RIBEIRA AND BAIXA
A medieval cathedral looms above a treasury of notable buildings that have earned Porto’s historic centre UNESCO World Heritage status. Seated on a hilltop site that has been inhabited for at least three millennia, the magnificent Sé do Porto crowns the steep streets that slope down through the old Baixa district, now filled with smart shops and trendy boutiques. The narrow, labyrinthine streets and arcades lined with tall, balconied buildings, which seem to have changed very little since medieval times, lead to the vibrantly colourful Ribeira neighbourhood and the Douro quaysides. Dignified Gothic and Renaissance churches are dotted around the district, and remains of the city’s 14th-century ramparts hark back to its medieval beginnings. For a break from sightseeing, there are plenty of lively bars and cafés – after dark, Ribeira turns into Porto’s busiest nightlife hotspot.
1. Igreja de Santa Clara
Largo Primeiro Dezembro 10 • Currently closed to the public • www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt
Built in the mid-15th century for the monastic Order of Saint Clare, Santa Clara’s modest, early Renaissance façade conceals an extravagantly decorated interior. Its polychrome and gilt woodwork is a tribute to the brilliance of its original creators. The church is currently undergoing work to restore it to its former gleaming glory, so it is temporarily closed to visitors.
The Baroque interior of Igreja de Santa Clara
2. Igreja do São Francisco
An enormous quantity of gold was used to adorn the lavish altars, columns and walls of São Francisco’s 18th- century exterior (see Igreja de São Francisco), hidden away behind a much plainer medieval façade. Within this gleaming setting, the elaborate Tree of Jesse, which was sculpted between 1718 and 1721 by António Gomes and Filipe da Silva, represents the ancestry of Jesus Christ. The ghostly catacombs beneath the church are filled with memento mori, including the skulls and bones of long-dead monks and priests.
Statue, Igreja do São Francisco
3. Estacão de São Bento
Praça Almeida Garrett
When it opened in 1916, Porto’s grand railway terminus heralded the city’s belated entry into the 20th century. Outside, São Bento station mimics the boldly secular public architecture of France during the Belle Époque. Inside, however, it is a glorious celebration of Portuguese decorative arts, with an echoing ticket hall where intricate azulejos cover the walls.
The floodlit exterior of Estacão de São Bento at night
4. Palácio da Bolsa
Conspicuous opulence is the essence of this vast monument to commerce and capitalism (see Palácio da Bolsa). Built to inspire investment in the city’s burgeoning industrial and mercantile economy, it was completed in 1910 and was home to Porto’s stock exchange until the end of the 20th century. Its highlight is the enormous Arab Room, a grand reception hall that took its inspiration from the Moorish architecture and embellishments of Granada’s extraordinary Alhambra.
Nobel Staircase, Palácio da Bolsa
5. Museu de Misericórdia do Porto
Rua das Flores 15 • Open Apr–Sep: 10am–6:30pm daily; Oct–Mar: 10am–3:30pm daily • Adm
This museum reveals the history of a centuries-old charitable foundation with a history that reaches back to the 16th century. The Santa Casa da Misericordia (Holy House of Mercy) pioneered practical medical care for the poorest people of Porto as well as tending to their spiritual welfare.
6. Igreja de Santo Ildefonso
Praça da Batalha • 222 004 366 • Open 8:30am–6:30pm Mon–Sat, 9am–7pm Sun
Oddly modern in appearance, though with ancient roots, Santo Ildefonso has a dazzling azulejo façade that was added in 1932. The church itself has been rebuilt extensively since its consecration in 1739 and has had a turbulent past: damaged by a huge gale in 1819, it was further battered by artillery during the Siege of Porto in 1832, and is far from pristine.
7. Museu de Arte Sacra e Arqueologia
Largo Dr Pedro Vitorino • Open 10am–6pm Mon–Sat • Adm • www.seminario.diocese-porto.pt
Within the Colégio de São Lourenço, this museum’s impressive collection of religious art and sculpture spans some 700 years, displaying works from as far back as the 13th century to the present day.
8. Igreja and Torre dos Clérigos
Pointing skyward from its hilltop perch, the 76-m (250-ft) tower of the 18th-century Igreja dos Clérigos beckons. Tramping up the 240 steps to the top is no mean feat, but it is challenge that is rewarded by a breathtaking view of old Porto.
9. Sé do Porto
Blue-and-white azulejo tiles brighten the walls of this ancient cathedral (see Sé do Porto). The Sé has been very much altered since it was founded in the 12th century, and the only noteworthy relic of the early building is a graceful rose window in the west front. A 17th-century stairway curves to upper floors where religious silver and other treasures are displayed. The terrace in front of the cathedral offers some fine views.
Sé do Porto’s rose window
10. Cais da Ribeira
If there is one image that sums up Porto, it is the view of the city’s precariously stacked buildings of the Cais da Ribeira, painted in all the colours of the rainbow and climbing high above the arcaded quaysides of the Douro.
The colourful Cais da Ribeira
21ST-CENTURY STREET ART
The walls of landmarks like the Igreja de Santo Ildefonso and the Sé are venerable galleries of opulent azulejo tilework. In the 21st century, they are rivalled by a new kind of open-air art on walls and gables around Ribeira and Baixa. Porto’s vibrant street art scene has flourished since 2013, when city mayor Rui Moreira decided to welcome the vivid murals created by upstart artists on streets like Rua da Madeira, to the north of São Bento station and Avenue Vimara Peres, opposite the Sé.
A DAY IN RIBEIRA AND BAIXA
MORNING
Start the day by climbing the many steps to the top of the Torre dos Clérigos for panoramic views across the city. Then stroll across Praça da Liberdade to the Estacão de São Bento to admire its tilework. Pause to look at some more azulejos on the façade of the Igreja de Santo Ildefonso and walk up Rue de Santa Catarina to the splendid Belle Époque Majestic Café for lunch.
AFTERNOON
After lunch, catch a tram to Batalha-Guindas, a short four-stop journey, then walk along Rua Saraiva de Carvalho to the Sé do Porto. Spend an hour admiring its magnificent azulejos and treasury of church silver, then take in the wonderful view of the city from the its terrace and admire the Pelourinho, an ornate spiral stone column. Next, stroll downhill through narrow streets lined with crumbling apartment buildings to the waterfront. A walk along the kaleidoscopic car-free promenade of Cais da Ribeira, with great views of the vast arch of the Ponte Dom Luís I, and the gracious old buildings of Vila Nova da Gaia on the opposite bank, brings you to the café-crammed Praça da Ribeira. Pause at one of the many café tables to sip a glass of chilled white port as a pre-dinner aperitif. For a special treat, end the day with a gastronomic experience at The Yeatman, which offers a selection of fabulous fusion dishes.
The Best of the Rest
1. Chafariz da Rua Escura
Rua Pena Ventosa
A grand carved image of a pelican, symbolic of mercy, crowns this elaborate 17th-century drinking fountain.
2. Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Vitória
Rua de São Bento da Vitória • 222 007 182 • Open 9am–noon & 4–7:30pm Tue–Fri, 9am–noon & 2:30–5pm Sat, Sun 9–11:30am
A remarkable Rococo interior by two famed Porto artists, José Teixeira Guimarães and Francisco Pereira Campanhã, is the highlight here.
3. Miradouro da Rua das Aldas
Rua das Aldas 1
In a city filled with scenic panormas, this lookout point at the entrance to the narrow Rua das Aldas offers an outstanding view from its stone balustrade over Ribeira’s clutter of red-tiled rooftops.
4. Capela de Nossa Senhora de Ó
Largo do Terrreiro 9 • 222 004 486 • Opening times vary
This small Baroque church, with its plain façade of grey stone and white stucco, dates from the 18th century.
5. Ribeira Negra Panel
Rua da Ribeira Negra
This modern azulejo frieze in the Tunel de Ribeira depicts scenes from the tough lives of the city’s waterfront workers through the ages.
6. Deposito de Materiais da Fabrica das Devesas
Rua de José Falcão 199 • Closed to the public
Secular mock-Arabesque motifs and earthy hues decorate the front of this 1901 national monument.
7. Banco de Materiais
Praça de Carlos Alberto 71 • Open 10am–5:30pm daily
The emphasis is on conservation and preservation at this azulejo workshop and store, created to help maintain traditionally decorated buildings.
8. Monumento ao Infante Dom Henrique
Jardim do Infante Dom Henrique
Poised on its plinth high above a garden square is this effigy of prince Henry the Navigator.
9. Igreja de Santo António dos Congregádos
Rua de Sá da Bandeira 11 • Open 7:15am–6:30pm daily • www.igrejacongregados.com
The severe façade of this late 17th-century church is brightened somewhat by its azulejo tile panels.
10. Praça da Liberdade
An equestrian statue of the 19th-century monarch Pedro IV dominates this broad square that forms a gateway between the centre and the northern districts.
Praça da Liberdade
Shops and Markets
1. Passeio dos Clérigos
Rua das Carmelitas 151 • Open 10am–8pm Mon–Sat, 11am–8pm Sun • www.passeiodosclerigos.pt
This upmarket modern mall below ground level at Praça de Lisboa is filled with designer brands.
2. Livraria Lello
Rua das Carmelitas 144 • Open 9:30am–8pm daily • Adm • www.livrarialello.com
Harry Potter author J K Rowling is said to have been inspired by this elaborate bookshop. Fans queue up to enter and there is now an admission charge.
3. Oliva & Co
Rua Ferreira Borges 60 • 222 083 938 • Open 10am–7pm Mon–Fri, 10am–8pm Sat
This speciality store is dedicated to Portugal’s delicious olive oils and olive oil products including soaps, cosmetics and confectionery.
4. Azulima
Rua do Barão de Forrester 707 • Open 9am–12:30pm & 2:30–6pm Mon–Fri • www.azulima.pt
Pretty azulejo tiles along with other ceramics in both classic and contemporary styles are the stock-in-trade of this colourful shop.
5. Casa da Guitarra
Ave Vimara Peres 72 • Open 10am–1pm Mon–Sat • www.casadaguitarra.pt
Musicians and fans can make a musical pilgrimage to this temple to the instrument-maker’s craft, which also hosts fado performances.
6. Rua de Santa Catarina
Traffic-free Rua de Santa Catarina is Porto’s longest and most upscale shopping street, perfect for window-shopping and café-hopping.
7. Mercado do Bolhão
Rua Formosa • Open 8am–9pm Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm Sat
With its wrought-iron balcony and cavernous interior, this historic market opened in 2014. It is due to reopen in summer 2020 after an extensive renovation, with food stalls on the ground floor and restaurants above. A temporary market is located at Rua de Fernandes Tomás.
Shoppers at the Mercado do Bolhão
8. A Pérola do Bolhao
Rua Formosa 279 • 222 004 009 • Open 9am–7:30pm Mon–Sat
Locals love this long-established deli with its beautiful tiled façade. Redolent with the aromas of tea, coffee, herbs and spices, it smells as good as it looks.
9. Arcadia
Rua do Almada 63 • 222 001 518 • Open 9:30am–7pm Mon–Fri, 9:30am–1pm Sat • www.arcadia.pt
Sinfully delicious handmade chocolates flavoured with sweet spices are the big draw here.
10. A Vida Portuguesa
Rua de Cândido dos Reis 36 • Open 10am–8pm Mon–Sat, 10:30am–7:30pm Sun • www.avidaportuguesa.com
This branch of a Lisbon-based chain of boutiques sells decorative arts and crafts, including embroidery, ceramics and fine linens.
Cafés and Eateries
1. C’alma
Rua dos Passos Manuel 44 • 913 704 600
Coffee aficionados love the experience at this laid-back coffee house.
Trendy interior at C’alma coffee house
2. Café Guarany
Ave dos Aliados 85 • www.cafeguarany.com
This café has been a fixture on Avenida dos Aliados since 1933.
