If you’ve been to Portugal you likely have had a love affair with Porto. Before we left for Portugal everyone I spoke to who had been there would ask, “are you going to Porto?” or would comment, “oh, Porto is so amazing!” Thus, my expectations were high, very high.

And after visiting, its obvious why. Porto is the dream a European vacation should be – vividly bright, charm around each tiled corner, dazzling sweets in the window of bakeries and cafes everywhere. The moment we arrived we felt our welcome to the city in the cozy historic streets.

So what to do and see? Below is our photo documentation of the port, street art, churches, funicular, gardens and overall wandering that we did.

Port Tasting

Of course when in Porto, port! I personally already loved port wine prior to visiting, so I had researched a bunch online ahead of time to decide which spots I wanted to check out (I found this page quite useful). For me, deciding factors were as follows:

  1. can we sit outside?
  2. do they have flights so we can compare the ports without seriously overdoing it?
  3. old and historical?

And then we ended up just going to ones that were open, the ultimate deciding factor because, convenience. The ones I love the most? Probably Kopke.

Street Art Hunting in Porto

Porto has an overwhelming amount of street art, and we were totally here for it. Hunting for artwork is the perfect outdoor activity for older kids and teens – its a chance to see a city while limiting the number of old, stodgy buildings they need to endure. And meanwhile you can stop for snacks, drinks, a meal so everyone stays happy.

Some of the more famous artworks in Porto include Half Rabbit by Bordalo II, and Perspéntico blue cat, but here’s an updated article of many more.

One of our fav family activities on vacation is searching out interesting street art. It keeps everyone engaged and makes long walks that might otherwise be less interesting to the girls more of an adventure. Portugal overall has fabulous street art, and Porto has some fine examples.

Porto Churches

There are lots of churches in Porto, unsurprisingly. We hit a few but didn’t often go in, as they were either closed or my kids weren’t in the mood. Still, getting to enjoy the blue tile facades was really what I was interested in.

Igreja do Carmo & Around – probably the most photographed of the Porto churches with the blue tiles.

Paróquia de Santo Ildefonso – pretty and standing there all alone.

São Nicolau – definitely winning the award for creeepiest Porto church, this one gave me quite a vibe.

Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls) – winning the award for most acute fire hazard as you light a prayer candle.

Porto Sites – Jardins do Palacio de Cristal

Best thing – baby peacocks.

Porto Sites – Livraria Lello

The charming bookstore is pure tourist chaos, no matter the time of day, thanks in part to J.K. Rowling’s name dropping. But its for a good reason, as the elegant wooden staircase really is a thing of beauty. Also, you never see the outside of the building in photos online, but it is also so lovely, so I included one!

Porto Sites – Majestic Cafe

Majestic Cafe, also made famous because of J.K. Rowling hanging out there while writing Harry Potter, is charming, and the chocolate is delicious.

Porto Sites – Funicular dos Guindais

Taking the funicular connects the Batalha and the Ribeira. Its a short ride but fabulous views. Plus kinda exciting.

Around Porto – Wandering