You may have heard of Lisbon, Portugal but when it comes to the country’s second biggest city, Porto, it is lesser known to many. Away from the buzzling life of the city lights, Porto is more reserved, yet has its own charm that awaits discovery. Feeling curious about what Porto actually is? Here are the four key things to know about Porto that will convince you to stay in this amazing little city.
The Laid Back Aura of this River Town
If you are looking for a place to relax and take a breather from your hectic life, then Porto is the place for you. Watch the hours go by as you sip some Porto Wine at one of the river bars, all your worries disappearing in an instant as you enjoy the finest days of your life by the romantic river. If time allows, take a quick walk over to the other side of the river bridge to catch a glimpse of the spectacular Porto river line.
Admire the Beautiful Portuguese Azulejos
If you aren’t familiar with that term, you might be familiar with these iconic white and blue porcelain tiles. Azulejos originates from Arabic, meaning “small and polished stone” and as you can see, these beautiful tiles are cut into geometric shapes and designs and adopted into many of Porto and Portugal’s buildings and sculptures - notably on churches and walls of train stations. A must-go-to place to admire these tiles would be the São Bento Station, where the city’s history is narrated on the tiles that spread across the walls of the station.
You can also head over to Igreja do Carmo to admire and have a feel of the texture of the Azulejo tiles on the outer walls of the Church.
For the Porto Wine, the Tarts and the Francesinhas
Porto Wine, Portuguese Tarts and Francesinhas - this is the trinity of goodness to satisfy your food palate, and only in Porto will you find this perfect trio! Porto is famously known for its wine that is on the sweeter, lighter side of the scale so it’s great for people who want a quality wine. Of course, Portuguese egg tarts, also known as Pastel de Nata, are famous delicacies that you wouldn’t want to miss out on when you’ve come all the way to Portugal.
Crispy on the first bite with its inner custard melting in your mouth, these sweet treats are easily found in any bakery or pastry shop in Porto. One really good place to get these yummy tarts would be at Fabrica da Nata - they have one of the best tarts there! You might want to consider buying more than one though as you will definitely come running back for more.
Francesinhas is also an iconic originality from Porto - arguably the #1 Most popular Porto food. It is an adaptation of the French sandwich, Crouque-monsieur, with ham, sausages and steak sliced between two slices of warm toast. The twist to this unique sandwich is its final topping, a secret sauce of beer and tomato concoction. To find the best Francesinha, head over to Cafe Santiago for a treat!
A Hike Away from Portugal's National Parks
Among the other cities of Portugal, Porto is situated near many beautiful National and nature parks in Portugal, making this town a strategic location to stop by and venture into the natural for a day trip or two. One of the most magnificent parks to visit has to be Peneda-Geres National Park, which is just a 1 and a half hour drive up North from Porto. Being the only national park in Portugal, it proudly stands today as a treasure protected by the country as well as UNESCO. Prepare to be amazed by the wonders of nature as this park is filled with hidden waterfalls and secret hiking paths that lead to many stunning mountain and valley views.
As these parks might be quite difficult to navigate around for tourists, it is advisable to plan the hike beforehand by doing extensive research on the place or simply reach out to a local guide or trusted hiking experts for an arrangement of an exciting nature adventure!
Porto could be the “underdog” of Portugal with so much to offer, from having the best river views and savoring away delicious local food, to chasing waterfalls among the abundance of nature. With this introduction to this amazing little city, hopefully you might feel inspired in choosing Porto as one of your bucket list destinations to visit!
