With its amazing wines, food and sights, lying along hills surrounding Douro River, Northern city of Porto (Oporto), is first on most tourist itineraries traveling to Portugal. Visit Old Town and Cathedral District, walk among many port lodges or just stroll along cafes and restaurant lying banks of Douro River. Whatever you decide to do, Porto (Oporto), Portugal is a great city to visit. And, you can easily do it in 2 perfect days.

History

Ever since Romans build a fort here, where their trading route crossed Douro river, Porto (Oporto) has prospered from commerce. Quick to expel Moors in 11th century and to profit from provisioning Crusades on route to the Holy Land, Porto (Oporto) took advantage of the wealth generated by Portugal Maritime discoveries in 15th and 16th centuries. Later, wine trade with Britain compensated for the loss of lucrative spice trade with colonies. Still thriving industrial center and Portugal’s second-largest city, Oporto known locally as Porto, welcomes visitors with charm.

General layout

Cathedral District

Porto’s Cathedral District crowns city’s upper level. In surrounding streets there are variety of bustling street markets and monuments to the city’s past, including Renaissance Church of Santa Clara and the turn of the century railway station, Sao Bento. Below towering cathedral is a medieval district of Barredo with balconied houses form a maze of ancient alleys.

Ribeira

This riverside quarter is a must see, with its twisting streets and shadowy corners lying along a bank of Douro river. Behind brightly tiled facades and hanging laundry, working population of Porto occupies this district, working, dining, chatting and creating lively atmosphere. Restoration of this picturesque quarter attracts many restaurants and nightclubs, as well as locals and tourist alike.

Cordoaria

It is a garden and hilltop district, with shopping and hotels. Central and Baixa This is a civic center of Porto with a Town Hall, wide streets banks and offices as well as thriving outdoor cafes. Boavista Furthest from the tourist attraction Boavista is lined with hotels, homes and shops. This is where locals do their shopping. This is where our hotel, Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa was located.

Vila Nova De Gaia

Across the Douro river, along its opposing bank, and technically not part of Porto, lies a district of Vila Nova de Gaia. Joined to Porto with a split 2 level bridge, it offers some of the most amazing views of Porto during day and night. Lined with the port lodges, where port wine is aging and blending, it is a must see for views, dining and wine tasting. Till 1987 port wine could only be made here.

Perfect 2 days in Porto (Oporto), Portugal: Day 1

For our perfect first day in Porto we decided to take it easy and concentrate on enjoying food, wine and amazing sights, leaving main tourist attractions for day two. We arrived at our hotel from Lisbon in the early afternoon, after picturesque drive from Lisbon with stops at Batalha, Fatima and Aveiro. Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa is located in quiet garden district of Cordoaria, therefore we took a taxi to western edge of Ribeira quarters. Taxis in Porto are inexpensive and distances are short. Uber is widely available and public transportation is good as well.

Ribeira

Ribeira district​ is a picturesque working class neighborhood along northern bank of Douro river. It affords great views of the port lodges across the river in Vila Nova De Gaia as well as two tier splendid bridge Ponte de Dom Luis I , build in 1886 by an assistant to Gustave Eiffel. We picked one of the many riverfront restaurants lining Cais da Ribeira and ordered Douro red wine and local specialty: Francesinha sandwich (little Frenchie). Enjoying views and 1000’s of calories we spend blissful time relaxing and talking.

Dinner and Francesinha sandwich

Francesinha​ isn’t going to win any awards for having a sophisticated appearance. It looks a bit like a square brick covered in melted cheese that’s floating in a sea of tomato sauce. This is no sandwich that you can pick up with your hands…unless you’ve got some sort of fetish that involves being covered in cheesy, tomato sauce. It’s the only sandwich I’ve ever eaten that was served in a soup bowl. Messy looking though it is, the francesinha holds a Pandora’s Box of surprises. The first being that the tomato sauce doesn’t taste of tomatoes and it’s got some kick. Apart from tomatoes, hot spices and beer figure in the sauce ingredients. Then there’s the contents of the ‘brick’.

Two inch-thick slices made up the floor and ceiling of the francesinha – if this is a variation of a toasty, it is one made for titans, not mere men. Then there’s what’s between the bread slabs; sure there was ham, but the francesinha ham was cured and like thick back bacon. Sure there was cheese, but the river of melted cheese engulfing the contents of the francesinha bore no relation to the flimsy cheese slices in many toasties. After that the francesinha totally parts company with any resemblance at all to the croque monsieur that is supposedly its inspiration. Also layered between the bread was a generous and savory Portuguese sausage called a ​linguiça.

