Porto, portugal

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Overview

Porto is a charming port town at the mouth of the Douro River. Technically the north back of the river is ‘Porto’, while the south back is ‘Gaia’, and one of the proposed etymologies of the country is a portmanteau of these two areas: “Portogaia”. The city is smaller than you might expect, but is very dense, with narrow winding alleyways and streets. It’s built into the steep hills on both river banks, originally for defensive reasons. The two sides are joined by the iconic Ponte Luis I Bridge, which literally and figuratively elevates the pedestrian crossing experience to new heights! Fantastic for a stroll across and pictures.

  • Porto (north bank of the river) features most of the historic attractions

  • Gaia (south bank of the river) features most of the port houses

  • All our favorite food spots were also in Porto, including our top picks for best francesinha, a specialty sandwich dish invented and served in Porto - don’t attempt one solo…

Day-ISH Long itineraries

+ Port House Tour - Sample Fortified Wines

This is more of an afternoon/evening activity, rather than a full day. Lots of tour operators will take you hopping from port house to port house. They arrange for their medium-sized groups to be seated and served quickly. Sometimes this can expedite access to a roof deck or a private tasting room. The tours also seemed to overall be cheaper than DIY and would include 3-5 stops. Your call on whether you are up for shmoozing with fellow tourists or not.

Many of the port houses felt somewhat similar: old warehouse, long racks of barrels for aging, tables for tastings. All very fun! But I flagged a few that stood out for one reason or another:

  • Espaco Port Cruz: this one is located right on the riverfront, and has a roof deck with wide open views of the whole city, along with a very reasonably-priced full menu. Only tried a few apps but they were excellent. Later in the evening the roof deck turns into a bit of a scene.
  • Adriano Ramos Pinto: this one is similarly right on the riverfront, but along with the usual tasting, also contains a museum about the history of port wine. Lots of art and artefacts to browse through.
  • Taylor's Port: this one stands out for being the oldest, and featuring huge scale production. Being set further up the hill, the grounds also include courtyards and gardens, as compared to the smaller houses along the river. Felt closest to a lare whisky distillery in terms of size, vibe, and tasting capacity. (Bonus side quest: if you're at Taylor's, head across the street to the Yeatman Hotel, specifically Dick's Bar and Bistro. The whole place is ridiculously opulent, but you can grab a beer at Dick's and take in an unparalleled view of the whole city and river off their back patio).
  • Graham's Port Lodge: similarly situated up the hills a bit, it felt like the most modern of the bunch, with a large airy space for tastings. this one requires an advance reservation. It also has an attached restaurant called Vinum with elevated Portuguese cuisine, also requiring advance booking. I've only done the port tasting but the food comes well-reviewed and could make this one a good spot to start or end a tour.