It was quite a surprise to be in Porto, I’ll tell you that for free. I was supposed to have left the ship a few days earlier, so when our ship docked at the port of Leixões, I had done absolutely zero research on this wonderful place. I made my way as early as possible to the closest metro station to enjoy a grand day trip to Porto, completely clueless as to what I might find there.
When I say I’d done zero research- I didn’t even know how to buy a tram ticket. So I spent a good five minutes holding up the queue fumbling with all my change and trying to work out which ticket I needed. Not even knowing the direction the city is in is, let’s face it, a poor start. But you guys, I only went and bloody made it there didn’t I!? And what a beautiful city it is, too.
Located in Northern Portugal, Porto is Lisbon’s sleepier sister, filled with just as many nooks and crannies, but with a slightly less urban feel. Despite my prior lack of knowledge about this beautiful city, I’m proud to say that with limited time on my day trip to Porto, I still managed to learn some stories and get a taste of this wonderful place.
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How to get to Porto from the cruise terminal
If you’re on a day trip to Porto from a cruise ship, you’ll arrive at Port Leixões- which has a very glossy looking cruise terminal- in the city of Matosinhos. This beautiful beach city is only around 10km from the centre of Porto, and couldn’t be easy to reach on public transport.
Head to the Matosinhos Sul metro stop, which is on the Blue Line, and from there it’ll take you between twenty minutes to half an hour to get into the city. A single journey on the Metro costs €1.20, although you’ll need to pay €0.50 for the Andante card as well, which you then top up with as much as you think you’ll need. You can buy this at the machine next to any Metro stop; there are no ticket barriers, but remember to validate your card each time you use it.
On a day trip to Porto from Lisbon, you’ll need to plan your time wisely. It’s possible, but you’ll have way less time to explore. The train from Lisbon to Porto takes between three and three and a half hours; check times and buy tickets here.
TOP THINGS TO DO ON YOUR DAY TRIP TO PORTO
Wander the oldest streets of the city
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the best way to experience any place is by walking. (The only exceptions being I would say motorways and war zones). Porto’s two oldest districts are medieval hotchpotches of gloriousness: Ribeira, the more commonly visited, and Sé, near the cathedral. The narrow alleys run up and down the steep hillsides like the threads of a spiders web, crisscrossing over each other, some of them winding round and round for what feels like forever, others coming all of a sudden to a dead end and forcing you to do a swift u-turn.
The streets here are far too narrow for cars, which means that not so far from the bustling bigger roads of the city centre, I got the feeling that I’d suddenly been transported back in time, navigating the cobblestones while in the distance all I could hear was a dog barking, a caged bird singing or some boys playing. Or- in the name of authenticity and truthfulness- two women having a full on blazing row in the back room of a house. I never caught a glimpse of them but they were properly raging that’s for sure.
Appreciate the Azulejos
Oooh good word that- Azulejos! These are the tiles that cover many of the buildings in Porto (and in fact, across Portugal; they’re pretty famous). They were brought here by the Moors hundreds of years ago; the word Azulejo derives from the Arabic word ‘az-zulayj’ which means polished stone.
The most mind-blowing example of these that I saw was the outside of the Igreja de Santo Ildefonso- an 18th century church on top of a hill which is just STUNNING. There are around 11,000 tiles covering the exterior, and when you think about it it’s probably far more practical to have a building covered in tiles that you can just give a quick wipe-down, as opposed to something that’ll need a gigantic re-painting job every once in a while.
Nice work, Moors.
I didn’t make it to São Bento station, but it has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. If you arrive on a day trip to Porto by train, you’re likely to arrive here. The tiles covering the inside of the station tell the history of Porto in beautifully painted images, painted by the same chap who did these lovely tiles on the church. Good one, fine sir! Very good job indeed!
Sample some real live port wine
In my ignorance I hadn’t realised that port wine (naturally) comes from Porto, but a lad at the Sé Cathedral kindly informed me that obviously that is what the city is famous for. Duh. And what better place to try port wine, than in Porto itself?
From outside the cathedral you can get an awesome view of the Douro River and the Rabero boats breezing lazily along it…these are very cool looking flat-bottomed wooden boats which don’t exist anywhere else in the world, as they were designed solely to transport barrels of port wine from the Duoro vineyards upriver to the cellars along the riverbanks in the city. Nowadays the boats are also used for giving tourists a cheeky cruise through the city, but there are also many a world-renowned wine cellar in the vicinity, lots of whom will let you sample that sweet sweet port for free.
Check out this list of wine cellars to visit on a day trip to Porto.
Visit the Sé Cathedral
The 12th century Sé Cathedral is one of Porto’s oldest buildings and is pretty darn magnificent as cathedrals go. It’s also completely free to visit. It sits in front of a square filled with buskers and tourists galore, overlooking the rest of Porto, right down to the river and beyond. So, even for just the view and people-watching opportunities it’s worth a trip.
Eat some chocolate
I managed to stumble across some of the nicest chocolate I have ever tasted at the Chocolataria das Flores, a cosy little chocolate shop and very tiny cafe in the city centre. Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that good-quality chocolate can be found across the world in many a place if you look hard enough. But I feel like as Portugal brought the humble cocoa bean back from South America when they were first sending explorers out in the 1600s, they really know what they’re doing with this stuff.
Chocolataria Ecuador is another highly respected chocolatier with two shops in Porto. I walked past one of them and it looked da bomb. (Although at that point I had no more room due to my Flores escapade, shame.)
Visit the Most Beautiful Bookshop in The World
It’s official. Porto really is home to the most beautiful bookshop in the world. Fellow bookworms, add this place to your day trip to Porto list on the double.
I noticed the sizeable queue forming outside the front door of the Livraria Lello, and decided due to the intriguing design that it was probably a place worth visiting. Founded in the late 1800s, this beautiful building looks like something out of a storybook itself- and in fact, J.K. Rowling is said to have got inspiration for the interior of the Hogwarts library from this place (she taught English in Porto back in the day so used to pop in here for a browse herself).
I definitely thought a broom stick whizzed past my face at one point, but it turned out to actually be a selfie stick. That is the one downside to visiting the Livraria Lello. Probably due largely to it’s Harry Potter connection, the bookshop now charges entry (€5), and the amount of people that were there merely for the selfie opportunities and not the books was mildly awkward.
Pay for your entry online, or at the office around the corner from the entrance.
More posts from Portugal:
Exploring an Abandoned Hotel in Portugal
LOGISTICAL STATISTICALS:
- This possibly goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway. Portuguese is not the same language as Spanish. Chances are if you speak some Spanish you’ll still not really get the gist of what the Porto folks are saying.
- The streets can be cobbled and steep so bear this in mind when choosing your footwear, folks. I saw some casualties on my strolls from women in slightly-too-high heels.
- I did my day trip to Porto in August when it was warm and sunny- but it also rained. It happens. Be prepared.