You know when there’s a city that you just vibe with? I’ve just got back from my third visit to beautiful Porto in Portugal, and I’m already desperate to return. If you haven’t visited Porto yet, here are 14 reasons why you’ll love Portugal’s magical second city.
My most recent trip to Porto was a press trip with Jet2CityBreaks but my thoughts are, as always, 100% my own and unbiased.
1. It’s absolutely stunning
From the moment you see the Ponte Luís I bridge arching gracefully over the Douro river, or the painted tiles covering São Bento station, it’s clear that Porto is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
The old streets of the Ribiera and Baixa districts tumble down towards the river, and the wide riverfront streets on either side of the Douro are full of bars, entertainment and craft stalls; perfect for an evening wander.
Out at the coast, the Douro river meets the Atlantic at Foz, with inviting sandy beaches in the summer and dramatic waves in the winter, while a day trip upstream takes you to the Douro Valley, where grapes destined for Port wine grow on sun-baked terraces.
2. It’s compact, and easy to get to know
One of my favourite things about Porto is how densely-packed all the main sights are.
If you’re staying in the centre of Porto like I did, almost everything is within walking distance; from Carmo church in the north of the main sightseeing area to the Port wine cellars across the river is less than 2 miles.
There are lots of landmarks, which means it’s easy to find your way around, and you’ll quickly feel at home exploring the city.
Getting to and from the airport is easy using Porto’s modern tram network which drops you in the city centre. Uber and Bolt ride-sharing services are available and relatively cheap to use – the first time I ever used Uber was here in Porto!
3. The food is amazing
If you’re a foodie, you’ll love Porto. I started my trip with a visit to the Time Out Food Market next to São Bento station, where you can try Portuguese dishes (including Porto’s hearty classic, Francesinha), plus plant-based options, burgers and pizza.
Porto has 33 restaurants in the Michelin guide and 10 with Michelin stars, but you don’t need to spend a fortune or make reservations months in advance to experience Porto’s food scene.
A spicy Bifana pork sandwich at Restaurante Conga will set you back less than €4 (although you might need to queue around the block!). A delicious warm and flaky pastel de nata (Portuguese egg tart) from a branch of the Manteigaria bakery is €1.50.
4. The world-famous port wine
Porto is famous for being the home of port wine, and the riverside in Vila Nova de Gaia (opposite the city of Porto) is full of historic port wine cellars. Most of the port wine makers offer guided tours where you can see their giant barrels of wine being matured, followed by a tasting of two or three types of port.
I’ve done two tours of port wine cellars on my trips to Porto; my favourite tour was the one at Taylors where we wandered through warehouses full of delicious-smelling barrels with an audio guide so we could go at our own pace.
The tour at the Calem cellar that I did on my most recent trip was a bit shorter, but it ended with an amazing tasting where we got to pair different types of port with cheese and chocolate.
If you don’t fancy the tour, bars and wine shops all over Porto offer port tastings for around €5-10.
5. You can do as much or as little as you like
Porto is absolutely packed with things to do, and there’s more opening all the time. The classic Porto sights like São Bento Station, the Sé (Cathedral), Clérigos Tower, the beautiful Livraria Lello bookshop and boat tours on the Douro are all still unmissable, but now there’s even more to see.
A huge new museum complex, WOW, has opened in Vila Nova de Gaia, with a wine experience, chocolate museum, Lego exhibition and an experience dedicated to rosé wine.
The Mercado do Bolhão reopened after a massive renovation in 2022 (thanks at least in part to Anthony Bourdain) and other attractions like a neon experience, museum of senses and light shows in the old smuggling tunnels have all opened in the last few years. There are loads of activities too; I got to paint my own Azulejo at a tile-painting class and it really made me appreciate the tiles I saw around the city.
There are easily enough things to do in Porto to fill a 3 day itinerary, and if you’re looking for a city break full of sightseeing, museums and experiences then Porto has plenty to offer. But the beauty of Porto is that if you’d rather spend a leisurely weekend strolling around the lovely streets, enjoying a pastel de nata in a coffee shop and relaxing by the riverside, that’s time well spent too.
