Porto || A Coastal City of Majestic Architecture and Inspiring Cultural Sights
As the world slowly re-opens post-pandemic, the desire to discover new lands and experiences is at an all-time high. Our travel series seeks to inspire you with our first-hand experiences, spanning the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and beyond. Join us as we revisit the coastal city of Porto, Portugal.
The last time I was in Porto was five years ago with a good girlfriend of mine.
Before she got married and before I settled down into running a business. Years later, I am returning to Porto with my parents, brother and niece, and it is a different type of trip altogether.
The biggest changes I noted were the much higher concentration of tourists and brunch spots that are oddly similar to what one would expect in North America. From vegan cakes to avocado toast, eggs benedict, and fair trade organic coffee, popular restaurants have become much more westernized.
What hasn’t changed is the beautiful architecture and churches one could visit while in Porto. We were lucky to book an apartment directly across from the historical monument that is Igreja dos Clérigos. The baroque church designed by Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni with its 75-meter bell tower symbolizes Porto.
Each morning we would wake up to the performer playing on his keyboard outside the church. Visitors would be pouring in from the early hours of the day, and we enjoyed a stunning close-up view of the church from our wraparound balcony.
View from our balcony of Igreja dos Clérigos and the performer who’s there each morning.
Each morning we would treat ourselves to a scrumptious lunch at a traditional Portuguese restaurant before exploring the city. We ventured uphill to discover Igreja de Santo Ildefonso, a baroque-style church with a traditional azulejo (blue tiled) facade. We browsed the weekend pop-up marketplace featuring local products made of cork and tile on the plaza in front of the church as we waited for it to re-open at 3PM. While most churches don’t charge a fee to visit in forge parts of Portugal, most of the churches we visited in Porto require you to buy a ticket, so make sure you have spare change!
Igreja de Santo Ildefonso with its traditional azulejo walls.
After visiting various churches to admire the architecture, we slowly made our way down the steep city streets, first coming upon the shopping street where one could find fine jewellery and traditional tile art. After a lengthy debate, I settled on a delicate gold rose-patterned pinky ring. We continued further down towards the Ribeira and noticed unqiue artwork on the passage walls, like the detailed octopus drawing pictured below.
You could discover these interesting markers in different passageways leading down to the riverfront.
At the riverfront, we sit by the shore, dangling our feet above the water and seeing the fish fight over the bread crumbs people casually tossed at them as they chatted with their friends. The market was bustling with activity, with yet another market for visitors to find souvenirs to bring home. Restaurants, bars and cafes line the riverfront, and tables spill out onto terraces and patios. Above all of this excitable energy, freshly washed clothes hang from the windows of local residents. Tourists in life vests hop on and off a speedboat tour while the police park nearby to keep a protective eye.
People settling in at the riverfront to feed the fish and take in the view.
Clothing hung out to dry from homes along the riverfront.
Having spent a good hour feeding the fish with my niece, we slowly trudged our way back up to cross the Ponte Luis I bridge to the other side of the shore, where the former monastery — Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar — defines the skyline with its circular architectural design and numerous arches carved into the hillside. Pedestrians meander on and across the train tracks and scatter when the slow-moving train makes its way slowly and steadily across the bridge. This is undoubtedly the best spot to take in the idyllic scene of the river, which gently bends as it rounds the corner.
View of Luis I Bridge from the monastery viewpoint.
We climbed up the hill to the outdoor plaza at Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, which offers the perfect vantage point of the bridge. Only select areas of the monastery were open for visits, and so we found ourselves outside again after a quick tour, and headed down the hill in search of dinner before the sun set. The cultural district called the World of Wine (WOW) is located on this side of the shore, and boasts a cluster of museums, from The Chocolate Story Museum to the Rosé Museum and the Porto Fashion and Fabric Museum. While you could buy bundled tickets to enter the museums, we arrived pretty late in the day, and so we shopped the museum gift shops instead before heading to one of the 12 eateries on site for dinner. While the dining atmosphere is elegant and upscale, WOW is comparatively much quieter than the Ribeira, so if you enjoy a more lively environment then staying close to the city centre would be more suitable.
WOW in Porto is a cultural district with 12 eateries on site.
Would you like to dine inside this massive barrel at T&C?
The sommelier at T&C recommended a most interesting wine, one which he shared all of his guests have enjoyed and been intrigued by. Upon tasting it with our meal, we couldn’t agree more. The hearty and heavier dishes, from the Francesinha with layers of meat and cheese to the pork belly and steak, satisfied our cravings at the end of a long day spent trekking through the city.
The monastery lit up at night.
As we wrapped up our evening and walked back towards the train to take it back to the other side, we chanced upon an outdoor concert set up by the water while the concert-goers relaxed on a grassy hill. With the monastery lit up in the background and the breeze by the water, we enjoyed the brief musical interlude before walking back to the train stop.
As I rode the train back to our apartment along with a band of tired city explorers, I was grateful to have the opportunity to revisit Porto to experience the city in a different light.
Our train stopped outside the Sao Bento train station, which features gorgeous traditional blue-tiled walls.
Photography by Florence Leung
