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Porto, PortugalPage 3
ABOVE: A building in Ribeira, Porto's riverside quarter. Sightseeing and excursionsIn the city:
Head west, and you'll run into the Sé, or cathedral, which has a Gothic cloister and a viewing terrace that are worth seeing after you've made the obligatory tour of the sanctuary with its silver altar. If you still have an appetite for churches, walk toward the Douro and the Igreja de San Francisco, which is famous for its polychromed and gilded "Tree of Jesse" woodcarving.
In Vila Nova da Gaia:
Along the seashore:
In the region:
Escorted tours: Porto's least-expensive (and most flexible) city tour is STCP public transit's double-decker Porto Vintage Sightseeing bus, which offers "hop on, hop off" service on a 90-minute scenic loop that will take you from the city center to the Atlantic oceanfront and back via a different route. You can listen to a commentary in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, or Japanese. Best of all, your ticket is good all day--not just on the vintage double-decker, but also on STCP public buses.
Alternatively, you can book tours locally when you're in Porto, which is a good idea if you're on a leisurely schedule and don't need to plan ahead. Next page: Museums and culture
Top photo copyright © Valdemir Cunha. |
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The
historic center of Porto is compact, and you can easily visit the major sights
on foot. You might want to begin your walking tour at the Tourist Office on the
Praça Dom João I (opposite the city hall), where
you can pick up maps and brochures. Head downhill to the Praça da Liberdade and
the São Bento railroad station, which opened in 1910 and has huge murals
of azulejo tile in the main lobby. (If you need to use the toilets,
they're just beyond the entrance to the train platforms.) 
Nearby
is the Teatro Nacional San João, which is
worth a glance as you head for the church of Santa Clara with its gilded
interior of carved wood.
There's
plenty more to see in central Porto, but don't limit yourself to a
guidebook-imposed walking tour: Allow time to wander around, visit the shops,
and sample a café or two. Finally, when you're ready for a change of pace, walk
across the Ponte de Dom Luis I to the Douro's south bank.
The
south side of the Douro is lined with a riverfront park, and traditional
port-wine boats are anchored just offshore. Behind the waterfront are port
lodges (see my 
If
you can spare the time, head out the Avenida da Boavista to the Forte de São
Francisco Xavier, more popularly known as the Castelo do Queijo ("Castle
of Cheese"), where pensioners play cards at the base of the fortress walls while
Atlantic breakers kick up spray on the rocks. Then take the bus or walk along
the coastal avenues to the Castelo de São João da Foz and Portugal's
oldest lighthouse at the mouth of the Douro. (In summer, locals flock to the
beaches between the two forts.)
Another
option is to take the
Porto is the gateway to the Douro Valley wine district, which
you can easily reach by car, by the railroad that follows the river, or by
excursion boat. For example, you could take an
excursion boat to
Many
other interesting towns in Northern Portugal are within an hour or two of Porto.
For more information on the region and how to get around it, browse the itineraries at
Viator, our sightseeing-tour partner, offers guided all-day tours
to the Douro wine region and the pilgrimage city of
