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Porto, that popular and ruggedly beautiful city in the north of Portugal is full of interesting things to see and do. Porto is Portugal’s second largest city and is located on the coast, along the Douro River. My friend and I spent a pleasant weekend in Porto at the beginning of 2022, and even though the weather was a bit chilly, we also got to enjoy the warm sunshine from time to time and have some delicious coffees on a terrace by the river, even without a jacket.

The best thing about Porto is definitely the city life and aimlessly wandering around the places according to your own taste, but so that the weekend trip isn’t just aimless wandering, I still thought I’d put together what I personally think are the city’s coolest sights and activities to experience.

BAIRRO RIBEIRA

Ribeira is the historic center of the city and it stretches all the way to the banks of the Douro River. This old quarter, full of winding and interesting alleys, is definitely my favorite part of Porto. Colorful, beautiful and jagged buildings, interesting details, wonderful river views and the cheerful atmosphere of the area immediately convinced us that we had chosen our accommodation Porto River Aparthotel* in exactly the right place. What would have been nicer than waking up in the morning to enjoy morning coffee while looking at the river views from the window with the sun rising in the background?

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Ribeira is also included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and contains beautiful architecture and brilliant colors, as well as historical attractions ranging from baroque churches to various museums and amazing restaurant culture. The most popular sights are definitely the Torre dos Clérigos, the 76 meter high bell tower of the Clérigos Church, and the old railway station of Sao Bento.

Many people also take a relaxing cruise along the Douro river as a nice activity and also walk across the impressive gray Ponte Luis I bridge, which is created by the French Gustave Eiffel in 1886, to the other side of the river to Vila Nova De Gaia to admire the view from the opposite bank and to get to know, for example, the old port wine cellars. Here we also hopped on the cable car to look at the scenery from a little higher up!

PORTO CATHEDRAL AND CHURCHES

Porto Cathedral Sé is one of the city’s most famous sights, although in my opinion perhaps not the most beautiful from the outside. However, the cathedral built in the 12th century is a popular destination and should not be missed during your visit. In addition to the cathedral, other things worth seeing are the city’s many different baroque-style churches, some of which are beautifully decorated with blue-and-white tiles, called azulejos. The most famous of these is certainly the Igreja Do Carmo and the Carmelitas right next to it, where you can also find the most popular blue and white azulejo wall that is visited by many people every day to take “the” Instagram picture.

In addition to Igreja Do Carmo, blue and white tiles can also be admired in, for example, the Chapel of Souls and the facade of Igreja De Santo Ildefonso baroque church, as well as on the exterior walls of Igreja de Santa Clara, to name a few. We didn’t go inside the churches, because I’m not terribly interested in them myself and nowadays I even experience a kind of church overload, but from the outside, we did see several of them. If you’re interested in churches, there are plenty of them in Porto and each one is certainly worth seeing from the inside, so I can’t help but recommend them nevertheless!

MIRADOURO DA VITÓRIA

An excellent way to get a complete picture of the city is to climb one on of its good view points, perhaps the most popular of which is the Miradouro da Vitória viewing platform. From here you have a great view over the city towards the Douro river and the Dom Luis I bridge, and from here it’s good to look around at different places and buildings.

LIVRARIA LELLO

I’m not a bookworm, but I’ve read the Harry Potter series and many times I can admit. As a big fan of the book series, this weekend in Porto was also very meaningful because, in addition to its other wonders, Porto also has many places that inspired the author and creator of the wizarding world of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling. Livraria Lello is one of Portugal’s oldest bookstores and also a popular destination both among tourists in general and among Harry Potter fans in particular.

There is a 5 euro entrance fee to the bookstore in the form of a voucher, but this amount will be refunded to you when you shop with at least that amount in the bookstore. I personally bought the book Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows in the English version, but I would have also paid the voucher price anyway, because the inside of the bookstore is really lovely and its winding red staircase was fun to walk up and down. This particular staircase also served as the inspiration for the Hogwarts Wizarding School‘s transforming staircase in the book series.

CHECK OUT THE GUIDED TOURS IN PORTO ALSO INCLUDING THE ENTRANCE TO LIVRARIA LELLO!

