Good food, people watching and ancient architecture are just some of the attributes on offer in the riverside town of Porto
The problem for Porto is that its inclined to suffer from second city syndrome - the tendency we tourists always have to choose Dublin rather than Cork, Paris rather than Bordeaux, or Amsterdam rather than The Hague. Okay, we want to soak up the capitals, but theres always so much more
To avoid confusion, the first thing youll need to know about Porto is the name: its Porto in Portuguese and Oporto in English. Well stick with the Portuguese to get you in the mood - even though the international code for Porto Airport is OPO.
The second thing youll need to know is that, yes, Porto is the very ancient home of port wine, otherwise known as … port. Dont worry if you dont know anything about it. You will. Its everywhere, with more varieties than there are French cheeses. At least it seems that way.
By the time you fly out of Porto s sweet little single-terminal airport just ten kilometres from the centre, youll be fully conversant with the subtle differences between white port, ruby port, vintage, late bottled vintage, single quinta vintage, and even … wait for it … crusted port. Imagine the fun youll have at dinner parties.
But lets not leave before we arrive. Instead lets start right in the heart of things on Avenida dos Aliados, the imposing boulevard that sweeps through the centre of the city, lined with grand buildings including the palatial city hall with its 70-metre-high bell-tower.
Everyone will tell you about the avenues two statues: at one end, right outside city hall in fact, theres the nineteenth century Portuguese writer and humanist, Almeida Garrett. At the other, taking pride of place in the centre of Praça de Liberdade or Liberty Square, is a dramatic statue of King Pedro IV astride his trusty steed.
So Avenida dos Aliados is the ideal place to get your bearings. Once you have those bearings, its the ideal place to sit and watch the Portuguese world go by, particularly from a well-appointed seat in Café Guarany, big, bright, buzzing, and known by everyone as the musicians coffee shop. Youll love it.
Youll see why when you get there, but all the way from the Avenida dos Aliados down through the old town to the waterfront of the Douro River has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the mid-Nineties - mainly because its the heart of a settlement that dates back to the fourth century, but also because of its remarkable churches dripping with gold.
First, head for the Church of São Francisco, arguably one of the most opulent churches in all of Europe. Its estimated that 400 kilogrammes of gold was used in its decoration, and whats not gold - its magnificent Gothic arches for instance - is made of marble.
The other must-sees are the citys fortress-like cathedral, Sé Do Porto, and the lovely little Church of Santa Clara which has some of the finest examples of seventeenth century woodwork and gilding hidden behind its plain fifteenth century exterior.
The old town is a bit of a warren of medieval streets and all too easy to get lost in, but what you need to know to navigate it successfully is that Avenida dos Aliados links onto Portos best-known pedestrianized shopping street, Rua de Santa Catarina, Portos own equivalent of Grafton Street.
Here you must stop for another coffee at another café, this time The Majestic, an architectural jewel with its hand-carved woodwork, beautiful mirrors and marble bistro tables. Try one of the mouth-watering local egg pastries, called papos de anjo or angels bellies - and calculate how long it will take you to walk it off.
Then, at the end of Santa Catarina lies Praça de Batalha or Batalha Square - and its in the streets behind the square that youll find the churches, navigating towards them by their spires through a mesh of beautiful little cobblestone side streets.
Batalha Square itself is one of Portos most important cultural landmarks. Its here that the citys opera house, Teatro Nacional São João, was built in 1794 and rebuilt in 1908 following the inevitable opera house fire. A stones throw away youll also find the Cinema Batalha, a fine example of Portuguese art deco architecture dating to 1947.
By now were on the banks of the River Douro and the colourful quays, Cais de Ribeira on the town side with its riverfront square, Praça de Ribeira, and Cais de Gaia on the opposite bank.
Its looking across from Cais de Gaia that youll see some of the most striking images of Porto, many of which youll also find when you go to buy your postcards.
For instance, youll get a fabulous angle on the iconic double-decker Dom Luis Bridge which opened in 1886 - when it held the record for the longest iron arch in the world. Today, Portos shiny new metro system uses the upper level of the bridge, while cars and pedestrians use the lower level to cross from Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia, where most of the citys port warehouses are located and, as a result, most of the worlds supply of port is stored and aged.
In fact, while most old cities have a thing about their churches, Porto has a thing about its bridges as well. Apart from the Dom Luis, there are four others - the most famous being the Dona Maria Pia Bridge, designed by no less a person than Gustave Eiffel, before he designed and built the Eiffel Tower. The people of Porto are inordinately fond of them all.
