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Porto guide

What to see in Porto

Iron bridges, gold and azulejo churches, wine lodges and ocean sunsets: Porto's twenty unmissable sights.

Porto packs baroque monuments, 19th-century bridges, wine lodges, contemporary museums and the ocean into a few square kilometres. Here are the twenty sights not to miss, grouped by area. It is part of the Porto guide.

The Ribeira and the river

  1. The Ribeira: the medieval riverfront with colourful houses, restaurants and rabelo boats.
  2. The Dom Luís I Bridge: cross both decks, the upper one best at sunset.
  3. São Francisco Church: a Gothic interior entirely covered in baroque gilded carving, with catacombs.
  4. Palácio da Bolsa: the 19th-century stock exchange, with the Alhambra-inspired Arab Room, by guided tour only.
  5. Six bridges cruise: fifty minutes by boat beneath Porto's bridges.

The centre

  1. Clérigos Tower: Nicolau Nasoni's baroque bell tower, 240 steps and the widest view of the city.
  2. Livraria Lello: the neo-Gothic bookshop with its famous red staircase.
  3. São Bento Station: the hall with twenty thousand azulejos telling Portugal's history.
  4. Sé do Porto: the fortress-cathedral on Pena Ventosa hill, with its azulejo cloister and views.
  5. Avenida dos Aliados: the grand avenue with the city hall and elegant buildings.
  6. Capela das Almas and Carmo Church: the most photographed azulejo façades.
  7. Bolhão Market and Rua de Santa Catarina: the restored market and the shopping street with Café Majestic.

Gaia

  1. The port wine lodges: tour and tasting in the caves of Vila Nova de Gaia.
  2. Jardim do Morro and Serra do Pilar: the south-bank viewpoints, best at sunset.
  3. Gaia cable car: over the riverfront, with views of the lodges and the Ribeira.

Towards the sea

  1. Palácio de Cristal: romantic gardens with peacocks and Douro viewpoints.
  2. Serralves Foundation: Álvaro Siza's contemporary art museum and the great Art Deco park.
  3. Casa da Música: Rem Koolhaas's concert hall, with guided tours and concerts.
  4. Foz do Douro: where the river meets the ocean, the lighthouse, beaches, tram 1.
  5. Matosinhos: surfers' beaches and the best grilled-fish restaurants.

More ideas: the Carmo and Carmelitas churches with the city's narrowest house, the Soares dos Reis Museum, the Casa do Infante, the Miradouro da Vitória, the Miguel Bombarda quarter, Estádio do Dragão and World of Discoveries.

Viewpoints

  • The Clérigos Tower.
  • The upper deck of the Dom Luís I Bridge.
  • Jardim do Morro and the Serra do Pilar Monastery, in Gaia.
  • The Miradouro da Vitória, in the old Jewish quarter.
  • The Sé terrace.
  • The Palácio de Cristal gardens.

Tickets and savings

  • The Porto Card includes transport, free or discounted entry to museums and monuments, and lodge discounts.
  • Book Livraria Lello: entry is ticketed and the ticket can be deducted from a book purchase.
  • Many churches charge a small entry fee.

Planning your visit

With one day you can see the centre, the Ribeira, the bridge and a lodge; with three days add Serralves, Foz, Matosinhos and a cruise; with four or five a trip to the Douro valley or to Guimarães and Braga. See itineraries, day trips from Porto and practical tips.