Porto, Portugal
I’ve been dreaming of visiting Portugal for the longest time ever, way before the existence of social media. I was drawn by the raw, hued colors of this country and by its sheer simplicity. When the opportunity arose, I decided to take the plunge and book a flight to Porto for a late May trip. This city has gained a lot of attention over the last few years, and for good reasons: it’s vibrant, colorful, easy, not expensive at all and you can get everywhere on foot!
The unmistakable colors of the Ribeira district!
It's all in the facades
As soon as I stepped out of the São Bento station right before sunset I was invested by the energy of this city and started exploring every part of it, starting from the Dom Luis I bridge over the Douro river, which is definitely the first stop I suggest to have a fantastic view of Porto and its prominent Ribeira district. This area full of clubs and restaurants is where most of Porto’s nightlife happens. Although as a solo traveler, this time, the thing I loved the most was wandering through its steep, colorful alleys that are still incredibly authentic and mostly untouched. Put in some good, comfortable shoes and get lost in this part of the city, you won’t be disappointed!
Postcard-ish
While the Ribeira is a must, don’t forget to climb to the top of the city to admire some incredible churches, notably Igreja do Carmo and Capela das almas: these two have some amazing facades entirely covered by tens of thousands of blue tiles called “azulejos”. You can see these azulejos across the city in other spots too, including the station as mentioned earlier of São Bento.
But there’s more! A 15-minute bus or train ride will get you to the beach to breath in some air from the Atlantic Ocean. You can either go to the lighthouse at Foz do Douro or head over to Senhor da Pedra’s beach, notable for its small church on the rocks! While there enjoy some tasty local fish cuisine thanks to many tiny and cozy restaurants nearby.
Soaking up the Portuguese sun
A visit to Porto (and Portugal in general) is not complete without eating a lot of pasteis de nata as well. They sell these yummy pastries everywhere, but some places are better than others: don’t miss those at Mantegaira and Combi cafè!
Pasteis de nata for days!