6. The weather is (mostly) great
Porto has an Atlantic climate, which means it’s mild most of the year. I’ve visited Porto in October, June and February and had lovely weather each time, with just the odd heavy shower.
It was particularly lovely for my February visit to arrive in sunny Porto from rainy Manchester; the magnolia trees were in blossom, the tulips were out and it really felt like spring was on the way.
If it does rain during your visit, there are plenty of things to do indoors. It never gets super cold, and although there have been heatwaves in recent years, summer is usually pretty manageable.
7. There’s tons of history
Porto is one of the oldest cities in Europe, and you can really tell as you’re walking around. The city gave Portugal its name (there was a Roman settlement here called Portus Cale) and there’s history on practically every street.
Henry the Navigator was born in Porto in 1394, and the city was a key base for the Portuguese voyages of discovery. To understand more about the history of Porto and Portugal, just look around São Bento railway station. The entrance hall is covered floor to ceiling in gorgeous azulejo tile panels showing scenes from Portuguese history.
The historic centre of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, full of winding medieval streets, tall, traditional houses, churches, and those beautiful tiled facades Porto is so famous for.
Across the Douro river in Vila Nova de Gaia, the Port wine lodges tell another important part of the city’s story. British merchants set up here in the 18th century after the Methuen Treaty opened up the wine trade, and you can still tour the lodges and hear all about it today.
8. It’s a great city for shopping
One of my favourite things about Porto is the shopping. You’ll find all the usual European chains like Zara and H&M, plus Portuguese brands like Parfois on the main shopping streets around Via Catarina, but the real joy of shopping in Porto is the independent shops. You’ll find them all over the city, selling everything under the sun; my favourites were the chocolate, perfume and t-shirt shops but we also walked past a shop selling traffic cones!
There are lots of markets too. The Mercado do Bolhão is the most famous but I also enjoyed visiting Mercado Porto Belo and Urban Market – both have tempting stalls with jewellery, crafts, vinyl, vintage cameras and art prints. On a previous trip to Porto I went to a lovely market in Foz, out by the beach.
9. There are lots of brilliant day trips
With São Bento station right in the centre and mainline connections from Campanhã station, Porto is in a great location for day trips. I loved my day trip from Porto to Aveiro, a gorgeous town nicknamed the ‘Venice of Portugal’ because of its canals and traditional boats. It’s also got its own sweet treat, Ovos Moles de Aveiro.
One of the most popular day trips from Porto is up the Douro Valley to see where the port wine grapes are grown on steep, terraced hillsides. There’s a train line up the valley (although timings can be challenging for a day trip), or you can take an organised tour which includes a coach transfer, a wine tasting and a boat ride on the Douro.
Other easy day trips from Porto include the pretty cities of Guimarães, Braga and Coimbra.
10. There are beautiful beaches
Before my first trip to Porto I hadn’t really thought of it as a beach city, but the coast rivals many beach resorts. The area of Foz do Douro, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, has a picturesque beach next to the lovely lighthouse, while a little further up, Matosinhos has a wide, sandy beach with surf schools and beach bars.
My second trip to Porto was for the Primavera Sound Porto music festival which is held in Matosinhos, and it’s an amazing combination; chilling at the beach or wandering around beautiful Porto during the day, and seeing some of the world’s most famous music acts at night. I went for my birthday and it was one of my favourite ever birthday trips.
11. It’s easy to get to and around
Getting to Porto is really easy. Flights from Manchester Airport (my local) take just over two hours, and there are direct flights to Porto with Jet2 from Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle. Once you land, the metro runs from the airport straight into the city centre in around 30 minutes and costs just a couple of euros.
Porto city centre is compact enough that you can walk almost everywhere. The catch is that it is pretty hilly, especially around the old town, so comfortable shoes are non-negotiable! It’s worth planning your Porto itinerary carefully to make sure you’re not having to traipse up and down them too often.
Uber is cheap and works well for when the hills get the better of you, although a tuk tuk might be better in the narrow streets of Ribeira. If you’re planning a trip out to the coast then you can take a historic tram along the river from the Infante tram stop. I don’t recommend hiring a car unless you’re planning to head outside the city on a day trip as traffic and parking are both challenging in the city centre, especially at the moment when there are lots of roadworks for a new Metro line.
