January 16, 2018
Have you ever wanted to travel to a city full of interests and many striking things to see? Porto is the choice of The Telegraph as a unique travel that will amaze you starting with the sweet taste of Port Wine and finishing with a walk in the streets of Porto.
The most famous drink in Porto is simply delicious, robust, sweet and the perfect combination for a good chat. Drink it as you like but you should add a slice of orange for a fancier taste. This drink is offered in many different varieties, which allows everyone to enjoy it: you may choose white, red, rosé, or Tawny, it all depends on the aroma and flavour you’re looking for.
A must-see in Porto, this station was built in 1900. Get into this beautiful railway station and you will find an extravagant work of blue and white tiles. In 20.000 tiles there’s a whole story about the Portuguese royalty, wars and also the transportation.
It’s the past told in blue and white little squares. With a brief French influence, these tiles oscillate between the Belle Époque and the Renaissance architecture.
Wandering in the streets of Porto is a complete melody to our hearts. Old houses that have now been refurbished and the black and white tiles that might tell you a story or simply decorate the façades of these houses and streets of Porto. Elegant and renewed, Rua das Flores is that one street that nobody can miss.
Near the railway station of São Bento, a walk in this street will show a lot about Porto in terms of culture and its people.
Located in the heart of the city, Avenida dos Aliados (Aliados Avenue) this historical café is also a restaurant that serves good-quality food. When you get into this café, you will feel the tropical Brazilian influence. There’s sometimes live music and the inviting place will make you relax and enjoy your coffee with a tasty pastel de nata.
From the outside, you will see refinement and beautiful pictures inside through the big glazed windows, which kind of takes you to an aristocratic era and a superlative lust. Guarany is a name you shall not forget.
Built in the XVIII century, I dare to say this is the most beautiful chapel that has ever been made. From the outside, there’s a splendid work of 16.000 blue and white tiles – again, the strong Portuguese influence – and they represent parts of the life of San Francisco de Assis and Saint Catarina.
It’s cornered with two very important and crowded streets of Porto: Santa Catarina and Fernandes Tomás. If you think its exterior is fascinating, you should step inside the chapel and admire the beauty of other religious works.
This church should also be part of your plans when you visit Porto. Austere and gothic, this imposing XIV century-church witnesses an interior work that is beyond phenomenal. 100kg of golden leaf decorate the interior of this church, making it the most visited church of Porto for all the good reasons.
Its artistic patrimony is pure art in one single church and the landscape on the outside is absolutely stunning: Ribeira, the famous landmark of Porto.
The so-famous bookshop that one day inspired J. K. Rowling to start her writing about the famed wizard, Harry Potter. Considered the third most beautiful bookshop in the world, this place has a fabulous red stairway, which immediately transforms this bookshop into an extravagant place of thousands of books on its wooden walls.
The interior architecture is going to make you fall in love.
Don’t even try to translate francesinha, otherwise, it would sound odd: little French girl – oh yeah, just did it. It’s not very difficult to eat in Porto and well. Its different restaurants and cafés have all the food you need to enjoy the city at its best. Francesinha is the most common and comforting dish in Porto, but make sure you drink a beer or two. The sauce is what makes the whole sandwich so special because it’s kept as a deep secret and you may find some francesinhas with slightly different personalities and flavours.
Overall, this meat-lovers meal will satisfy you and will also give you the energy you need to walk in the adorable streets of Porto.
Porto is the ideal city break for everyone. It’s the food, the wine, the monuments, the personality, the streets and long walks waiting for you, that make of Porto an enchanting city in Portugal. Imagine a whole package full of love, dedication, and beauty. That is Porto, for sure. Destination love, destination Porto
Joana is Portuguese and she loves to share her passion about travelling.
@Joana Cabo Read more posts written by Joana Cabo
