What to see in Porto: 12 tips from Milan Bez Mapy

Porto won me over. I give it 12 out of 10, and my mum and I had a great time there. Don’t miss the Livraria Lello bookshop, São Bento station with its azulejos, the Ribeira district and the Dom Luís I bridge. If you want some time by the sea, head for the Piscinas de Marés natural pools in Matosinhos.

Quick factsby Milan Bez Mapy

Airport to the centre

About half an hour by metro with no change; after midnight we took a Bolt for €15

Where I stayed

Miragaia House hotel, breakfast included; we walked to most of the sights, so be ready for hills and steps

Livraria Lello

We turned back at the long queue; buy your ticket online, and the ticket price is deducted if you buy a book from the shop’s own imprint

Coffee

We had the best coffee and pastéis de nata of the trip at C’alma in the Mercado do Bolhão

Not worth it

The cable car at Jardim do Morro, an overpriced 5-minute ride downhill; the views from the bridge are better

Ribeira

Book a table for sunset on the Muro dos Bacalhoeiros; without a booking it was always full

What to see in Porto? I’ll admit I’d wanted to visit this famous city in northern Portugal for ages. Everyone I know who has been to Porto told me it was definitely worth a visit and really beautiful.

That was all I needed to hear. I got on a plane, brought my mum along, fastened my seatbelt and a while later we landed at Porto airport. Here are Milan Bez Mapy’s tips on what to see in Porto.

Visiting Porto: tips from Milan Bez Mapy

Flights to Porto and getting from the airport to the city centre

I took a Bolt, because we landed shortly after midnight and wanted to go straight to the hotel and into bed. My mum and I were pleasantly surprised: the ride from the airport into the centre cost just €15, even at that time of night. I assume it’s cheaper during the day.

Where to stay in Porto: a hotel with breakfast

Anywhere in the centre makes a good base. I stayed at the Miragaia House hotel, with breakfast included. From there I could walk to most of the sights in this article. Porto is very easy to find your way around, but be ready for lots of steps and plenty of walking uphill and downhill. In fairness, I did once find an escalator.

I’d recommend downloading the Maps.me app, which is far more accurate than Google Maps in Porto’s narrow streets. With its colourful houses on the hillsides, Porto reminds me a lot of Valparaíso in Chile, which I visited not long ago. In general, whenever I’m in Portugal I get a bit of a South American vibe.

And because I love South America so much, I always feel good in Portugal. The country never fails to leave a good impression on me, and my last trip to Madeira was no exception.

Here are some tours of Porto and day trips from the city:

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Things to do in Porto: Milan Bez Mapy’s picks

I’ve listed the places in the order my mum and I visited them: logically, one after another, with no crazy detours. If you stay in the city centre, you can do most of them on foot. We took a taxi to the ones further out, and Uber and Bolt aren’t expensive here. If you want to get around by bus, buy an Andante card and top it up. A single ticket from the driver costs €2.50, and since January 2026 you can pay for it by card too.

1. Livraria Lello & Irmão bookshop
2. Mercado do Bolhão market
3. Capela das Almas chapel
4. São Bento railway station
5. Porto Cathedral and the view from the tower
6. Ribeira and Muro dos Bacalhoeiros street
7. Ponte Dom Luís I bridge
8. Jardim do Morro and the cable car
9. Casa da Música
10. Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
11. Douro Estuary nature reserve
12. Piscinas de Marés in Matosinhos

Livraria Lello & Irmão bookshop

This bookshop and library became hugely popular thanks to Instagram, and it shows. When my mum and I saw how long the queue outside was, we turned on our heels and moved on. In my book, nobody on holiday should have to queue for more than 10 minutes. If you’re planning a visit, buy your ticket online. If you then buy a book from the shop’s own imprint, Edições Livraria Lello, the ticket price is deducted from it.

It’s also known as the Harry Potter library. Nobody knows for sure how that started. What we do know is that in mid-2020 the author of the books denied that this place had inspired her. She also said she had never set foot in the bookshop.

Mercado do Bolhão market and the Capela das Almas chapel

My mum and I found the Mercado do Bolhão completely by chance, because it’s right next to the chapel we wanted to see. I’ve included it in this article because we had probably the best coffee of our lives there. Walk all the way round the market and look for the C’alma café in the photo below.

They make a perfect espresso and the classic pastéis de nata, which you can never have too many of in Portugal. One thing I have to mention, though: we were there at about half past ten in the morning, and a suspicious number of people were already tasting wine. But who am I to judge people on holiday? Treat yourself to a morning port tasting too.

The chapel I mentioned is nearby, and it’s pretty. We only went because it was on every list of things to see in Porto. Just as well, or we’d never have found this market and its great coffee.

São Bento railway station and the Camino Portugués de la costa

São Bento station is a work of art. At least, that’s how it felt as I walked through its hall. Take a walk through it yourself: all those beautiful frescoes and paintings on the walls deserve a proper look. The 276 km Camino Portugués de la costa, which ends in Santiago de Compostela, passes through Porto. You can walk a stretch of it on your own, right through the city centre.

Porto Cathedral, the view from the tower and azulejo murals

The cathedral is one of the best-known sights in the city, and it stands right in the historic heart of Porto. The low admission price was a nice surprise, so my mum and I popped inside and climbed the tower above the cathedral too. The moment I walk into the cathedral, I feel as if I’m in a Harry Potter film.

I’m not religious, but I like visiting basilicas, cathedrals and churches all over the world, because I studied landscape architecture at the Technical University. I’m fascinated by the precision of the building work and the attention to detail. The tower is only a few more steps up, fewer than five hundred of them, so do climb it too. I think it has one of the most beautiful views of Porto, its bridges and rooftops.

