Top 10 Things to Do in Porto

Porto is denser, steeper and more industrial than Lisbon, and many visitors end up preferring it. Ten things to build a first visit around.

## The ten 1. The Ribeira, the riverside quarter under the bridge, UNESCO listed and best in late afternoon. 2. The Dom Luis I bridge, crossed on foot on the upper deck for the view over the Douro. 3. A port cellar in Vila Nova de Gaia, where the wine has been aged and shipped for centuries. 4. Sao Bento station and its twenty thousand painted tiles telling Portuguese history. 5. Livraria Lello, one of the most photographed bookshops in the world. Buy the timed ticket in advance. 6. Clerigos Tower, for the climb and the rooftop panorama. 7. The Bolhao market area and the food shops around it. 8. A francesinha, the sandwich covered in melted cheese and beer sauce. One is enough for two people. 9. A river cruise under the six bridges, short and genuinely worth it. 10. Foz do Douro, where the river meets the ocean, for a slower afternoon.

## Where the day trips go Porto is the natural base for the Douro Valley, one to two hours east, and for Guimaraes and Braga to the north. Most people spend two nights in the city and one full day in the wine country.

## Practical notes The old centre is steep. The distance from the upper town down to the Ribeira is short on a map and hard on the knees. Port cellar visits usually need to be booked, especially the smaller houses, and tasting rooms fill up on weekends.

If you are combining Lisbon and Porto, the drive between them takes about three hours direct, or a full day with stops at Obidos, Nazare, Fatima or Coimbra.