Visitors' first impression upon arriving in Portugal's second-largest city is of the broad avenues and Beaux Arts buildings in the plazas near São Bento train station. But a descent into the oldest part of the city toward the river is a clear reminder: this ain't Paris. Crumbling buildings hang over tiny and confusing streets covered with hanging laundry and echoing with the conversations of residents. Though the historic center of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the area right by the river is lined with shops and restaurants aimed at visitors, there's no question that the old city is not a pristine, Disney-esque tourist town but a living bairro. Porto has the gritty beauty of a true city, built and currently thriving on commerce, not tourism—and it's got the history (and port wine) to go along with it.
Porto's insane maze of steep streets can be very difficult to navigate; at times it seems a topographic map would be more useful than the one available at the tourist offices. At the center of town is ...more
Oporto Poets Hostel, R. dos Caldeireiros, 261 (☎ 223 32 42 09; www.oportopoetshostel.com), This hostel, decorated with literary art and trendy decor, is the hippest place to stay in Porto. The dorms ...more
Palácio da Bolsa, R. de Ferreira Borges (☎ 223 39 90 00; www.palaciodabolsa.pt), The enormous and elegant Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange) sits over Ribeira's main plaza and is one of Porto's most ...more
If you're in Porto, at least one visit to a winery is mandatory. They're either free or very cheap (under €4), and tours usually run about 30-40min. Most of the tasting occurs across the Douro in Vila ...more
The areas around Pr. da Batalha and uphill west of Av. dos Aliados have cafes with inexpensive meals, as do the tiny restaurants that line the waterfront in Ribeira. The best deal around is a francesinha ...more
Porto's nightlife is mostly centered on the Ribeira district down by the water, though recently some great nightlife has sprung up in Vitória, particularly along R. da Galeria de Paris. After 2am, the ...more
Noite de São João, On the evening of June 23 each year, the citizens of Porto run through the streets hitting complete strangers on the head with leeks (not what they look like when you eat them—these ...more
Porto's main shopping area is around the Rua de Santa Catarina, which is lined with stores and has the Via Catarina shopping center, for those pining for an American-style mall. Livraria Lello e Irmão ...more
Tourist Offices:Postos de Turismo Municipais are located throughout the center of town and sell Porto Cards, which give discounts at museums, monuments, shops, and restaurants and provide unlimited access ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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