Travel Diaries - 48 hours in Porto

Porto is pretty but gritty. It’s blue and yellow and cobbled and elegant and industrial. It’s uncomplicated yet intricate and a city which toes the line between invigoration and relaxation. I spent a long weekend roaming its sloping streets (prepare for some steep inclines), walking, dining, drinking, admiring, and gazing. Here’s what I saw.

The first day began the only way it could - with a visit to one of Porto’s most beloved pastel de nata bakeries, churning out thousands a day to customers who line up at all hours. Luckily, my hotel was a stone’s throw from Manteigaria, which has a few outposts around the country (having originated in Lisbon). Its expansion hasn’t diminished its quality but to make extra sure, I ordered two. I bedecked their burnt sunny surfaces with cinnamon, wolfing them down at the stainless steel bar as the queue to order continued to shuffle past me. My reaction from every bite must have made for excellent free advertising…not that they needed it.

Having been adequately fuelled by custard and coffee, I set off on a quest to track down Porto’s most striking blue tiled facades. These characteristic ceramics - known as azulejos - can be traced back to the 13th century when Portugal was occupied by the Moors. They would use tiles to adorn their houses, kickstarting widespread production across the Iberian peninsula. The Portuguese interpretation came a few centuries later when at the end of the 15th century King Manuel I visited Seville - by then a major hub of the tile industry. Inspired by the beauty, colour, and the narratives, the King decided to claim a ceramic identity of Portugal’s own using similar techniques to those developed in Spain after the Arab conquests. Drawing on influences from Chinese porcelain and Dutch detailing, the facades of churches and major buildings around Porto, Lisbon and Lagos were soon embellished with striking blue and white scenes often depicting religious tales, mythical legends, and important battles from Portugal’s history. 

I began my whistle stop tour at the Igreja do Carmo whose stony grey facade gives way to an eastern wall entirely furnished with pristine tiles. They complete the story of the foundation of the Carmelite Order, where sombre figures in flowing drapery are surrounded by baroque motifs and Latin inscriptions all depicted in the same vibrant tones of blue. The church is located at a busy junction - traffic lights constantly change colour and cars whizz by, but even locals will pause to cast an eye at the beauty of their city’s architecture.

Before continuing my treasure hunt, I stopped at Fernandes, Mattos & Ca., an historic three-storied emporium dating back to 1886 and selling all manner of Portuguese craft. Tinned fish, toiletries, yes - also tiles so beautiful you begin to fantasise about remodelling your bathroom. Even if you aren’t tempted by any of the tasteful souvenirs, the lofty wooden interiors of the shop are worth visiting alone. Right next door is the Livraria Lello - an art deco bookshop often lauded as one of the most beautiful in the world - which I didn’t have time to see it on this occasion. Queues are long and tickets must be booked in advance. Although touristy, I’m told it's worth it.

My search for blue continued. I viewed the Chapel of Souls (the most intensely hued of them all), the Porto cathedral with its exquisite tiled cloisters, the Igreja de Santo Ildefonso which felt distinctly wackier than the rest, and finally São Bento, the city’s central train station. It is safe to say that more people who stood in the main hall were there to admire its walls than to catch a train. 20,000 tiles are spread across the interior recounting the history of Portugal through the country’s main events. Cooling pastel yellows and ethereal glass windows further feed the eyes, distracting them from the less beautiful, more functional elements such as the digital screen displaying departure times. As tourists crane their necks and photograph every inch of the station, the commuters expertly flit between the bodies, well-versed in the transfixing effect that São Bento has on first time visitors. 

Porto feels grounded in its history but nor is it resistant to change. For lunch that day, I chose from one of the city’s many modern cafes, blending high quality local produce with foreign flavours. Protest Kitchen is a welcoming eatery which has only been open for 3 years but clearly became an immediately beloved part of it’s neighbourhood fabric. Serving predominantly Middle Eastern inspired dishes alongside coffee, matcha or something stronger, everything feels considered yet casual. 