​  As though the sausage, ham, cheese and spicy sauce weren’t enough, there was a juicy piece of steak acting as a base for the cheese covered tower. There might even have been a fillet of pork in there as well. And just to finish it off, the cheese also hid a domed ceiling consisting of a poached egg with a runny yolk (more scope for making a right old mess). There was not, however, a kitchen sink. The francesinha was a culinary revelation. This sausage, steak sandwich, bacon and egg roll, cheese toasty and spicy tomato soup mutant was by far the best sandwich that I have tasted in a long, long time… maybe because it was like having four favorites rolled into one… and then some.

 

Walk along banks of Douro River

After meal was over it was time to burn some of the calories we just ingested. Fortunately, Porto provide plenty of great walking, so we decided to cross through lower level of bridge ​Ponte de Dom Luis I​, and walk along port lodges of ​Vila Nova De Gaia​. What a view!!! I must have
annoyed all the people walking behind me on the bridge by stopping every few seconds to take a picture.

Watch out for the wind from the Atlantic, it can be brutal, so unless you are visiting in Summer, wear layers. Walking on the southern bank of Douro river, you can see not only port lodges, where you can taste port wine, but also historic boats that used to ferry this delicious liquid desert. Stop by for a tour, tasting or just a picture. We walked all the way to the farthest edge of Vila Nova De Gaia, where you can take a gondola lift to an upper level of Ponta de Dom Luis bridge.

By now sun was setting over Porto, so from here we crossed the upper level of the bridge taking in views of both sides of the city at sunset. We took taxi back to our hotel from in front of the cathedral and stopped by hotel Club Lounge for a complimentary night cup. More port!!!

Perfect Day 2 in Porto, Portugal:

Historic sights

After having a delicious breakfast in our hotel, we hit the town at around 9 am to take in historic sights of the Cathedral district. We started our tour at church of ​Sao Francisco​. This church was begun in 1300’s but it is 18th century Baroque interior that amazes visitors. Over 200kg (450 lb) of gold encrusts the high altar, columns and pillars, wrought into cherubs and garlands, culminating with Tree of Jesse on the north wall. Brazilian gold and exotic wood embellish many of Porto’s churches. Don’t forget to visit catacombs and treasures.

Se, Porto’s main Cathedral

Next stop was ​Se​, ​Porto’s main Cathedral​ with a Tarraire de Se in front of the main entrance. Build as a fortress church in 12th and 13th centuries, cathedral was modified several times. Beautiful rose window in the west front is a 13th century original. Gothic 14th century cloister on the southside features some beautiful tile work. From Tarraire de Se enjoy view of the city and maze of medieval streets below. If you have time, go down for a walk and get lost in this maze. It is safe during a day and fun trying to find your way out.

Sao Bento Train Station​

Sao Bento Train Station​ was a next step on our itinerary. Porto’s central train station was completed in 1916. It features some of the most beautiful tile paintings (azulejos) by Jorge Colaco depicting early modes of transport, rural festivities and historic scenes.

Santa Clara​

Last on our itinerary we visited church of ​Santa Clara. ​This Mannerist church presents strong contrast between its simple exterior and opulent interior of gilded woodwork. By now it was 5pm, time for early dinner. Since locals eat dinner much later, we headed across the bridge to many restaurants lining southern bank of ​Vila Nova De Gaia ​and catering to tourists all day long.

Dinner and port tasting

We chose seafood place with great view and enjoyed local seafood and fish. For a desert we decided to hit few of my favorite port places and do tasting at Sandelman and Taylor. We listen to the history of wine trade between Portugal and England that led to the development of Port wines (in case you ever wondered why most Port wines have English names).

Another sunset by Douro river with wine glass in hand brought a second perfect day in Porto, full of Good food, wine and amazing sightseeing to an end. Hope our trip will help you create your perfect 2 days (or more) in Porto, Portugal.

If you ever need a transfer or tour organized locally, I highly recommend Porto Tours & Transfers. We hired Igor Araújo for our private transfer to Salamanca, Spain, and he was amazing.