Tip from Milan Look out for the blue tiles on the walls of the church, and in many other parts of the city too. They’re a typical form of painting on tiles known as azulejo murals.

Ribeira and Muro dos Bacalhoeiros street

You’re bound to end up in the Ribeira district. I have a feeling that just as all roads lead to Rome, in Porto all roads lead to Ribeira. It’s probably the most Instagrammable place in Porto, right on the bank of the Douro, the river that flows through the city centre. You get live musicians, restaurant terraces and views of the Dom Luís I bridge.

If I had to pick the part of Ribeira I liked most, it would be Muro dos Bacalhoeiros street. It isn’t really a street at all, but a wall by the water lined with nice little cafés and restaurants. My mum and I wanted to sit down here too, but it was always full. I’d book a table at one of them for sunset. It’ll be worth it.

Ponte Dom Luís I bridge

The architect who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris had a student who went on to design this bridge. I like it when architects leave their ‘signature’ on their work, as Gaudí did: you look at a building and can tell straight away that it’s his. This bridge is the same. My mum and I walked across its lower deck during the day and came back in the evening to watch the sunset from the upper deck. Porto has six bridges in all, and this one is considered the most beautiful.

Interestingly, the town across the river isn’t Porto but Gaia. Paradoxically, that’s where you get the best views of Porto. What surprised me was seeing some young guys jumping into the river from the bridge. I’d have thought that was banned. They only jumped from the lower deck, though: from the upper one they’d probably only jump once. From here it’s an easy walk on to the next stop in this article.

Jardim do Morro and the cable car ride

I first heard about this garden in an Instagram story by my friend Andrea Zahurancová, who said it has the most beautiful sunset view. I agree, but I’m glad I wasn’t here at sunset: I get the feeling the whole city heads up here every evening.

Either way, I’d recommend a short walk through the Jardim do Morro gardens. From there you can also pop up to the Esplanada do Teleférico bar, with its view over central Porto. It sits above the cable car station, so you can’t miss it.

We had a mocktail here and then went on to the cable car. Looking back, that cable car is a pretty overpriced gimmick. It literally just takes you down the hill in about five minutes. I wouldn’t take it again, not even for the views: they’re better from the hill and from the bridge. But if you have the time, make up your own mind.

Casa da Música and the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

We walked all the way round the Casa da Música, because it’s a piece of modern architecture that has won several awards. It often hosts acoustic and classical concerts, and there’s a café downstairs. If you like this kind of architecture, do drop by, at least on your way to the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal gardens.

I like visiting parks and gardens in every city, and these left me with particularly fond memories. Of course, there are superb views of Porto from here too. My mum and I wandered around, happy to see what a green city Porto is. Don’t be startled by the chickens roaming freely around the place.

The gardens are divided into several parts: don’t miss the Jardim dos Sentimentos and the Miradouro da Torre viewpoint. Once again, the views are superb. In the middle of the gardens stands a real monster of a building, the Rosa Mota pavilion, built for concerts.

Douro Estuary nature reserve, beaches, natural swimming pools and a nudist beach

The Douro Estuary is a beautiful nature reserve and a protected area for birds. My mum and I followed the wooden boardwalk to the birdwatching hide. Then we wove our way along the Atlantic shore and through the dunes to the lighthouse at the tip of this sandy spit. It’s called Faro do Molhe Sul da Barra do Douro.

Tip from Milan If you want really lovely beaches in Portugal, I’d recommend a trip to Faro and the Algarve region.

The beach here is wide and clean, with lovely sand. Alternatively, you can walk to the pier and the Farolim de Felgueiras lighthouse from the other side of the bay. There are beaches there too. I can imagine it gets pretty busy on a hot summer weekend, even though the Atlantic is always cold. A little closer to the pier I also saw some nudists, so I assume part of the beach is nudist.

Piscinas de Marés natural pools in Matosinhos

If you actually want to swim, I’d give the Piscinas de Marés natural pools in Matosinhos a try instead. It’s the only place we didn’t make it to, but at least that gives me a reason to come back. From what I’ve read, the Forte de Nossa Senhora das Neves, a short way from the pools, is also worth a look.

Where to eat in Porto and where to go for coffee

• Cerca Velha café is a charming little place in the narrow streets of the historic centre. You’ll only find it if you know where to look. My mum and I didn’t stop, but we happened to walk past and I really liked the atmosphere. Let me know whether their coffee is any good.
• Esplanada do Teleférico bar at Jardim do Morro sits above the cable car, with a view of Porto and its historic buildings. It has a nice terrace overlooking the historic centre. We had coffee and soft drinks here and took a break from the hot Portuguese sun. From what I saw, they serve food too.
• C’alma café in the market has the best coffee we drank during our whole stay in Porto. The best part is that we found this café, like the whole market, completely by chance as we walked past. Have a pastel de nata here too, the traditional Portuguese custard tart.
• Papa Vinhos restaurant is for anyone looking for a properly local place. It’s a bit further out, but only a 10-minute walk from the hotel where we stayed. I suspect the man who served us was the owner, with his daughter helping him. Order some seafood or cod (bacalhau), one of Portugal’s classic dishes.

Personally, I give Porto 12/10. I usually try to avoid places everyone talks about. But as I wrote above, Porto has had a good reputation among my friends for years, and I’m glad I got to visit it with my mum. Go and see it for yourself, then tell me in the comments how you liked it.

Milan