‘It’s forbidden, but you can do it,’ in Porto, Portugal’s relaxed second city

A vintage tram runs along the Porto riverfront to the ocean beaches

You go girls: The Tuna Feminina outside the Sao Bento train station in Porto

Serendipitous sightings, such as this all-female group of street musicians, always seem to trump the traditional must-see sights in any city. Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city after Lisbon, is no exception.

It wasn’t that long ago that this northern coastal (Oporto in Portuguese) city, 30 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean, was known mainly as a transportation hub for Port wine coming from grapes grown in the nearby Douro River Valley. Tourists  began discovering its hilly cobblestone streets, Art Deco architecture, cafes, restaurants and medieval city center after Ryan Air began offering cheap flights a few years ago. 

The Medieval Porto waterfront

Today, Porto is firmly on the bus tour circuit, but for those who can make it more than a day trip from Lisbon, rewards await.

The view from the balcony of our Airbnb on pedestrianized Rua das Flores

Tom and I flew here directly from Amsterdam, the first stop on a trip aimed at discovering a few new “second tier” cities away from the major urban hubs attracting post-Covid crowds. We loved people-watching from the balcony of our Airbnb on Rua das Flores, one of many pedestrian shopping streets in the historical center. Our hostess thoughtfully left us two little bottles of port to christen our arrival.

When in Porto…

Student choral groups regularly gather here and elsewhere performing traditional Portuguese folk songs. They dress in black, and are mostly male. It was good to see young women getting into the act, strumming mandolins, base fiddles, accordions etc., and opening their guitar cases for tips. We found the group, performing above, while on our way into the Sao Bento train station, a century-old former convent known for its 22,000 ceramic blue tiles depicting important historical events. The station is pretty, but our real “find” that day was this enthusiastic group of female musicians.

Sao Bento train station 

Our Airbnb didn’t come with breakfast, which was fine because it gave us a chance to try out some Portuguese morning specialities such as the pastel de nata - little egg tarts; the galao, a latte served in a tall glass; and sardine sandwiches with roasted red peppers. Everyone speaks English and Spanish here, but it’s been fun perfecting the three Portuguese words needed to order the egg tarts and coffee.

Favorite 5 euro mid-morning snack

For anyone in search of Americanized breakfast fare, there is the museum-quality MacDonald’s in the location a former 1930s Art Deco cafe. All the mirrors, chandeliers and stained glass remain intact.

“It’s forbidden but you can do it,” is Porto’s motto, according to Sergio, a tour guide for Porter Walkers which leads groups on daily, free two-hour walking tours. This might apply to walking up to the city center from the riverfront instead of taking the funicular or a cab. Or breaking your diet to join the locals in their favorite lunchtime pastime of indulging on a sandwich called the Francesinha or “Little Frenchie.”

The Porto waterfront along the Douro River. 

The funicular from the waterfront to the top of town looked like a Covid breeding ground, so we climbed the stairs instead. 

Tom felt the walk justified a Francesinha, a heart attack on a plate that our guide, Sergio, says he allows himself to eat just once a month. The sandwich consists of five types of meats and cheese sandwiched between slices of white bread, topped with sauce and an egg. We shared ours at a sidewalk table at Santiago’s, the go-to place in town for the best Francesinhas. Our waiter was pleased that Tom joined his clean plate club. As any good journalist knows, “Anything for the story (or the picture),” as long as it’s legal and doesn’t harm anyone, not counting yourself.

 A Francesinha at Santiago’s in Porto

Portuguese food on the whole seems heavy on meat, so we’ve been sticking to its other speciality, cod fish, or trying out a surprising variety of ethnic restaurants. Our favorite so far was a Nepalese restaurant where we had a vegetarian meal of momos (dumplings), cauliflower pakora; and a platter of tofu curry and veggies. Portugal is good value, especially with the euro and dollar now equal in value. Dinners for two have been running us around $35. 

One of Porto’s best museums is the Serralves contemporary art museum and sculpture park, a 5 euro Uber ride from the city center. Set in wooded areas and gardens are pieces by Clases Oldenburg (creator of the Typewriter Eraser  that the Seattle Art Museum displayed for a while), and Anish Kapoor, whose Sky Mirror produced an interesting selfie.

Clases Oldenburg’s Plantoir 

Selfie in the Sky Mirror

The garden tasting room at Taylor’s in Porto

All the famous English port wine producers (Taylor’s, Dow, Sandeman) have operations based in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto, and in the nearby Douro River Valley where a microclimate is ideal for cultivating olives and almonds as well as grapes. Port developed in the 1700s when war prevented the British from continuing to import French wine. Looking for a substitute, they discovered Portuguese wine. Port, fermented and fortified with alcohol, became known as a wine that could survive a long sea journey. We visited Taylor’s cellars and tasting room in Porto, then headed two hours by train to the small town of Pinhao in the Douro to see the terraced vineyards in the mountains.

Vineyard views from a mountain top village

Vineyard views from a river boat 

One way to take in the landscape is on a one-hour boat cruise. The other is to take a taxi to one of the high-up villages such as Casal de Loivos, altitude 1,400 feet, and walk back to Pinghao, a 2.5-hour zig-zag trek through olive groves and vineyards. We tried both, reaching the mountaintop village by taxi with a friendly female driver, and doing an olive oil and wine tasting in town before walking down.

Olive oil and wine tasting at Casal de Lovios  

The walk downhill through the vineyards

The walk was filled with amazing views. We look happy here, but with temps in the low-80s, full sun and no shade, we were also happy when we reached the bottom an hour and a half later. A restaurant called the Writer’s Place called our name. Located next to the train tracks, it was originally one of several small houses set aside for railroad employees.  One of them was a writer. The owner greeted us as we walked by, and showed us a table overlooking the river. How could we resist? His wife cooked a traditional Portuguese meal - green soup made with kale and potatoes, baked cod and roasted peppers.

The Writer’s Place in Pinhao

P.S. We are the only ones wearing masks on the trains, trams or indoor public places. Covid cases are rising in many parts of Europe. Many people we know have tested positive for Covid during or after traveling, so we’re not taking any chances. Strongly suggest you do the same if there’s a trip in your future.

Tom has done a terrific and more detailed report on our trip with all of our pictures at https://puciello.com/wp/1-hello-from-porto-portugal/