Porto (+Douro Valley) travel tips + The world's most crowded destinations

Hi Reader,

How are you doing today?

Less than a week left on August and that means that the weather will only be getting more pleasant from now on, as we leave the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere, behind.

This week I wanted to share my tips for visiting Porto, Portugal's second largest city and a great weekend getaway.

📩 On this week's email:

Porto and the Douro Valley travel tips
The world's most crowded destinations based on visitors per sqm

Porto and Douro Valley travel tips

I spent 4 days in between Porto and the Douro Valley with my best friend, therefore, this was not a solo trip. We were celebrating both our birthdays and decided to book a hotel in the Douro instead of Porto, and spend arrival and departure day in Porto.

We flew in from Barcelona on Ryanair and Vueling's first and last flights of the day, which meant we were in Porto from 11am on the first day to 10pm on the 4th.

We opted to rent a car to get around so that we could visit Porto easily without having to worry about our bags which we left in the car.

As usual, I am going to share my tips with regards to things to do, getting around, where to stay and what to eat.

Things to do / see in Porto / Douro Valley

Porto is a relatively small city that is very accessible on foot because most of the sights and places of interest are located near each other.

The historical city center is compact and many of the streets are pedestrian, cobblestoned and on a steep incline. This means that it is imperative to wear the right shoes that can have you walking 20-25,000 steps a day on uneven surfaces and up / down steep hills.

Most of the places of interest are religious, and the city boasts a large number of convents, churches and even monasteries.

Many of them require a ticket and some have visiting schedules. If you are coming in the high season, it pays to book in advance, at least first thing in the morning or the day before.

I would recommend spending a couple of days in Porto and a couple of days exploring the countryside, both the Douro Valley and the Vinho Verde regions.

Some of the best things to see / do in Porto:

Dom Luís I Bridge: This iconic bridge is hard to miss as it is huge and also the most recognizable element of Porto. You can walk it across from Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia where all the port cellars are. The views are great.

Vila Nova de Gaia: This small town across the river from Porto is famous for being the place where all the port cellars are located. This is where all the famous brands ued to age and hold their Port wine, because it was against the law to do it in the Douro Valley and because the wine was then already by the port, ready to be exported. Nowadays, many of the famous brands still have cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia where port wine is aged, as well as the proper winery in the Douro. If you don't plan or can't get to the Douro Valley, this is the best alternative. I visited Graham's 1890 Lodge cellar and ended with a premium tasting that included dessert pairing and lunch at their onsite restaurant Vinum, which has the most stunning views over Porto and serves excellent gourmet food. It wasn't cheap, but it was well worth it. You can also visit Taylor's Sandeman, etc.

Igreja dos Carmelitas and Igreja do Carmo: This is probably the most famous building in the city owing to the beautiful azulejo blue-tiled facade. This is actually two churches separated by a tiny house. You can go inside and visit both for a fee.
São Bento railway station: The famous Porto train station that is as pretty as the rest of the city and decorated with the city's signature azulejos.

Porto Cathedral: This imposing building at the top of a hill has killer views of the pastel facades of the city and is impressive inside too. The cloister is so beautiful with the azulejo murals.
Clérigos Church tower: This tall tower is one of the most popular places to visit and you will most likely have to book in advance if you don't want to wait. There are 200 steps (yes, I counted!) to the top, most of it in a spiral staircase that is not for the fainthearted or those who have vertigo. The views are worth it but you do need to be fit because the stairs are narrow and you can't just stop to rest and hold the queue.

Mercado do Bolhão: This traditional market got a make over and is now a combination or traditional shops, stalls selling food souvenirs (sardines in beautiful cans anyone?) and some food.
Food tour: I love taking food tours, as you know that I find it a great way to learn more about a place, and the one I took in Porto did not disappoint. We got enough food for lunch, tried a few local delicacies and learned a bit more about their background and when they are enjoyed. I can highly recommend the tour I took which you can see here.
Walking history tour: There are many options out there and I felt sad that we ended up not having time for this because on the first day we met with a friend instead of checking out the city, so I would recommend picking one from any of the online portals to get a sense of the city as a starting point.

For the wine regions near Porto:

There are two wine regions near the city, the closer Vinho Verde region that also expands north of Porto and the Douro Valley which runs all the way to Spain.

I also have a list of places to skip on your visit to Porto:

Livraria Lello: This Insta-famous bookstore that is rumoured to have inspired J.K. Rowling Harry Potter, is an absolute nightmare if, like me, you hate crowds, queuing and places that are famous for being famous. The guide for our food tour told us we were better off skipping it and we then passed by it and saw what he meant. There are queues for every half an hour entry slot, with people coming early to queue up already. Once inside, the space if crowded and you will be like a sardine in a can. No way to take any photos without millions of people in front of you. On top of that, it is expensive. 10 EUR to get in, which you can convert into credit to buy a book, but just imagine the queue to purchase something... Pro tip: Wait for it to close for the day and peek through the window. The store is lit and you can take wonderful photos from the window without anyone. Or buy a Silver or Gold ticket to avoid queues.
Cafe Majestic: This pretty cafe is very expensive for Portuguese standards and while nice, it is nowhere near as beautiful as similar Art Nouveau cafes in Vienna, Buenos Aires or Paris. It also has no AC, which is unbelievable considering how hot Porto can get in the summer, so if you visit then, you will feel uncomfortable. Take a look from outside, the door is always open, but skip the 5 EUR espresso.

