming down the river. To reach the Serra do Pilar monastery, cross the iron Dom Luis Bridge to the other side of the river and make your way up. There is a white circular church located there as well, where you can get some pretty amazing views from the terrace ( the church itself is closed for public visitors). If not, it is highly recommended to visit the Monastery tower for just 3 euros, and the exhibitions in the Monastery for 1 Euro.
Address: Largo de Avis, Santa Marinha, Porto 4430-32
Opening Hours: Closed on Mondays, Open from 9.30am-17.30 from Tuesday-Sunday
Jardim do Morro
On the other side of the Dom Luis Bridge lies Jardim do Morro, a perfect place to end your day with a beautiful sunset. It is a little green space just across the bridge for people to relax, admire the scenery of the riverbank as well as enjoy many evening streets busking performances. It is the perfect spot to catch a gorgeous sunset around this area as well, to sum up, a beautiful day at Porto.
And there you have it! I could go on and on so many fascinating places that you should visit in Porto but here are the main iconic spots that you don’t want to miss out while stopping by in this beautiful river city!
