why we are obsessed with porto, portugal

this endearing city was honestly everything i hoped it would be and more. it truly charms you by combining the best of old and new – jaw dropping 18th & 19th century buildings, cobble stoned streets, cable cars and pastel colored homes, tiled walls, new indie bars and restaurants, old OG bars and restaurants run by families, boutique hotels, extremely nice people and overall a very laid back vibe – it's safe to say i could happily live in this town. we had 4 days here to explore, and while it technically felt like "enough" i was also very sad to leave this cozy place.

for more info, see our full porto travel guide

• wander the streets [any streets, really] and stop in random bars/restaurants/shop – they're honestly all good 
• pop into mercearia flores for a canned fish or pastry
• explore baixa, porto's downtown district
• admire the beautiful product packaging at  a vida portuguesa | a very cool shop that sells all local portuguese goods
• hike up to the mosteiro da serra de pilar: this offers ridiculous views and gets you in the neighborhood of port tasting
  • from here, watch a sunset from the dom luis bridge 
• walk down rua dos caldeireios, and stick your head into miss'opo [a boutique hotel/restaurant] if they're open. grab a bottle of wine from the shop across from alley
  • drink said bottle of wine in the jardim municipal do horto das virtudes with the locals

see my previous post on porto for some of our favorite spots to eat & drink! 
 

where to eat and drink in porto, portugal

our first stop in portugal was a small-ish town in the north, porto. we arrived in the evening and immediately went to our airbnb which was about 10 minutes from the square. the city has a very clean and efficient public transit system so we were totally fine with our location. we dropped our bags, showered and were on our way to explore porto by night. immediately the city just felt awesome. warm weather, narrow cobble stone streets, fun vibes pouring out into the streets and the beautiful mix of old architecture – i was so happy. we popped into a super grungy but awesome taverna to try the local francesinha. it's worth tasting, but i recommend splitting it with someone unless you love cheese and meat. we popped around a few bars afterwards and got a good feel for the city within just one night. 

even though we're on a pretty tight budget, eating out in porto felt pretty affordable. small bites and drinks are cheap and filling [we're talking no more than €5 a person]. in addition to the francesinha, we tried to taste all of the local delights: sardines, bacalhau [cod fish croquettes], caldo verde soup,  sandes de pernil [pork sandwiches], port wine, sparkling rosé – and so much more. we will list out everything on the travel guide soon, but a few of our immediate favorites are below. 

CITY: porto, portugal
HOW WE GO THERE: train from galicia, spain [2.5 hours]
WHERE WE STAYED: airbnb private room 
COST: € 39/night  
DURATION: 3 nights

EAT || taxca ||  casa guedes || mercearia flores || fish @ any of the waterfront spots in matosinhos || 
DRINK || combi coffee truck || casinha cafe || port tasting @ taylor's || era uma vez no porto
SLEEP || if you choose not to do airbnb, my ribeira or the white box house are both very cool spots ||