Day trip to the Douro Valley

You cannot visit Porto without taking a day trip to the Douro Valley (2h away). This is the world's demarcated wine region, at the end of the 18th century, and it is also a very dramatic place to visit.

Vineyards are terraced over the side of hills and contained with stone walls that have been built by hand over the centuries. It reminded me a lot of the Spanish Priorat region, and it certainly a beautiful landscape to admire.

The Douro Valley is famous for producing port wines, but also produces several regular wines that are worth tasting. Only wine produced in the Douro Valley can be called Port wine, the name deriving from the city of Porto because it is where it had to be produced, stored and aged before.

There are many day tour options available online but we decided to hire a driver through the hotel and made our own appointments so we could select the wineries (most tour companies will not tell you what wineries you are visiting and favor wineries set up for groups), eat at nice places, make the most of the day out by staying for a nice dinner, and skip the boat tour that most day trips include.

This way, we could start the day later than 8am and avoid groups. This was more convenient and personalised, but much more expensive than joining a day tour which is what I would have done had I been on my own.

We visited Quinta de la rosa, which a relatively new winery that is independently owned by a local woman and has a lovely location by the river and a fantastic restaurant for lunch.

The views from the tasting room, located inside the barrel warehouse, were amazing. I shipped a case of wine and port back home because I found it exceptional.

We then went to Pinhao to wander the tiny town and train station and followed with a visit to Quinta de Bomfin, part of the Symington Family estates, like Graham, the largest producer in the Douro Valley. We had a vineyard walk and tour followed by a premium port wine tasting and dinner at their awarded fine dining restaurant.

Here is a good schedule for the day:

11am Depart Porto and stop at a couple of view points on the way
1pm Lunch at Quinta de la Rosa
3pm Visit and tasting at Quinta de la rosa
430pm walk around Pinhao
5pm Vineyard walk, visit and tasting at Bomfin (I would have preferred Crasto if it had been available)
7pm Dinner at Bomfin
11pm Back in Porto

You could also add Casa de Algar (in the Vinho Verde region - see next section) to the same day and make it a full day. Or take one the boat tour departing from Pinhao.

We wanted to visit Quinta do Crasto, which was the 15th best winery in the world in 2023, but it was not available (admittedly, we booked it all the day before).

Check out the list of the best vineyards in the Douro here. 6 of them are part of the World's 50 best wineries including Graham's Lodge.

Day trip to the Vinho Verde region

Because we stayed in the Douro Valley, we had two days in the area and chose to spend one in the Vinho Verde region which was closer to the hotel than the Douro.

Vinho Verde is a completely different appellation of origin to the Douro; It does not have the terraces that make the Douro famous and it and produces lightly sparkling wines that make a second fermentation in the bottle. Wines are usually light, with high acidity and low alcohol but mostly characterised by the small bubbles.

This is an extremely unique kind of wine that I have not seen being made anywhere else so I found it quite interesting. Their red wines are hard to describe, and have an acquired taste I did not enjoy, if I am honest.

We visited Casa de Algar which is a small family run business led by a husband-wife team that was the perfect way to immerse ourselves in the region. They were super friendly and fun and ended up letting us taste all their wines.

In contrast to the professionalised and pristine wineries in the Douro, this was a casual affair, the kind that I prefer when traveling, where the owner pours you large amounts of wine and you end up trying his personal stash of port and aguardiente (grappa), while discussing football and politics (me and my friend have a former colleague who is not the head of Portugal's 4th largest party) after a wander through the vineyards while their children play in the pool.

If you stay in the Douro, you can check this out on your way there or back. If you stay in Porto, you can stop in the morning on your way to the Douro Valley.

Getting around

Getting around Porto is easy with Google maps, though signal sometimes is a bit lost in the narrow streets. There are also buses and a tourist funicular and cable car.

We actually walked everywhere, because all the above sights were very near each other, and drove to Vila Nova de Gaia on our way to the Douro.

If you need a taxi, Uber works here.

What to eat in Porto

Instead of talking about where to eat, because I did not try that many restaurants and anyway, you can easily find recommendations online to your liking, I wanted to tell you what you need to try, and which you will easily find in the various menus as well as bakeries around the city.

