PORTO EXPERIENCES
1. Downtown Foodie Tours
Taste Porto: www.tasteporto.com
Local gastronomes lead groups around the city centre’s culinary hotspots to try all sorts of tastebud-tingling delights, from old-school bacalhau, morcela and pudim to new-wave fusion snacks.
2. Hop on a Vintage Tram
At the Museu do Carro Electrico, visitors can board a delightfully antiquated tram for a ride on one of Porto’s original tramlines, Linha 1. The tram takes a scenic route along the riverside to the Jardim de Passeio Alegre in Foz do Douro.Trams depart hourly. Tickets are available to buy from the museum. Andante cards (see Getting Around by Metro, Bus and Tram are also valid on this line.
Vintage tram on Linha 1
3. Stroll in the Parque da Cidade
No matter what time of year, a breath of fresh sea air at the 83-ha (205-acre) Parque da Cidade will blow away the cobwebs with. Easy-going walking trails wind around lakes and through patches of woodland.
4. Climb the Ponte da Arrábida
Porto Bridge Climb: Rua do Ouro 680; open 2:15pm–sunset; www.portobridgeclimb.com
The best time to don a safety harness and ascend the 65-m- (213-ft-) high structure is towards sunset, when the view of Porto’s other bridges and sprawling terracotta roofs is at its most dramatic.
5. Rent a Bicycle
Biclas & Triclas: Rua de Arménia; open 9am–8pm daily; www.tricla.pt
Biclas & Triclas rents bikes and tricycles for all and offers guided cycling tours on easy-going routes that run along both banks of the Douro riverside, around the historic centre or down to the breezy seaside esplanades of Foz do Douro.
6. Paint an Azulejo
Bramica: Rua Santo Isidro 181; 961 097 013; open 2–8pm Mon–Fri
Bramica offers workshops where azulejo artisans teach visitors the intricate skills of painting and firing these iconic painted tiles. They also explain how they became such an important part of Portugal’s artistic and architectural heritage.
7. Listen to Fado
Casa de Guitarra: Avenida Vimara Peres 49; concerts 6pm Thu–Sat; portofado.pt
Fado, guitar-accompanied ballads of love, longing and sadness, has been imported from its true homeland in the Portugal’s deep south. Casa de Guitarra, an artisan guitar-maker, offers short concerts in this cosy performance space near Ponte Dom Luís I.
8. Cruise the Douro
Douro Azul: Cais de Gaia; hourly cruises 9:30am–6pm; www.douroazul.com
Douro Azul’s one-hour cruise aboard a replica barco rabelo – a traditional wooden boat that shipped wine from Douro vineyards to the city – is an unmissable experience.
Replica barco rabelo tour boats cruise along the Douro
9. Visit a Port Lodge
No visit would be complete without a tour of one of the venerable armazéns (port lodges) of Vila Nova de Gaia such as Graham’s or Offley. Tours usually last for around 30 minutes and include tastings of at least two wines (see Vila Nova Wine Cellars).
Wine tasting at Graham’s port lodge
10. Spot Birds in the Reserva Natural Estuario do Douro
Bird-watchers can expect large numbers of waders, waterfowl and migrant seabirds on a guided walk around this wild waterside enclave on the city’s outskirts (see Reserva Natural Estuario do Douro). Two-hour walks are led by knowledgeable guides from the Parque Biológico de Gaia on the first Sunday of the month, departing at 10am.
