When someone thinks of visiting Portugal, the first thing they map out is their visit to Lisbon. The capitol city is beautiful and a must see but there is plenty more to discover and one of Portugal’s gems is the city of Porto. Lisbon and Porto seem to have this subtle sibling rivalry much like Mumbai and Delhi do but having been to both I can see how gorgeous each one is. Lisbon is a city people make the time to visit but I think if you miss Porto, you’re missing a lot. These are my top reasons why you should visit this charmingly pretty city.
Porto Food Tours and Andre – This was the highlight of my Porto visit. Andre who heads Taste Porto Food Tours is a breath of fresh air, full of knowledge about the city and where to go for some great gastronomic experiences and most of all, incredibly proud of his city. This is a food centric walking tour but apart from visiting hot spots and hidden gems, Andre takes you all over the city and gives you some great insights, historic knowledge and some great stories about Porto. From the Cathedral, the aqua tiled churches, the Jewish quarters, and even a phenomenal aerial view of Porto, there is plenty to see, discover and eat on this tour.
Cantinho Das Aromaticas – This isn’t in Porto exactly but the nearby town of Gaia which is a ten minute drive. I’ll be honest I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this place as much as I did but it’s so picturesque with its vast amount of greenery, horses grazing in the distance, and it feels like a page out of a story book. The farm grows various aromatic herbs and it is one of the few farms in Western Europe that’s focused on organic farming. It’s one of the prettiest spots and they even encourage volunteers who might possibly interested in working on the farm. They retail a lot of what they grow and you can event shop online at their store here. It’s unlike most places you’ve visited but definitely worth a visit.
The Francesinha– My biggest regret is that I went to the town where this popular dish originated and didn’t get a chance to sample it ! It means ‘ frenchie’ in Portuguese and is actually an adaptation of the famous Croque monsieur but made to pander to typical Portuguese taste. This sandwich is a pork, ham, sausage, steak, melted cheese and tomato sauce fest served with a bed of French fries and usually some local beer. It’s easily found all over the country but Porto is where it’s from and you must try it !
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| This image is taken from the internet |
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| This images is taken from the internet |
Porto Tonic – A lot of people assume that Port wine is red and for the most part they’re right. There is also a white Port wine but it’s seems quite unpopular with locals. To encourage people to drink more white port, they make it a cocktail with white port, tonic water and a lemon wedge and voila! Porto Tonic was born! It’s cool, refreshing and the perfect drink to guzzle. A lot of locals think it’s a fad and turn prefer regular port wine ( which is also delicious ) but I think they’re nuts! I love Porto tonic and it’s something you absolutely positively must try!
Real Companhia Velha – This is one of the oldest and most prestigious wine companies in Portugal. The go back 258 years and own some of the best estates in the Douro Valley which really is the cradle of port wine production. While the estate and vineyards are a little further away Real Companhia Velha can take you through a tour of their cellars and organize exquisite tastings. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you are interested in wine this is the place to visit!
I was in Porto for a day and managed to squeeze in a fair bit but I’m sure there’s a lot more to explore and discover in this gorgeous city. If you’ve been there or are a local please let me know what I missed !
Disclaimer – This trip was part of a food tour organised by Aptece but the views and opinions are all mine.
Hola Roxanne,
Sorry I have to disagree with you here. I think Lisbon is the best. In fact it is in my view one of the most scenic cities in Europe to visit. Porto is nice but not as great as its bigger sister. The wine is indeed great. I drink it often. This Porto tonic I have never tried, but shall do so. Thanks for the tip.
Hahah thanks Stefania. I’m not saying Porto is better, infact I agree with you I love Lisbon and thinks its a fab city I’m just saying don’t ignore Porto it’s a must visit as well 🙂
Olá Roxanne,
Thank you for this interesting foodie post of yours! I am a bit like you: I discovered Porto thanks to its great and amazing food scene, and a charming and entertaining Taste Porto Food Tour with André in June this year. Ever since, I think of ways to come back. 😉 Next time you come, you should definitely try Francesinhas at a place called “O Golfinho”, a little bar/restaurant that André showed me. Delightful – I still remember the melt-in-your-mouth taste of the beautiful Francesinha sandwich to this present day. 😀
Have a look at more of my Portugal (food) stories on my own travel blog if you like: http://www.creativelena.com/en/travel-blog/europe/portugal-europe/
Really hope to meet you one day, perhaps at next year’s Lisbon World Food Travel Summit in April 2015? I’ll be there. 🙂
Até já,
Elena 🙂
Thanks so much Elena, I’m going to check your blog right away ! I think Andre just made Porto even more appealing with his tour 🙂 I don’t know If Ill be back in April I hope I can make it, would be lovely to meet you 🙂
We can’t compare Porto and Lisbon. Both cities are worth paying a visit. But if we put the pint on genuinity Porto is by far the best. In every aspects ! People for a start….Once you meet and get acquainted with natives you instantly fall in love with them. Lisbon, on the other hand is known for a melt and mixture of race, creed and cultures. People are not as nice and heart-souled as the “Portuenses”. This is where Porto beats Lisbon by far. And believe me: it’s all it matters….
That’s true you can’t compare, each beautiful in their own way and i enjoyed both immensely 🙂
In Porto she spent just a day
On a walking tour with Andre
She’s fascinated
It scintillated
And in Porto Tonic, it’s secret lay!