A Truly Scenic City

A. About Porto

Nickname:  City of Bridges

Built on granite cliffs overlooking the mighty River Douro 3 km from the river’s mouth on the Atlantic Ocean, Porto is a truly scenic city.

The main landmark is the Ponte D. Luis I, a huge metal arch bridge offering fantastic views over the atmospheric riverside.

Another highlight is the neoclassical Palacio da Bolsa, a remarkably beautiful Arab Hall in the city's Commercial Association.

 

Best Things to do in Porto

The Good:

The country’s second-largest city scores solidly in almost all of the categories, remarkably high because of its dramatic location and is additionally very affordable.

People have a reputation for being lively, friendly, and good-natured.

The Not-So-Good:

Porto is not a city of outstanding monuments and annual precipitation is high making Porto one of the wettest cities in Europe.

With around 300'000 inhabitants Porto is a rather small city, but the Porto metropolitan area (Greater Porto) has some 2,500,000 inhabitants in a 50km radius, with cities like Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia, and Gondomar.

B. Top 10 best things to do in Porto in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)

In total, we count more than twenty-five sights in Porto. The following sights contribute to a score of 6.10/10 in this most important category:

# HISTORIC CENTRE (including CAIS DA RIBEIRA) 7 3.5 out of 5 stars

Sitting on hilly terrain, the Historic Centre of Porto is a maze of steep and narrow cobbled streets and home to extremely beautiful bridges as well as fine churches and plazas.

The most picturesque neighborhood of Porto's Old Town is the Ribeira by the riverside, with tiny houses painted in colorful tones. Just above Ribeira (and still a part of the historic center of Porto) are Baixa and SĂ© neighborhoods, where visitors can explore the most important landmarks of Porto apart from the Ponte Dom Luis I.

Historic Area World Heritage Site: since 1996

Best things to do in Porto | Best Cities | No. 46: Porto | HISTORIC CENTRE

# PONTE DOM LUIS I 7 3.5 out of 5 stars

Completed in 1886 by a student of Gustave Eiffel, this iconic two-hinged, double-deck, arched steel bridge is Porto's top attraction.

Cross the 395 meters long, 44.6 meters high, and eight meters wide bridge along its pedestrian pathway to enjoy incredible views of the river and the Old Town.

Bridge World Heritage Site: since 1996 | Inaugurated: 1886

Best things to do in Porto | Best Cities | Porto | PONTE D. LUIS I

# PALÁCIO DA BOLSA (Stock Exchange Palace) 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Join one of the guided tours to visit Porto's impressive former stock exchange, dating from the mid-19th century.

A not-to-be-missed highlight among the ornamented rooms and salons is, without doubt, the stupendous SalĂŁo Árabe (Arabian Hall) completed in 1880 in Moorish Revival style and heavily inspired by Granada's Alhambra.

Historic Building World Heritage Site: since 1996

Best Things to do in Porto | Best Cities | Porto | PALÁCIO DA BOLSA

by Josep Renalias 

# CHURCH OF SÃO FRANCISCO 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

While average looking from the outside the lavishly decorated Baroque interior with 400 kg (880 lbs) of gold leaf covering intricate wood carvings is just spectacular.

Church World Heritage Site: since 1996

Best things to do in Porto | Best Cities | Porto | CHURCH OF SÃO FRANCISCO

# Livraria Lello 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

With its circular crimson wooden staircase and large stained-glass windows,  Livraria Lello is one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. 

Historic Library 

Best Things to do in Porto

by Alegna13 / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Porto Cathedral (Se Catedral) 5 2.5 out of 5 stars

This imposing 12th-century landmark with beautiful azulejo-decorated cloisters has the appearance of a fortress.

Cathedral

Best Things to do in Porto | Best Cities | Porto | Porto Cathedral (Se Catedral)

# Torre dos Clerigos 5 2.5 out of 5 stars

Ascend the 240 steps to the top of this baroque tower to enjoy panoramic views over Porto.

Historic Tower | Viewpoint Height: 76 m / 249 ft | Built: 1754

Best Things to do in Porto | Best Cities | No. 46: Porto | Torre dos Clérigos

# Church of Santa Clara 5 2.5 out of 5 stars

Behind its unassuming facade, this church is home to some of Portugal's most beautiful woodwork and gilding.

Church Consecrated: 1416

Best Things to do in Porto | Best Cities | Porto | Church of Santa Clara

# Rail Station Sao Bento 5 2.5 out of 5 stars

This historic train station is known for its over 20,000 hand-painted, blue-tiled mosaics (azulejos) in the main hall that reflect the history of Portugal.

Railway Station

Best things to do in Porto | Best Cities | Porto | Rail Station Sao Bento

# City Hall (CĂąmara Municipal) 5 2.5 out of 5 stars

Dating from the 1920's Porto's striking neoclassical city hall with its monumental seventy meters high tower is one of the city’s most famous landmarks.

City Hall

by Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 3.0

Scoring and Icons Legend (Click here for detailed information)

10 = top-10 sight in the world

9 = world-class  

8 = outstanding

7 = excellent 

6 = impressive

5 = interesting

4 = decent

3 = mediocre

2 = bad

1 = abysmal

= World Heritage Site

= Excursion

C. Other Notable Sights and Attractions in Porto

    • Casa da Musica OMA by Rem Koolhaas (built 2005) 5
    • Serralves Foundation (Contemporary Art Museum) 5
    • TelefĂ©rico de Gaia (cable car) 5

D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Porto

UNIVERSITY OF COIMBRA (World Heritage Site since 2013, 122 km from Porto) 6

E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Porto (including close-by excursions)

To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting Porto for at least two entire days:

HISTORIC CENTRE (including CAIS DA RIBEIRA) 7

PONTE D. LUIS I (bridge) 7

PALÁCIO DA BOLSA (historical building) 6

CHURCH OF SÃO FRANCISCO 5.5

 Livraria Lello (library) 5.5

 Porto Cathedral (Se Catedral) 5

 Torre dos Clerigos (tower, view, total 75 m, built 1754) 5

 Church of Santa Clara 5

Rail Station Sao Bento 5

City Hall 5

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