3. Café Portas do Olival
Campo dos Mártires da Patria 126 • 222 057 129
The owners claim this is the oldest café in Porto; they serve good coffee, cold beers and snacks.
4. Café do Comércio
Rua do Comércio 124 • 220 980 366
Freshly made juices, pancakes and cakes make this a top brunch spot.
5. Majestic Café
Rua de Santa Catarina 112 • www.cafemajestic.com
Opened in 1921, this café is replete with glittering mirrors, gleaming brass and polished woodwork.
6. Moustache
Praça Carlos Alberto 104 • www.moustache.pt
This unassuming, budget-friendly modern café supplies an array of snacks, cakes and vegetarian meals.
7. Miss Pavlova
Rua do Almada 13 • www.misspavlova.pt
Dishes like eggs Benedict and avocado on toasted sourdough are a good prelude to the signature pavlova.
8. So Coffee Roasters
Largo dos Loios 89 • 220 110 463
Hipster coffee connoisseurs rate So Coffee for its self-roasted mocha and flat whites and for its cool vibe.
9. Café Santiago
Rua dos Passos Manuel 226 • 222 055 797
Locally famed for the tastiest francesinhas in town, Café Santiago often has a long queue at peak times.
10. Vogue Café
Rua de Avis 10 • voguecafe.pt
This outrageously trendy café in the boutique Hotel Infante Sagres takes its cue from the fashionista bible.
Fancy table setting at Vogue Café
Restaurants
1. Casa da Mariquinhas
Rua de São Sebastião • Closed Sun & Mon • www.casadamariquinhas.pt • €€€
This quintessentially Portuguese fado restaurant serves staple local dishes such as bacalhau (cod).
2. Galeria de Paris
Rua de Galeria de Paris 56 • 222 016 218 • €
A fixture on Porto’s happening nightlife strip, this lively restaurant and bar serves tapas and petiscos.
3. Taberna dos Mercadores
Rua dos Mercadores 36 • 222 010 510 • Closed Mon • €€
The menu at this old-school tavern is traditional. Expect filling dishes such as feijoada (pork and bean stew).
4. Jimão Tapas e Vinhos
Praça da Ribeira 11 • Closed Tue • www.jimao.pt • €
Look out for petiscos of bacalhau, octopus salad, prawns heavy with garlic and grilled sardines here.
5. Da Terra
Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira 249 • www.daterra.pt • €
Breaking away from the traditional cuisine, this vegetarian restaurant has a refreshing array of modern fusion dishes on the menu.
6. Restaurante Mercearia
Rua Cais da Ribeira 32 • www.restaurante mercearia.com • €€
Aiming squarely at passing tourists, Mercearia offers dishes such as tripas à moda do Porto and a long list of grilled fish, served to atmostpheric, live guitar music.
7. Bacalhau
Rua Muro dos Bacalhoeiros 153 • www.bacalhauporto.com • €€
The name is a giveaway at this restaurant but the cod is prepared in ways more imaginative than most. Grab a table outside for stunning river views.
8. DOP
Largo de São Domingos 18 • Closed Sun & lunch Mon • www.doprestaurante.pt • €€€
Chef Rui Paula takes his culinary inspiration from his native Minho region, north of Porto, to create an innovative menu that builds on locally sourced veal, kid and lamb.
Sleek interior of DOP
9. Muralha do Rio
Rua Muro dos Bacalhoeiros 145 • €€
An unpretentious ambience belies an excellent yet surprisingly affordable menu at this riverside restaurant, which specializes in a range of delicious, fresh seafood grills.
10. Cantinho do Avillez
Rua Mouzinho da Silveira 166 • www.cantinhodoavillez.pt • €€€
The Porto outpost of Portuguese chef José Avillez’s gastronomic empire elevates street food staples like smoked farinheira sausage and indulgent francesinhas.
PRICE CATEGORIES
For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.
€ under €30 €€ €30–50 €€€ over €50