srettig24 Porto is famous in part for the stone tiles called azulejo, which can be found on several buildings in the city. This photo I took when I was wandering around near the Igreja do Carmo a church with azulejo tiles.
It’s not fake news, folks. Before going to Porto, I tried to limit my expectations- we all know how things on the internet can be enhanced. But WOW. Just WOW. Porto has something for everyone no matter their interests.
On the Water
Porto is Beautiful at night
Porto was absolutely lovely at sunset and at night. With beautiful lights and nightlife, Porto continues to have much to offer long after the sun goes down. Porto has numerous great restaurants that are open late. There were many Buskers in the city particularly around areas with lots of restaurants, making it easy to get dinner with friends with live music in the background. Along the river there are many restaurants which look out onto the river, these were teaming with loud groups of friends enjoying the night.
Churches in Porto
When I was in Porto the clear blue sky which added to the experience. The Porto Cathedral is well worth a visit. It is very affordable around eight Euros. The tiles in the Cathedral are beautiful and the views are great as well. The center photo below is inside the Cathedral, where you can see some of the tiles. The cathedral is also a stop along the Camino! On the right is the Igreja de Danto Ildefonso, the tiles were done by the same man who did the São Bento train station. As you can see I went in around Easter time, as a white scarf is on the cross in front of the church. There are several other famous churches in Porto but I did not get a chance to see them all. On the left is the church Igraja Paroquial do Nosso Senhor do Bonfim which is further away from the downtown area, but the walk is through more local and less touristic areas. As you can see there are many steps to the church and takes a bit of grit to get up! Make sure to take a peek inside, the ceiling in the church it is one of a kind and the views from the top are nice as well.
Porto is a photographers dream destination
There are so many great spots to take pictures in Porto because they offer such a variety of vantage points. If you are a photographer or just a person who likes to see beautiful things (which i think is all of us?) this city is well worth a visit. I was able to go up in the Clérigos tower and capture many of these photos of the river and the city. There are also little miradouro or lookouts throughout and despite being in the back of a million insta selfies are worth a visit, the views can not be beat. In the the photo at the bottom middle you can see the Igreja do Carmo, which I talked about earlier! The photo in the middle of the first row was taken on the Dom Luis I bridge and the white buildings are housing that was built for the monastery. You can see the Porto Cathedral and the Dom Luis I bridge in the photo on the top right. The courtyard to the Porto Cathedral is in the bottom right photo. I took the top left photo while wandering around, the path ended up taking me to the water. Wandering around and finding new perspectives is what made Porto so exciting for me. I hope that these photos do the city justice! It truly is the most photogenic city I have ever been too.
São Bento Station
This train station is all over the top trip recommendations, on the gram, and travel guides. This is because the train station is a unique experience. The inside of the train station is covered with thousands of azulejos tiles. The tiles tell the story of key moments in Portuguese history and display moments of Portuguese daily life.
Palacio da Bolsa
I walked past the Palacio da Bolsa prior to my tour and I wouldn’t say that it stood out as anything special. I was too busy looking at the water which you get a see at from nearby. But I was very blown away when I took a tour. The inside is amazing, and you have to pay for a tour- but that enhanced the experience. Palacio da Bolsa was the Portugues stock exchange. If you look at the picture on the left you can see different paintings of countries that Portugal traded with when this building was in use. I was able to find the United States and its Eagle, with star and stripes pretty easily. Upstairs you will see the office of Gustave Effiel who created the Dom Luis I bridge and later the Effiel Tower… you know that famous landmark in Paris, France! I did not take any pictures of the most breath taking room in the Palacio da Bolsa, you will have to go yourself to see it. The room was built in the Moorish style which took 70 years to construct and is still used for visiting dignitaries today.
Livraria Lello
I wasn’t lying. Porto really does have something for everyone. Especially hard core Harry Potter fans. J.K. Rowling lived in Porto and drew inspiration from the city. Livraria Lello inspired J.K. Rowlings in her world-famous Harry Potter series. There is also a scene in one of the movies which was filmed in the library. I waited in line for about an hour having arrived prior to it opening, but due to the amount of people I did not take many photos inside. The book store has many current titles as well as many hard bound copies of classics with custom Livraria Lello cover sleeves. But back to Harry Potter! The local students of the University in Porto wear similar outfits as the robes worn in Harry Potter films complete with capes! These robes are all black- locals said that this is something that inspired J.K. Rowling. Porto really does have something for everyone, wine connoisseurs to Harry Potter fanatics.
