Porto and Surroundings in 5 Days

In this article we’ll take you with us to discover Porto and three other towns of Northern Portugal, which we reached aboard our van. You can consider this itinerary even if you decide to rent a car after flying into Porto. If instead you’re planning to visit or add other parts of the country to your trip, head to the general article.

Itinerary

• Day 1 - Valença:

  Valença is the first town you come across crossing the border from Northern Spain. We recommend a visit to the Fortaleza, a medieval structure with shops, restaurants and historic sites within the walls, from which you can admire a beautiful view.

• Day 2 - Viana do Castelo:

  Viana do Castelo is one of the most beautiful cities in Northern Portugal, with its characteristic historic centre, extremely rich in elegant historic buildings. The heart of city life is the pedestrian Praça da República, home to the old town hall and a granite Renaissance fountain. In Viana do Castelo you can also visit the Gil Eannes ship, which once brought medical aid to the Portuguese fishing boats that caught cod. Other sites not to miss are the Cathedral, the Santiago da Barra Fortress, which lets you walk along its ramparts, and the Igreja da Misericórdia with its wonderful decorative tiles, considered among the most beautiful in all of Portugal. What we recommend not missing is Monte de Santa Luzia, the hill rising behind the city, reachable by funicular or via a two-kilometre uphill road. From the top you can admire incredible views and visit the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the ruins of a fortified village. We hope you get good weather — when we went up we were wrapped in thick autumn fog.

  

• Day 3 - Braga:

  Braga is one of Portugal’s oldest cities, and right nearby is the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, surrounded by a splendid park. You can reach it either via a monumental zigzagging granite staircase with over 600 steps, which also features the Stations of the Cross, or via the Bom Jesus funicular, the oldest water-powered funicular in the world. We chose to go up on the funicular, since it was pouring with rain, and come down via the staircase. The panoramic view from the top is magnificent. The ticket costs €1.50 one way and €2 return, and the ride lasts about 5 minutes.

  

• Day 4/5 - Porto:

  Arriving by van, we parked outside the city on the other side of the river (in the twin town of Vila Nova de Gaia, world famous for producing the finest Port wine) and comfortably reached the centre with a half-hour walk. Alternatively you can use the handy public transport. Crossing the iron Dom Luís I bridge, we reached the Ribeira district: a maze of steep, cobbled little streets with colourful house façades, flower-covered balconies, restaurants and craft shops. From this district you reach the Church of St Francis, whose interior is entirely covered in gold. The ticket price is €7.50. We admit we didn’t go in, since it felt off to us that over 100 kg of gold were used to decorate this church, dedicated to the “Poor Man of Assisi”. Reaching the Vitória district, we then headed to São Bento (St Benedict) station: one of Porto’s most visited tourist attractions, with its more than 20,000 blue-and-white painted azulejos (tiles). Not far away you’ll find the curious “Lello e Irmão” bookshop, said to have inspired some scenes in Harry Potter (admission costs €5, refundable against the purchase of a book). We didn’t go in due to the queue of people, but if you want you can book online on the official website at this link  .

Fun facts

In Porto we tried Pastéis de bacalhau, a typical salt cod croquette, served if you like with a small glass of Port wine. Across the bridge you’ll find numerous wine cellars where you can taste the typical local liqueur.

Our vlog

In the video below you can see our adventures in Northern Portugal!