Interesting Things To See In Porto, Portugal

An Overview of Porto

Situated in northern Portugal, the city of Porto is an amazing urban space with impressive villas, cobbled streets, access to the sea and the Douro River. Visitors can wander through elegant neighborhoods, past street artwork avenues, over panoramic bridges and through hidden alleys. There are many interesting things to see in Porto.

Interesting Things To See In Porto, Portugal

Ribeira District (Riverside District)

Home to Porto’s prime waterfront shops and colorful architecture, Ribeira is one of Porto’s most stunning neighborhoods. The area is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site, filled with bustling bars, impressive café spaces, exquisite restaurants and popular shops.

Crystal Palace Gardens

Located on a scenic bluff overlooking Porto, the Douro River and the Dom Luis Bridge, this is one of the most gorgeous garden spaces in Porto. The area is filled with unique structures, quiet walking trails, resident waterfowl and nice, shady spaces.

Gaia Biological Park

This is a biological and educational park space located just East of Vila Nova de Gaia. The park space has nice woodlands, a river space, numerous aquatic animal species and flat, peaceful walking spaces.

Dom Luís I Bridge

This is a large, double-deck metal arch bridge crossing over the River Douro, connecting Porto with the nearby picturesque city of Vila Nova de Gaia. The bridge, which can be walked upon, offers beautiful views over the river, surrounding cities and boat traffic.

Interactive World of Discoveries

The Portuguese were some of the most defining, powerful and adventurous of explorers during the dawn of the Age of Exploration. To reflect this, the Interactive World of Discovery contains musuem features focusing on the history of Portuguese navigators.

Douro River Cruise

While the scenery around the Douro River in Porto is spectacular, there are cruises which explore large swaths of the waterway. Some of the longer cruises float into the mountains and Portuguese countryside on multi-day journeys.

Livraria Lello (Lello Bookstore)

Justifiably marketed as one of the most beautiful bookstores in Portugal, this shop is filled with warm wooden shelves stocked with tombs, elegant red staircases and a gorgeously rendered ceiling.

Foz do Douro Neighborhood

The affluent Foz do Douro area is a gorgeous seafront known for sandy beaches, fantastic restaurants, beautiful markets, glowing art galleries and high granite fortifications. The area is a famous day trip for Porto residents who often visit the Praia da Luz Beach, the Mercado da Foz traditional market, the Castelo do Queijo Fortifications and the Promenade Foz do Douro walkway.

Matosinhos Day Trip

Located roughly 40 minutes away from Portugal, Matosinhos is a major port town and fishing location with some of the finest beaches in Portugal. The city is a popular tourist attraction, largely due to it’s unique skyline, beautiful beaches and the Piscina das Marés artificial tide pools which use fresh sea water for recreational swimming.

Rua das Flores Shopping Street

This is a busy pedestrian walking street filled with chic cafés, decent restaurants and popular souvenir shops.

Homem do Leme Beach

Easily accessible from Porto, this is an excellent beach with sandy swimming areas, dark stone features, small tide pools and access to the relaxing Avenue do Brasil shops.

Serralves Park

This is a contemporary art musuem site and culture institution in Proto. Visitors can enjoy models of contemporary architecture, Modernism designs and Art Deco building features. The space also includes a villa, park and outdoor resting space. The museum is the second-most-visited museum in Portugal.

Read more about interesting things to see in Porto and exploring the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.