Porto my top 10 Activities
Porto is a cute city located in the north of Portugal. It's not directy open on the ocean, but the city has beaches not far (30min bus trip or so)
How to come to Porto?
The easiest way to come to Porto would definitely be the plane, since it's quiet far from other countries, unless you live in south France or Spain, but even though, train would be a long trip :)
You have different mean of transport from the airport to the city center : the bus number 600 which is the 'touristy' one and more expensive then the basic bus. Or you can take the metro + local bus and it will be cheaper. When you look for the metro, you will find the usual automates and nice security guys which can help you out buying your ticket. It's quite easy.
How to discover Porto?
Porto is a city located on a hill. This means, you have to get comfortable shoes on one hand, but also be ready to walk a lot up and down. Some roads have really steep stopes. You can take the bus but I don't see the point, unless you like the touristic double buses which will bring you to the touristic sites. Finally, the beach is not far so it's around a 30min bus drive from the city center.
Price of the city
I live in France, so I'm going to compare to my country. Portugal is definitely cheaper, but you still have to prepare a good budget to spend for food, activities or just the bus trips.
My Top 10 Discoveries
Ribeira
Whenever you think about Porto, you'll definitely have this in mind! Ribeira is the area with colorful houses close to the water :) It's a must see (preferably go to the other side to see better)
Livraria Lello
The most beautiful library of the world! Or as they say so haha
The library is definitely very nice, you have stairs going on a 1st floor and you pay 8€ the entrance. What's cool, is that you can buy a book with your entrance, and you will just have to add what's left (for example I bought a 15€ book- since I had the entrance ticket I only added 7€ for the book). Also, you can find books in different languages (english, french, spanish...) So you don't have to choose one in Portuguese you know you'll never read haha
Pont Luis I
The Luis Bridge! It's not the same as in Lisbon haha, but the advantage of this bridge is you can cross it from the top or the bottom :) Porto is a city with different levels we could say, and the bridge makes it really easy both ways :)
Jardins do Palacio de Cristal
I haven't had the chance to visit the garden since I wasn't there for so long, but I heard it's the best spot for a picnic and a sunset :)
Mercado do Bolhao
Cute local market! You will find food as well as souvenirs there :) If you want to try local fish, definitely go have a stroll there and you'll be able to try fresh ones :) They are made on the spot! Plus you'll also get dessert with yummy fruits / or smoothies :)
Chapel of Souls
The Chapel of Souls is really beautiful from the outside. It's a small church, you can enter for free, take a picture, and you're not far from the Mercado do Bolhao :)
Central station Bento
Porto Sao Bento is the main train station and is like no other ! I personally loved the one in Milano (huge, tall, very fancy), but this one has a very local culture on the walls, You definitely know you are in Portugal when you enter there :) I took some cute picture there !
Cathedrale
The Cathedrale is of course something you should not miss, like in any other destination :) If you come on time, you'll hear the sound of the bell ringing at 12:00. The Cathedral is situated not far from the train station, really on top of the city! From there you can go back down to the Ponte de Luis I.
Teleferico de Gaia
The Teleferico de Gaia is a nice cable ride to go from the top to the bottom of the south side of Porto - or like from up the hill till sea water level. I personally used it to get to my boat tour cruise :) You can buy one way of both.
Douro Cruise
The last must activity in Porto is a cruise on the famous Douro ! However, take some sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and a raincoat with you cause you never know what will happen in one hour haha
They will give you a guided tour with some explanations on the city of Porto, but I couldn't personally hear a lot since the wind was so windy. A photograph took photos of us onboard and we had the choice to buy it (or not) at the end :)
Extra
If you wanna go to the beach, choose this one :
It's the biggest one, and you have a few restaurants along the road. If you prefer smaller beaches, then you'll find some on the way :)
Hope you liked it,
Write me for any questions!
Anna, the French Traveler <3
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