Travel guide Porto
Porto : The best time to go
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Porto : Practical information for travel
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Edition 2025/2026
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Porto : What to see, what to do ?
Porto : Where to go?
The most beautiful tourist sites
Porto : Other nearby tourist attractions
5 km away
Porto : Petit Futé's best addresses
Discover the most beautiful addresses selected by the authors of Petit Futé.
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Porto : Featured articles
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Porto : How do I travel?
How to go alone
It has become really easy to plan a short trip to Portugal's second city for a very reasonable budget. The airport of Porto is well served and the accommodation is not exorbitant, as everywhere in Portugal: a small 3 star hotel or a pension in the center of Porto, remain at affordable prices even for the tight budgets...
How to go on a tour
It is not the most touristic destination, nevertheless the travel companies propose it. You can choose between a weekend, a week, or even a stopover in an organized tour from Lisbon, with flight + accommodation or more complete packages including a guide, a city tour and a sightseeing program. The formula is not very advantageous financially. The city is full of good hotels at good prices, activities are easily bookable and you can move around quite easily to visit the best tourist and historical places because they are concentrated in the center.
How to get around
Getting around this Portuguese city is easy thanks to public transport and walking is sometimes enough to get from one point to another. With 5 metro lines, the whole city is served, from east to west, as far as the port of Matosinhos, the airport, Povoa, and the artisanal and commercial areas of northern Porto. There are also numerous buses and 850 cabs. You can rent bicycles, Segways, motorcycles and scooters. Picturesque: the historic streetcar no. 1 takes you along the river, from the center to the beach.
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Porto : Discover
There's so much to see and do in the Cidade Invicta (Unbeaten City). Between museums, historic buildings, wine cellars and the Douro, the options are endless. Each of Porto's neighborhoods is brimming with treasures to discover. We've divided the city into four zones: the "Upper City", which includes the city center and most of the surrounding districts; Ribeira and Miragaia; Foz do Douro; and Vila Nova de Gaia, which isn't a district in its own right, but is an essential stopping-off point in Porto. The best way to explore the city from the center is on foot. You'll combine sightseeing with wonderful views of the Douro. Cross the Dom Luis I bridge to the other side of the river, stroll along the Gaia quays and enjoy a glass of port wine. Finally, take the streetcar or bike to the Atlantic. Or walk if you still have some strength left.
Porto : The 12 keywords
#Azulejos
Portugal's famous tiles can be found on the facades of historic buildings, churches and the São Bento railway station, which is studded with them. Initially, azulejos were expensive and reserved solely for decorative panels, but with time and the industrial cutting of the pieces, it became possible to decorate the facades of houses.
#Bacalhau
It means cod in Portuguese. It is cooked according to 1,000 recipes so you never get tired of it. It is also the traditional Christmas dish that replaces our dear turkey. We will always be amazed at the craze that this fish has aroused for several centuries. However, you should know that it is not caught in territorial waters.
#Wine cellars
On the left bank of the Douro, in Vila Nova de Gaia, the cellars where Port wine ages are part of the town's landscape, albeit underground. They're sure to draw attention to themselves with their large signs. The atmosphere, the wine aromas emanating from the barrels and the tastings make a visit to these cellars a must in Porto.
#Coq
By dint of seeing it in all the shops, one would tend to think that the term "Portugal" comes from Portus Gallus ("the port of the rooster", in Latin for "kitchen"). Not at all. On the other hand, the rooster does have a legend, that of Barcelos, which speaks of a pilgrim who was wrongly accused and who proved his innocence by a miracle involving... a rooster.
#Fado
Porto is one of the cities where the fado, a melancholic music mixing voices and Portuguese guitars, developed. It is said to derive from the songs of the troubadours of the Middle Ages, or to have been born from the songs of sailors at the time of the Great Discoveries, imbued with their adventures and their sentimental lives. The themes dealt with are often related to everyday life.
#Football #
You can't escape it, it's almost a religion here and it fuels a lot of debate and even arguments within families. If you understand Portuguese, you'll often hear conversations about the performances of FC Porto's players, especially on the day after a match, or small tackles against domestic rivals Benfica.
#World Heritage
Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1996, Porto boasts a rich architectural heritage. Around a hundred listed monuments can be seen in the historic center, including the upper town, the Ribeira and Miragaia districts, and the Agostinho da Serra do Pilar convent on the opposite bank of the Douro.
#Pavés
Most cities are located on high ground, with inextricable, tortuous and winding streets.... paved. The golden rule for all travellers is to walk in good shoes, not too slippery and comfortable. Heels are to be avoided, at the risk of getting stuck in the disjointed cobblestones which make the charm of the historical centres.
#Bridges
A total of six bridges link the Douro margins to Porto. They are emblematic of the city and are part of its history. The best known is undoubtedly the Luis I bridge, often wrongly attributed to Gustave Eiffel. The bridge was in fact designed by his associate Teófilo Seyrig. Eiffel himself signed the Maria Pia railway bridge, inaugurated in 1877.
#Rabelos
These small, colorful traditional boats were once used to transport barrels of wine from the vineyards of the Douro Valley to the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. Today, they are mainly used for tourist cruises lasting around an hour. The best-known is the "Six Bridges Cruise".
#Saudade
An almost untranslatable word in French (or in any other language for that matter), but oh how much it is felt by the Portuguese! Saudade is the absence, the regret of what could have been or what has been (without the idea of remorse), the resignation in front of what can never come... It is also the breath of fado, the soul of the whole country.
#Tripeiros
This is the nickname given to the inhabitants of Porto, "tripe eaters". It comes from the time of the Great Discoveries, particularly the Vasco da Gama expedition. The Portuguese proudly gave away all the meat they possessed to fill the crew's larder. The only food left was offal.
You are from here, if...
You let people onto the bus in order of arrival at the stop. This means that when you arrive at the station, you identify the people who are already there.
You say good morning, good afternoon and good evening, not just "ola". Even in everyday language, the Portuguese use this way of greeting. There's always a moment's hesitation between hello and good afternoon, but you can usually say "boa tarde" by midday.
You cultivate patience. It's not uncommon in a restaurant to be kept waiting for the menu or the bill. Rest assured, you haven't become transparent! It's normal, so don't get nervous.
You stop questioning everything. Being Portuguese also means accepting things as they are and not looking for logic where there is none.
You change your plans at the last minute, adopting the "going with the flow" approach. It's hard to plan anything, but it does give you a certain freedom...
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