Porto Tourist Places to Visit in Porto, Portugal, Europe

Porto Tourist Places to Visit in Porto, Portugal, Europe

Porto is the second largest city of Portugal followed by Lisbon, located in the northern part of the country between 41°9′43.71″ N latitude and 8°37′19.03″ W longitude. It is a global city widely renowned for its historical sites, cultural and entertainment centres.

Geography of Porto:

Porto is situated along the Douro river estuary, around 315 km north of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. The city of Porto is spread over an area of 389 sq. km.

History of Porto:

Porto is one of the oldest cities of Europe since its history goes back to 275 BC when it was originally settled by the Celtic tribe. Porto was specially noted in its history as it witnessed the marriage of King of Portugal and the Algarve, John I and the daughter of John of Gaunt, Philippa. The historic centre of Porto gained a place in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

Connectivity to Porto:

Porto hosts an airport, named Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport, situated around 13 km away from the centre of the city. This airport operates flights from and to Amsterdam, Caracas, Geneva, Paris, Toronto, Munich, London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Madrid and many other global destinations.

Visitors can use metro or bus or taxi to reach city centre from the airport. By metro, it costs around €2 and by taxi, it costs around €20 from the airport to the heart of the city.

Porto is connected to all around the country by both bus and train services.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Porto:

Porto houses several internationally renowned cultural centres including the Serralves, Casa da Música and São João National Theatre. São João Festival is the most famous event in Porto held in the month of June annually.

Some popular shopping points in Porto include:

Santa Catarina street
Mercado do Bolhão
Cedofeita street

Francesinha is a must try dish in Porto and another famous dish is Porto is Bacalhau.

Things to do in Porto:

Taste Porto Food Tours
Bluedragon City Tours
Xtreme Jet Boat River Safari
Porto Free Walking Tour

Tourist Attractions in Porto:

Porto Cathedral:

The Porto Cathedral is one of the highlights of the city situated in the historical centre. This Romanesque cathedral was initially constructed in the 12^th century and later several times altered using different architectural styles.

Episcopal Palace of Porto:

Situated near the Porto Cathedral, the Episcopal Palace was earlier the house of the bishops of Porto. It is a 12^th or 13th century palace and becoming a part of the historic centre of Porto, it was recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Serralves:

Housing a Park, a Contemporary Art Museum and villa, Serralves is one of the major cultural centres as well as tourist attractions in Porto. The museum in Serralves is Portugal’s most visited museum receiving around 300,000 visitors annually.

Other places of interest in and around Porto include:

Parque da Cidade do Porto
Rail Station Sao Bento
Zona Ribeirinha
Ponte D. Luis I
Sao Francisco Church
Palacio da Bolsa
Estadio do Dragao
Clerigos Tower
Casa da Musica
Igreja do Carmo
Funicular dos Guindais
Centro Portugues de Fotografia
Rua Santa Catarina
Igeria de Sao Pedro dos Clerigos
Capela das Almas

Ideal time to visit Porto:

As like most Portuguese cities, Porto experiences a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and rainy winters. The best time to visit Porto is from April to September.

Accommodation Options in Porto:

Porto is a colorful and scenic city dotted with the dozens of world class hotels providing memorable staying experience for visitors. The most famous hotels in Porto are listed below: