Porto — Day 5 of a 8-Day Trip in Portugal
We were off to Porto for Day 5. Porto is a hub for port, churches, delicious food, and cute shops! There is a gorgeous wine valley called Duoro Valley near Porto, as well as many port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, which is connected to Porto by the Dom Luis Bridge. We were at Porto for 3 days, the first day being mainly a Porto sight seeing day.
Day 5
Porto
We were not too hungry, so we said our goodbyes to the Aveiro Canals and headed to Porto. The train ride from Aveiro to Porto was about an hour and a half. We got off at the Sao Bento Station in Porto. The walls of the station are lined with beautiful ceramic tiles. It was too early to check in at our Airbnb, so we stored our bags at the station lockers.
By this time, I was starving, so we headed to Casa de Pasto O Golfinho for francesinha. Francesinha is a Porto staple and consists of steak, ham, sausages in between two slices of bread with melted cheese and a wine/beer tomato sauce. We also got fries on the side to dip in the sauce. It was all very tasty, but also very heavy. The shop is small, family-owned, and the owner is very sweet. The owner came to give us an extra helping of the tomato sauce, but we had already finished our meal!
After lunch, we bought tickets for the Clerigos Church and Tower. There was some time until our entry time, so we wandered the Porto streets. We passed by Igreja do Carmo and Livraria Lello. Igreja do Carmo is a catholic church and much like the rest of the city, has ceramic tiles lining the walls. There is an admission fee to enter, so we only observed it from outside. Livraria Lello is a bookstore with a Harry Potter-esque feel. In fact, it is said that J.K. Rowling based the book shop in the Harry Potter books on Livraria Lello. The line was very long and we did not want to wait however.
It was time for our visit to Clerigos Church and Tower. The church is a Baroque church and the tower offers great views of Porto (after ascending the main steps). In the distance, we could see the riverfront, Cais da Ribeira.
Afterwards, we headed back to Sao Bento Station to pick up our bags and check in at our Airbnb. We were staying on a main street above the shops, perfect for people watching with a glass of wine. The owners have installed an extra door on the windows to minimize noise from the streets, so I have no complaints of noise issues during my sleep.
Next, we headed to Opulent Igreja de Sao Francisco. We stopped by Gelatopia first for ice cream.
The admission to Opulent Igreja de Sao Francisco includes both the church and the catacombs. I highly recommend visiting as this was a really different church from the others in Porto. The interior of the church is lined in golden details. No photos are allowed inside, but I recommend you googling it! The catacombs are also very interesting and you can peer into a window to see real human bones. From the exterior, I did not expect this church to have so much history.
We then walked to the riverfront, Cais da Ribeira. From the riverfront, you can see the Dom Luis Bridge, which connects Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia. The Dom Luis Bridge was designed by Téophile Seyrig, who worked for Gustave Eiffel (who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris). We’ll be crossing the Dom Luis Bridge on Day 7!
From the riverfront, we walked up to the Porto Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace and got tickets for both attractions. The Bishop’s Palace was the former residence of the bishops of Porto. I am actually not sure what it is used for today, but it was nice to visit. We went to the Bishop’s Palace first as it closed earlier than the Porto Cathedral. I particularly liked the main stairwell in the palace – it felt like we were attending a ball.
At the Porto Cathedral, we wandered the cloisters as well as ventured up the tower for another glimpse of the city. The walls of the cloisters were lined with more lovely ceramic art!
It was finally time for dinner. We decided on Taberna d’Avo, which specializes in traditional Portuguese food in large portions. We ordered the octopus salad and shishito peppers to start. For our mains, we got the bacalhau a ze do pipo (salted cod) and the alheira platter (Portuguese sausage). For dessert, we ordered a coffee mousse. Yum – perfect way to end our day!
Complete Day 5 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.
8:00am: Travel to Porto (1 hour 22 minute train from Aveiro). Arrive at Sao Bento Station.
10:00am: Visit the Clerigos Church and Tower (5 minute walk from Sao Bento Station).
11:00am: Visit Igreja do Carmo and Livraria Lello (2 minute walk from Clerigos Church).
12:00pm: Have francesinha at Casa de Pasto O Golfinho (3 minute walk from Igreja do Carmo).
1:00pm: Ice cream at Gelatopia (11 minute walk from Casa de Pasto O Golfinho).
2:00pm: Visit Opulent Igreja de Sao Francisco (2 minute walk from Gelatopia).
3:00pm: Wander Cais da Ribeira (5 minute walk from Opulent Igreja de Sao Francisco).
4:00pm: Visit Bishop’s Palace (9 minute walk from Cais de Ribeira).
5:00pm: Visit Porto Cathedral (1 minute walk from Bishop’s Palace).
6:00pm: Have dinner at Taberna d’Avo (11 minute walk from Porto Cathedral).
16-Day Italy and Portugal Itinerary
Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 16-Day Italy and Portugal Itinerary. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip!
Portugal Links:
Travels with Carolyne 