3 days in Porto , my own suggestion
Day 1
Starting point is São Bento Train Station and a mandatory stop. Classified as property of public interest, it boasts a unique collection of tiles, more than 20 thousand, produced in the historic Sacavém Factory. The murals represent historical episodes, which are reproduced every day in photos through social networks.
Let’s take the arts as a conductor, heading to the first public museum in Portugal. Soares dos Reis Museum. Here we visit the gardens and the permanent painting and sculpture exhibitions. The magnificent gardens of the Crystal Palace, right across the street, are worth the visit and the views to the river margins are breathtaking. You can also schedule a climb to the top of the Rosa Mota Pavilion and enjoy a superior view of the city.
We cross the street and enter the Arts quarter. Several streets full of galleries and small restaurants, of which I highlight the Mão Travessa, with some delicacies.
This walk is done on foot and the streets lead us to one of the main streets of the center, Rua de Cedofeita, with a pedestrian part and all kinds of commerce.
In the background we can already see the Torre dos Clérigos, unmistakable ex-libris of the city and extremely slender in its 75m height. It was designed in the middle of the 18th century by Nicolau Nasoni, an architect of Italian origin.
The Lello Bookstore is our next stop.
Classified as a Public Interest Monument, and on its way to becoming a National Monument, Lello Bookstore preserves the original beauty of its building.
The neo-gothic facade, the iconic red staircase, the emblematic stained-glass window and the shelves full of books from various eras and in different languages have attracted thousands of visitors.
Being one of the oldest Portuguese bookstores, and due to its unique historical and artistic value, Lello Bookstore has been recognized as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world by several personalities and entities, such as the Spanish writer Enrique Vila-Matas, the British newspaper The Guardian , the television station CNN and the Australian travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Travel + Leisure magazine placed Lello Bookstore at the top of the list of the world’s coolest bookstores.
We end the day in a restaurant in the city center, I recommend Abadia, a restaurant with good typical Portuguese food and excellent service.
Day 2
The morning starts right away with the crossing of the Luis I Bridge, and the visit to the Sandeman Port Wine Cellars in Gaia. Here we can taste some wines and enjoy the history of this worldwide appreciated nectar. We proceed to a small trip in a typical boat (rebelo), boats that used to transport the wine along the river, from its origin to the cellars. From the boat we have a different image of the city and its margins.
Lunch is right there. The Gaia waterfront offers a great diversity of restaurants. I recommend the Presuntaria Transmontana.
The afternoon is reserved for a stroll along the Ribeira do Porto and a visit to two places you can’t miss: Palácio da Bolsa and São Francisco church. High points in the visit and full of history. The tour ends with a walk up Rua das Flores until Avenida dos Aliados where we can also find a great diversity of restaurants. I recommend Nogueiras, a slightly more sophisticated restaurant with a small bar on the upper floor.
Day 3
In the morning we visit the Casa da Musica, a very important construction in the city and the cradle of many of its shows. It was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, as part of the Porto European Capital of Culture event in 2001 (Porto 2001), and immediately became an icon of the city.
We follow Avenida da Boavista towards the sea, but with a stop at Parque da Cidade, a sophisticated architectural landscape, with lakes, varied flora and fauna, integrated into the fabric of the city.
The largest urban park in the country and with a direct connection to the beach. Absolutely wonderful this connection to the sea.
The walk along the coast up to the Forte de São João is also a must.
For lunch my suggestion is the Casa Aberta restaurant, very close to Fort São João.
The return to the center is done in the traditional tram, from Jardim do Passeio Alegre to Ribeira where we finish our trip!
I hope you liked my suggestions and count on me to help you in this very special city!
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