Livraria Lello Official Website

OTHER THINGS TO SEE AND DO

There is a lot to experience and see in Porto and here were only my favorites, in other words the icing on the cake. After the historical sights, churches and museums, the best thing to do is just relax with good food and drink and get to know the city’s delicious restaurants and enjoy the wonderful sunset from the Dom Luis I bridge in peace.

There are several good and interesting guided walking tours available in Porto, from which you can get information about the neighborhoods and the history of the city, as well as some tips about Harry Potter and the places that inspired the book series. It’s also worth stopping by for a hot cup of whatever you prefer and a Pasteis de Nata at the Majestic Café, where J.K Rowling is also said to have spent a lot of time writing the first part of the HP book series.

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Our weekend in Porto was very successful and full of walking around the city, seeing the sights, enjoying good food and browsing the boutiques. Although Porto in all its splendor is very pleasant, I still wouldn’t trade Lisbon for it. Porto just doesn’t have “that something” for me personally, which Lisbon does. I could still definitely travel to Porto any time again to spend the weekend and there remains still more to explore of course!

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<3: Tiina Johanna

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Peniche and Berlengas Island together are an absolutely lovely weekend getaway destination from Lisbon. Peniche is a small but cozy seaside town and an excellent surfing destination in the province of Oeste, less than a two-hour bus ride north of Lisbon. In addition to the wonderful atmosphere of this fishing town, you can enjoy good water sports and long beaches, historical sights and, best of all, the Berlengas Islands, a coastal archipelago and nature reserve.

My friend and I went to Peniche for a fun weekend getaway last fall and the warm weather, beautiful seaviews and idyllic atmosphere pampered us all weekend long. We stayed in a small but functional apartment in the center and there was a short walk to every place.

All in all, Peniche is a nice place to stay in, and it’s really not so easy to go and find something terribly bad to say about the place at all. The city has nice cafes and small boutiques to see and enjoy among other things and yes I could come back here, just because why not?

WHAT TO DO IN PENICHE?

Peniche is a fishing town, so the absolute number one is to enjoy the many restaurant’s creations of fish and seafood, which is not hard to find. The harbor is a cozy place to enjoy a day out and enjoy walking in the fresh sea air and the sights of Peniche are all within easy walking distance. The most important of these are the Catholic Church of Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, the churches of São Pedro da Misericórdia near the port area and the Peniche Fort.

PENICHE FORT

The fort of Peniche was built in the 16th and 17th centuries to defend the coast, together with the fortress of Consolação Beach and the fortress of the Berlengas Islands. The fortress has played a large part in Portuguese history many times, but its most recent purpose has been to serve as a political prison for many big figures in the fight against fascism. The fortress now serves as a museum where you can learn more about these subjects and history.

BERLENGAS ISLAND

The Berlengas archipelago is a nature reserve off the coast of Peniche and the islands are uninhabited, although the main island has a small supply of restaurants and accommodation for visitors. Berlengas is a popular destination for divers due to its rich marine life and for at least part of the year the Berlengas Fort serves as a hostel offering those looking for a slightly different and more interesting accommodation an excellent setting to relax in the stunning seascapes.

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BERLENGAS HISTORY

Throughout history, Berlengas has been a place of visit for example the Vikings and later a refuge for the shipwrecked because of the monastery on the island called Misericórdia da Berlenga, that the munks started. Since then, the Berlengas fortress was built on the island to protect the coast, and by the middle of the 17th century, the fortress had secured as many as three attacks against barbarian pirates. Berlengas ’lighthouse, now powered by solar panels, was built on the island in the 19th century, and with the help of existing solar panels, the lighthouse offers visibility of up to more than 50 kilometers.

HOW TO GET TO BERLENGAS?

Berlengas can be reached by boat or in the form of a guided excursion, which most people usually prefer in this case. Various guided day trips to Berlengas are organized directly from the port of Peniche, which includes everything from boat trips to the knowledge of the guide as well as additional offerings, such as a cave tour. You can bring your own lunch or dine on site, but we preferred snacks ourselves and the choice was good, as the limited restaurant offer is quite non-existent and there can be plenty of people there. The island has good places for a picnic with great views and it is also possible to stop to swim and soak up the sun, for example in the picturesque clear water cove.

Check out the tours of Berlengas Island and get on the most amazing nature adventure!