They like their port too, and youll probably cross the Dom Luis Bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, five minutes or so from Portos old town, to do your tasting. Here you will, quite simply, be spoiled for choice. All the names youre familiar with, such as Sandeman, Graham and Crofts, are here, with dozens of others as well.
Everyone offers tastings. You can do a tour of around 30 of the citys 50-ish port producers and compare one with the other (at least for the first two or three, depending on your constitution). Or you can do something a little more different and take a trip on one of the barcos rabelos - the boats that used to carry the barrels of port from the vineyards to the warehouses before the arrival of railways.
All this port will undoubtedly give you an appetite. You may decide to spoil yourself and make a special expedition out into the Douro Valley to Michelin-starred restaurant, Largo do Poco, where chef, Victor Matos, is making a name for himself.
Or stay in town and try Casa Aleixo, famous for its crispy salt cod cakes or fillets of hake and octopus fried in the lightest of batters, or theres the Bull Bear, or any of a dozen others … Portuguese food is really delicious and the restaurants here are generally good.
If youre the sort of person who gets a second wind, now may be the time to try Club Mau Mau on Rua do Outeiro. Or theres this new cultural intervention space on Rua Passos Manuel, where you can have a drink and take a look at the work of young up-and-coming and some more established local artists.
Then again, maybe not. Another glass of vintage port perhaps? Or maybe well try the crusted this time?
Porto where to...
Get There:Ryanair (Ryanair.com) has daily scheduled direct flights to Porto all year round.
Stay
Value: Hotel Século, 1256 Rua Santa Catarina, 00-351-22- 5099120, seculoresidencial.com. This modest little two-star hotel is on the best shopping street in the city. It has free underground parking, free wi-fi in the public areas, air conditioning, and the double-room price of just €55 a night includes a buffet breakfast.
Mid-market:Hotel Teatro,
84 Rua Sa Da Bandeira, 00-351-22-0409620, hotelteatro.pt. This four-star, centrally located just a few streets from Avenida dos Aliados, is chic and comfortable, with plenty of cutting-edge design in the public areas and bedrooms. There’s free wi-fi, a free gym, an atmospheric central terrace, and the double- room rate starting at €108 a night includes a buffet breakfast.
Upmarket: The Sheraton Porto Hotel and Spa, 146 Rua Tenente Valadim, 00-351-22-0404000, sheratonporto.com. This opulent five-star has 266 rooms and suites, gardens, views over the River Douro, and a health spa. Prices range from €124 a night for a de-luxe room which sleeps three to €2,500 a night for the presidential suite.
Eat
Value: Restaurante Abadia do Porto, 22 Rua do Ateneu do Porto, 00-351-22-2008757, abadiodoporto.com. This traditional Portuguese restaurant has been in business since 1939. It's cosy, unpretentious and good value. Here you can sample local specialities, such as tripas à Abadia (yes, tripe) and cabrito assado (roast goat).
Mid-market:Casa Aleixo, Rua Estação 216, 00-351-22- 5370462, restaurante casaaleixo.pai.pt. At the centre of this great little restaurant is a small, open-plan kitchen that prepares such wonders as octopus rice (in which the rice is cooked with diced octopus meat so that it takes on a lovely pink hue) and crispy salt cod cakes.
Upmarket:Bull Bear, 301 Rua de António Cardoso, 00-351-22-6107669, bbgourmet.net. Miguel Silva, chef-proprietor here, has in the past been voted best chef in Portugal. His cookbook, Una Cozinha de Aromas, is a bestseller, and when you taste his terrina de foie gras com porto you'll understand exactly why. It's a wonderful balance of refinement and flavour.
Shop spot
Rua Santa Catarina. This is the Grafton Street of Porto, a pedestrianised street off Avenida dos Aliados where you’ll find luxury brand names and a host of new Portuguese experiences. Halfway down there’s a little mall called Via Catarina, where you’ll find HM, Zara and others, and don’t forget to stop at Cafe Majestic for a coffee.
Hot spot
Teatro Nacional Sao Joao, Praça de Batalha, 00-351-22- 3401900, tnsj.pt. This splendid old building in the cultural centre of Porto hosts the top domestic and international performing-arts names. After a fire, the new building was reopened in 1920 with Verdi's Aida– and opera remains a firm favourite here.