In the afternoon, I walked an hour (though you can also take a ridiculously quick, ridiculously affordable taxi - Uber is unbelievably cheap in Porto) to the Serralves Foundation, Portugal’s most important modern and contemporary art museum. The current exhibition - Vexation of Spirit, on till November 2026 - is a piercing, provocative exploration of reality’s toughest issues, split into themes of religion, war and society. Through works by some of the world’s greatest artists including, Damien Hirst, Goya, Anselm Kiefer, and Gerhard Richter this multi-sensorial experience is reason enough to visit Porto this year. The Foundation also features a sprawling garden peppered with looming art installations. After hours of strolling the Serralves grounds, it was back to Porto’s centre hopping between natural wine bars until the early hours. 

The next morning, breakfast of champions at Mercado do Bolhão - a bustling fresh produce market in a neoclassical building near the Chapel of Souls. The first purchase was a freshly cut sea urchin, its elegant spiny exterior resting on a bed of ice. It tasted like the sea, a strong reminder (along with the steady wind that blows throughout the day) that Porto sits along the Atlantic coast. My bite of umami was followed by a fresh juice and a pastel de nata sold at various stalls around the Bolhão. Before leaving, I picked up an armful of tinned fish, one of Porto’s greatest exports.

The sea urchin had awakened an urge and so, hailing another inexplicably cheap Uber, I made it to the water in 20 minutes. The Foz do Douro is an affluent seafront district where charming restaurants and enticing boutiques face the ocean. It was May and as someone who is too spoiled by Mediterranean temperatures, I wasn’t as brave as the local children splashing gleefully in the shallows. Basking in the sun, lunching at the beach and dipping toes into icy waves, was nonetheless a welcome way to experience the seafaring side of Porto.

Back in the city, it was time for rooftop drinks at The Rebello Hotel which overlooks the vast Douro River and the Maria Pia Bridge built by Gustav Eiffel - 12 years before he completed the Parisian landmark. The hotel employs a falcon which guards the terrace bar from prying birds who would otherwise snap up the snacks which accompany expertly prepared drinks. Our preferred poison was the Tonic Port, a simple blend of white port, tonic water and bitters and an homage to the city’s largest export. Port wine has been produced in the Douro valley for almost four centuries, while the aging factories all line the river right next to The Rebello and are well worth a visit to learn the history and enjoy a tasting.

Thirsts adequately quenched, we crossed the river to the old town and dined at one of Porto’s exciting small plates restaurants, Provàvel serving exquisite local flavours with contemporary twists. By the time we left the restaurant around midnight, the city was ghostly quiet. It appears that Porto is a city which packs all its energy into the day and values its rest once the sun has set. 

Before flying home the next day, the entire morning was spent ogling at the interiors of the Church of Saint Francis, a UNESCO heritage site praised for its remarkable 14th century interiors made almost entirely of twisting, baroque wood. Then, a quick octopus salad at a traditional taberna, Taberna Dona Antonia which gained extra brownie points from me for its name. Finally, a stop at Araujo & Sobrinho to indulge in some final souvenirs - beautiful stationery and writing materials. 

Back in the city, it was time for rooftop drinks at The Rebello Hotel which overlooks the vast Douro River and the Maria Pia Bridge built by Gustav Eiffel - 12 years before he completed the Parisian landmark. The hotel employs a falcon which guards the terrace bar from prying birds who would otherwise snap up the snacks which accompany expertly prepared drinks. Our preferred poison was the Tonic Port, a simple blend of white port, tonic water and bitters and an homage to the city’s largest export. Port wine has been produced in the Douro valley for almost four centuries, while the aging factories all line the river right next to The Rebello and are well worth a visit to learn the history and enjoy a tasting.

Thirsts adequately quenched, we crossed the river to the old town and dined at one of Porto’s exciting small plates restaurants, Provàvel serving exquisite local flavours with contemporary twists. By the time we left the restaurant around midnight, the city was ghostly quiet. It appears that Porto is a city which packs all its energy into the day and values its rest once the sun has set. 

Before flying home the next day, the entire morning was spent ogling at the interiors of the Church of Saint Francis, a UNESCO heritage site praised for its remarkable 14th century interiors made almost entirely of twisting, baroque wood. Then, a quick octopus salad at a traditional taberna, Taberna Dona Antonia which gained extra brownie points from me for its name. Finally, a stop at Araujo & Sobrinho to indulge in some final souvenirs - beautiful stationery and writing materials.