Portugal is a beautiful country that has a lot to offer. The capital Lisbon is a famous city for tourism, but it’s not the only beautiful city in the country. We want to put a different town in the spotlight: Porto. This blog will list five things you can do in Porto.

1. Read a book in the Livraria Lello

If you enjoy a good book, you will enjoy a well-built library too. Porto has one of the most beautiful libraries you’ll ever see, called the Livraria Lello. Although initially built as a library, the Livraria Lello currently functions as a book shop.

This book shop is trendy with tourists: during the afternoon, people will form a line to enter. It’s completely worth the wait, though, especially if you’re a book fan.

2. Mix in with the locals at a port house

Do you want to do something typical Portuguese? If that’s the case, you’ll have to visit a port house. This famous alcoholic beverage is mainly produced in Porto. If you want to blend in with the locals truly, a port house is a perfect opportunity.

Here, you’ll be introduced to part of Portuguese culture, as well as you’re likely to meet some locals. Port houses offer you a great time, that could bring you the knowledge you can come home with.

3. Climb a bridge

The river Douro flows through Porto. Because of this, there are quite some big bridges in this city. These are all beautifully built, but recently these bridges have brought a new exciting activity to the table: bridge climbing.

Do you want to enjoy the best overview Porto has to offer? Climbing a bridge provides you with just this. The climbing itself and its result will give you an unforgettable experience.

4. Enjoy the Cais da Ribeira – day and night

Possibly Porto’s most famous spot is the Cais da Ribeira. This is a cozy, picturesque riverside area with many fun bars and restaurants. This place will offer you a beautiful visit during the day, but it can be fun at night too as it can be a great neighborhood to go out in. The Cais da Ribeira is another spot you can blend in with the locals.

5. Come at rest in your villa

Porto is not only home to picturesque neighborhoods such as Cais da Ribeira, but it also has several areas that are filled with luxurious villas. Do you enjoy a luxurious stay while traveling? Then you’ll find great rest in your villa. Buy a bottle of Port and play some games in an online casino such as betfinal.com, and you’ll have a great night in your estate as well.

6. Climb the Torre dos Clerigos

This lovely place is found at the top of the narrow baroque church tower that provides the most excellent vantage point of central Porto. This is the best place to visit first when you visit this country as the sweeping view gives you a fantastic view of the city.

When you are at this place, you can also see the Praca De Lisbon, which is an excellent square with two levels. It has shops and cafes on the lower level and a public green roof with olive trees on top.

7. Learn about Porto’s history

The city museum named Museo de Cidade is located in the docks that were once Porto’s customs house. In this building, goods used to be shipped here for inspection, weighing and taxation. The Museum will help you understand more about Porto’s unique culture.

8. Visit the Igreja do Carmo (a conjoined church)

This church is exciting, not only because of its incredible tiled murals but also for its unique construction. When you look closely into them, you will notice two churches merged. Though before this happened, these churches had a rivalry because they said that two churches could not share a wall, so a tiny home was constructed in between the church.

9. Eat this gross thing

The francesinha is the typical Porto dish that consists of beef layers, ham, sausage, bacon, egg and dough drenched in tomatoes and beer sauce, and it is served with fries. This sounds like a light meal, but it is not that light; you can have it for lunch, and you will be satisfied.

10. Visit a port wine cellar

Porto is the origin of port wine, and it is located just on the opposite side of the river in Gaia. When you visit this place, you will see the various warehouses and wine places to taste different wines and choose your favorite wine.

When you come here you will find your guides who will give you a tour around the wine cellar so that you can be able to know more about the wine you will be drinking.

11. Admire the Casa De musica

The edgy Casa da Musica, designed by Rem Koolhaas, sits like a Jawa Sandcrawler and the Rotunda da Boavista. The best way to experience it is to attend a concert here, but it is worth looking just for the architecture.

12. George on seafood in Matosinhos

Do you want to try something genuinely regional? Then visit Matosinhos, a neighborhood near the fisherman’s port known for its abundance of seafood restaurants. Each marisqueira has its outdoor grill where the freshly caught fish is prepared, so you will notice smoke billowing up all along its main streets.

Many Tripeiros (Porto residents) will visit this area to eat seafood, such as bacalhau (codfish), sardines, or octopus. There are even some unusual things to try here — if you feel adventurous, try some goose barnacles!

Matosinhos is not in a touristy area of Porto, but it is easily accessible by metro to Brito Capelo or Mercado stations.

Conclusion

Porto is a great country to visit because it has multiple things to see and places to visit. You will never get bored when you are here because there are many places and various restaurants.