12. It’s great value for money
Porto is such good value compared to most western European cities. Food and drink in local restaurants and cafes is affordable, and wine in particular is delightfully cheap.
We bought a bottle of very nice Vinho Verde to drink while we wandered around the Mercado do Bolhão eating all the delicious food (yes it’s a thing!) and it only set us back €12. You can get a port wine tasting with three or four varieties for as little as €5.
A lot of the best things to do in Porto are free. São Bento station, the Ribeira area, crossing the Dom Luís I Bridge, the street art, the stunning views across the city; none of these cost anything, and they were among the highlights of my trip. The metro is cheap, and if you’re happy to walk, you can cover most of the centre without spending much at all.
13. There are lots of lovely places to stay
Porto has some wonderful places to stay, and it’s worth taking the time to find somewhere with a bit of character. I stayed at the Pousada do Porto – Rua das Flores booked through Jet2Holidays, a 4-star in a beautiful historic building with a small pool, a sauna, and very classy interior design. The staff were warm and helpful, and breakfast was excellent, with a plentiful supply of pasteis de nata to fuel me up for a day exploring Porto.
The Pousada do Porto – Rua das Flores was right across the street from the place I stayed in on my first trip to Porto, and it’s a brilliant location. Rua das Flores is a buzzy, mostly pedestrian street in the historic centre, a few minutes’ walk from São Bento station and near shops, restaurants and bars. It’s also about halfway up the hill between the riverside sights and Clérigos Tower, so you never have to do the whole climb in one go.
The city really feels like it’s got a lot more attention in the last few years and there are new Porto hotels springing up all the time. Both the Pousada do Porto – Rua das Flores and the hotel I stayed in on my last trip to Porto had only been open for a couple of years.
14. It’s easy to combine Porto with a trip to Lisbon
If you’re already thinking about a trip to Portugal, Porto is very easy to combine with Lisbon for a two centre trip. For my first trip to Porto, I flew into Lisbon, had a few days there then took the train from Lisbon up to Porto and from there flew home to Manchester.
The Alfa Pendular train runs between Lisbon and Porto in less than 3 hours. The trains are comfortable and reasonably priced, and it’s a much better option than flying. You can break up the journey even more by stopping off in the university city Coimbra or Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal.
A week splitting your time between Lisbon and Porto is a popular trip, for good reason. They’re very different cities, with their own special atmospheres, so you won’t feel like you’re covering the same ground twice. Lisbon is bigger and louder, Porto is smaller, more charming and quicker to get to know.
Are there any downsides to visiting Porto?
I love Porto, but over my three visits, I’ve definitely noticed the city getting more busy and touristy. The Livraria Lello bookshop is where I’ve noticed it most; on my first visit in 2016 I had to buy a ticket but that’s it – I bought a ticket outside and walked straight in.
Looking back at my photos from that visit, the bookshop is busy, but nothing like as packed as it was in February 2026. It’s still worth seeing for the building itself, but try to book the first slot of the day and don’t expect a quiet browse.
With more tourist demand, some prices have crept up. For example, I paid £200 for a three night stay on Rua das Flores in 2016; the same studio apartment for the same weekend in 2026 is £350. As in lots of other cities, the rise of Airbnb is making the housing market really difficult for locals so I’ve stayed in hotels on my last two trips.
And the hills really are significant. By day two your legs will know about it, and some people might find them too difficult to manage.
So, is Porto worth it?
So is Porto worth visiting? I’ve been to Porto three times and I’m already planning my fourth trip, so for me it’s a definite yes!
There are so many reasons to visit Porto; the architecture alone is worth the trip, but then you add in the food, the port wine, the brilliant value for money, the beaches, the day trips and how easy the whole city is to get around, and it becomes very hard to say no. Whether you want a packed sightseeing itinerary or a romantic long weekend sipping port sangria by the river, Porto delivers.
What do you think, is Porto worth visiting? If you’ve been before, let me know what you loved the most in the comments!
Pin it for later!
