Darling escapes: Porto and beyond
I think I could say the same about every destination that we've visited... that it's our favorite one. And Portugal is not an exception. We arrived in Porto in an August afternoon which seemed quite cold for a summer day and the first impression of the city was not very good, although our expectiations were high. The streets were a bit dirty, the coffee places were not as cosy as we were expecting, the old buildings seemed abandoned and it was way too cold. But we decided to have dinner, go to be bed and give it another chance in the morning. And that was a great decision because in the morning we discovered a wonderful city. Porto is a charming place, with lots of hidden gems to discover, because there's more to show than meets the eye.
Here are some tips for a trully local experience around Porto (not going to make a list of all the tourist attractions though, there are Lonely Planet guides for that):
- the hunt for azulejos. You won't need a map for this because these beautiful tiles are everywhere, decoranting churches and houses all over the city. Just stop for a coffee and admire the old building and these ceramic tiles, one of the strongest cultural expressions in Portugal and an important heritage of the moorish culture in the country's history.
- eat like a local. I couldn't help but notice that altough the city has many tourists, being the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon, and the main pedestrian street is very crowded, Porto has preserved it's authenticity. You won't see any fancy modern looking bakeries or coffee shops. Those that the locals buy from are destined for tourists as well, and everything has such a homey feeling, from the homemade cookies to the old lady that sells them. Small corner shops and family businesses that you don't find anymore in other European cities. Even next to our hotel, we used to have coffee with the locals and grab pastries to go every day for our road trips.
- have lunch at Bolhao Market. It may not look like Boqueria or Atarazanas, but you'll have the best fresh fish in town. In almost every city that we visit, we go to a local. Because that's the best place to eat and feel the city like a local.
- sunset over Douro and most probably the most photographed scene of Porto. Cross one of the bridges over Douro river by train and visit the wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. They sit imposingly astride the river, inviting you for tours of barrel-lines cellars, tastings and dinner on the rooftop terraces overlooking the historic center of Porto. Our favorite is by far Taylor's, because of the amazing wine and the tremendous view from it's terrace. But be careful and don't go for too many tastings at the other cellars, as this one is the last one up on the hill and you might have some troubles getting there!
- last but not least is the Sao Bento train station. One of the most beautiful representations of azulejos in Portugal and the place to start your journey for wonderful trips in the nearby cities. Because we are true explorers and don't like to stay in one place, so our trip to northwestern Portugal did not stop in Porto. From Sao Bento station we took the train for several day trips for Braga, Guimaraes and Aveiro. Very easy, cheap and confortable. A one hour trip to each of these cities. Perfect for sightseeing and for enjoying those pasteis de nata that we had bought.
What we loved about these small cities was the laid-back atmosphere. The bars decorated with football team scarves in Braga, taking the local bus to Bom Jesus de Monte or buy souvenirs from an antique shop in the central market. Watching the old couples stop for coffee after the Sunday mass in Guimares or floating down the canals in Moliceiros or having lunch on the river side in Aveiro and enjoying ordinary Portuguese cuisine. And by far the biggest surprise of our journey was the beach gettaway to Costa Nova do Prado, very easy to access by bus from the city centre of Aveiro. I had read about this small fisherman village in a magazine and I'm happy that we had the chance to visit it. Walking past the painted houses feels like you've returned to older times. The perfect description of a slow life. We grabbed a coffee and some snacks from the local market and went for a picnic on the beach, which is few steps away from the street. The wind is quite strong on the Atlantic coast and surfing would have been a better idea, but still it was the best way to end our journey.