Porto, Portugal

Porto is a wonderful city located in the North of Portugal, and it is the 2nd largest city after Lisbonne. It makes sense that it was chosen the best European destination in 2017, because this city contains a lot of historic monuments that you should visit, as well as great infrastructure. In this city you'll also find numerous parks which deserve to be visited (the best for me is the famous Palacio de Cristal as a tourist I recommend to go for at least a week in order to get the most out of the beauty of this marvellous city.

Life in Porto :

Life in this city is generally peaceful, the people are really nice and helpful. When you're walking in Porto you'll notice a mix of local and international students and tourists, this is why the University of Porto is also one of the monuments to visit, welcoming students from different corners of the globe to help them improve their academic career. During the weekend, people generally find themselves on the Avenida dos Aliados or near the river Douro or go to Matosinhos Beach where music evenings take place (especially during the summer).

Accommodation :

This city is very touristic, so there are a lot of hotels, hostels, accommodations (especially if you are a student) there are also many homeowners who rent their houses for a fair price which varies according to the quality of the premises and its distance to the town centre and tourist areas of Porto. The price of the hostels and accommodation can vary between 12 and 30 euros per night.

Food and Drink :

The cuisine of Porto is very rich in Méditerranéen dishes, but there are traditional Portuguese dishes like the famous "Francesinha". As for drinks, there are all kinds in the restaurants of Porto, but this city possesses a traditional wine, prepared by the Portuguese, their wine is part of their history. On the shore you'll find a wine museum which you can visit to find out more about the production of Porto's wine, where you can also taste the highest quality wines that have spent more than 30 years in storage.

Transport :

Porto has all kinds of transport, specifically the Metro, Bus, taxis and Uber which will go to all corners of this giant city. There are also buses specifically for tourists, which do slower tours of the city so that you can really appreciate its beauty.

Places to visit

The Crystal Palace (Palacio do cristal) :

It's a very sentimental place, containing magnificent gardens and different types of birds. Tourists love to go here to watch the sunset, as well as the beautiful views over the river Douro.

The River (Douro) :

It is here where everything originated, the locals consider this the first place that humans inhabited in Porto. They say that in the story, people resided around this river and began to build this beautiful city. Along both of the river's shores you can find many restaurants, cafes, bars and museums.

Porto's Wine Museum :

This is one of Douro River's museums, in which you can discover the history of Porto's wine production. The museum has preserved the first machines used in the region as well as their supply containing wines aged more than 30 years which you can try.

Rue Galerias de Paris

During the night, I urge you to go to this street where the majority of the city's nightclubs can be found, what I like about this street is that it is more occupied by tourists than locals, so you'll find yourself with a mix of nationalities and meet new friends who are also looking for friends.

Matosinhos :

This is the most accessible beach in Porto, since the Metro and Bus have lines going right to Matosinhos. So you won't lose a lot of money, all you need is a Metro ticket costing 1. 65 euros to go and enjoy the beautiful views of this location.

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