Of course, pasteis de nata, the typical egg tarts that are famous of Portugal which you can find anywhere but the historical Confeitaria do Bolhão is a good idea.
Porto is also known for caldo verde, a green soup that is made with potatoes and vegetables and a slice of chorizo which I had during the food tour and found yummy
A bifana is a traditional pulled pork sandwich that is as delicious as it sounds and is often cooked with each restaurant's secret recipe, add spicy sauce at your own risk and be ready to make a mess because it is wet!
A francesinha is another great sandwich that is a full meal in itself. Made with layers of meats (ham, sausage, steak) and cheese, then topped with more cheese that is then melted in the oven and a tomato and beer based sauce. It's as incredible as it sounds but it is also a bomb. Perfect to soak up all the port wine you will be drinking.
Pastéis de bacalhau are codfish fritters and they are my preferred way to eat Porguese codfish. You will find this fish on every menu but teh typical way of eating it is too dry for my taste whereas the fritters are just moist enough.
Canned sardines are definitively a traditional Portuese food that I also eat a lot in Spain. They also make for a very cute present to take away as they are often sold in beautiful packaging.
Cachorrinhos a toasted hot dog with cheese that is one of the most popular street foods.

Where to stay in Porto & The Douro Valley

I did not stay in the city so it is hard for me to recommend places to stay, but I would stay in the city center to minimize walking around.

In my opinion, a night in Porto followed by 2 nights in the countryside, or like we did, 3 nights in the Douro, may be the best if you can manage flights like ours arriving early and departing late, so you can essentially have 2 days in Porto and 2 in the Douro without having to change hotels which is always a pain.

If you spend the 3 nights in the Douro, I would recommend booking something near Pinhao which is the town around which all the wineries are located.

There are a few hotel options I checked out:

Quinta de la Rosa, the winery I visited, has lovely rooms and even two villas. The location is great and there is also a pool to enjoy when it is really hot.
Six Sense Douro Valley is a dream, if expensive, as is Torel quinta da Vacaria that is also in the Douro and an independent boutique hotel. For luxury, there is also Lamego Hotel & Life also in the Douro.
I stayed at Octant Douro Valley which is in the Vinho Verde region, so 90min from the Douro. While the hotel's location by the river was excellent and the rooms were amazing, I would choose to stay closer to the Douro next time. We picked it because it was only 45min from Porto but I would prefer either staying in Porto or in the Douro Valley if I had to return. I also had mixed feelings about the hotel being a great location with amazing hardware but lots of room for improvement in the small details considering the high price.

Other tips and thing to consider

I think the amount of time I spent there was the right one. I would recommend 2 days to see the main sights in Porto and a day to the Douro at least. It pays to try to organize your days and plan tickets, but we did it as we went and tried to be very efficient and still saw everything we wanted to see.
I found Porto very safe and, even though I wasn't alone, I can't imagine I would have felt otherwise. Pick pocketing I am sure is an issue, like in any other busy European city, but you could tell everyone was out and about without concern. I also found locals to be very friendly and for English to be spoken at all the sited and by staff at bars, shops and restaurants.
Summertime can be very hot in Porto and even hotter in th Douro Valley,. The main part of the Douro around Pinhao is called Hell Valley and for good reason. While Porto was around 30 degrees, the Douro was close to 40 degrees and it is very hard to do anything with this weather, especially because the main material the region is made of is a sort of slate that keeps the heat so, even at night, you feel like walking around heaters emanating heat from all around. I would recommend visiting in late September for the harvest season to see the whole region at work. Grape picking was scheduled to start this week already. This is also a good winter destination when the main sights are empty and quiet (except Livraria Lello which we were told has long queues year-round).
Can't stress enough the need to wear proper shoes for walking. The streets are super uneven, worse than other cobblestoned cities I've visited, and steep, sneakers or alike would be best.
Layers are a must because, even in the summer, temperatures can drop quiet a bit at night in Porto. Spring and Autumn can also be rainy so bring an umbrella.

Last spots left on our 2025 tours

Still on time to travel with us this year:

🔔 3 SPOTS left on our Georgia tour 20 to 28 September => BOOK GEORGIA
🔔 1 SPOT opened up on our Morocco tour 6 to 16 November => BOOK MOROCCO
🔔 1 SPOT left on our Australia tour 12 to 23 October => BOOK AUSTRALIA
🔔 3 SPOTS left on our Oaxaca 12 to 18 October tour (📸 photographer onboard) and 3 SPOTS left on our 9 to 15 November tour => BOOK OAXACA
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🔔 4 SPOTS left on our Cuba tour for New Year's Eve, the celebration you needed! => BOOK CUBA

=> You can also see the FULL CALENDAR of tours.

The world's most crowded destinations

Nomad Sim has published a ranking of the worlds most crowded destinations looking at the number of annual visitors and the area size of the city. Below are the results:

While this is an interesting ranking I know for a fact that these numbers are incorrect.

Japan as a country receives 36 million visitors in 2024, so the city could not have received 81 million as used in the ranking. On the other hand, Dubrovnik received many more than 1.3 million visitors since 900,000 came on cruise ships alone.

Photo of the week

Last week's photo

I took this drone photo in Bawah Island, a remote island in between Singapore and Indonesia, accessible by private plane organized by the luxury island resort that occupies the island.

Can you guess where this big dome is located?

In case you missed it

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Margret Chola, a grandmother from a rural village in Zambia, has become a style icon. See here.
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Check out the Buy nothing project, shared by a member of our online community, a network of local groups trying to swap items they no longer use to reduce wastage.