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Recently, we were fortunate enough to enjoy a wonderful holiday in Portugal, exploring three very different yet equally beautiful destinations — the charming city of Porto, the breathtaking island of Madeira, and picturesque Lisbon. But let me start at the beginning — with Porto...
We fly out of Toronto and, just seven hours later, find ourselves in Porto!
Day 1. Exploring Porto on Foot
We take a Bolt to our hotel, ZERO Box Lodge Porto, located right in the heart of Porto’s historic centre, in the Baixa district. It’s a budget-friendly hotel with a fun and quirky concept. Thanks to its excellent location, we’re able to explore all the city’s main attractions on foot
Our first stop is Bolhão Market (Mercado do Bolhão), one of Porto’s oldest and most famous markets. The stalls are filled with fresh fish and seafood, canned fish, local cheeses, flowers, and all kinds of Portuguese delicacies. It’s a wonderful place to soak up the local atmosphere and get a taste of everyday life in Porto
After grabbing a bite to eat right at the market, we make our way to the Chapel of Souls (Capela das Almas). This small church is completely covered in traditional blue-and-white Portuguese azulejo tiles, depicting scenes from the lives of saints. Its striking tiled façade has become one of Porto’s most iconic sights
Next, we head out for a stroll along Rua Santa Catarina, Porto’s main pedestrian shopping street. Lined with shops, cafés, and pastry shops, it’s the perfect place to take a leisurely walk, browse the window displays, and soak up the rhythm of everyday city life.
Along the way, we stop at Confeitaria do Bolhão, one of Porto’s oldest pastry shops, to try Portugal’s famous pastéis de nata for the very first time. These little pastries feature crisp, flaky pastry shells filled with a smooth, creamy egg custard. Their tops are baked until beautifully golden and slightly caramelized, and they’re often served warm, sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered sugar.
A true Portuguese classic and an absolute must-try!
We come across Café Majestic, one of Porto’s most famous cafés. Its stunning Art Nouveau interior feels like stepping into an early 20th-century palace. Even if you don’t go inside, it’s well worth admiring from the outside!
We admire the little tourist train and browse the charming little shops along the way
Next, we make our way to a place that may be less romantic, but is just as famous — McDonald’s Imperial. The Portuguese often call it the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world! Until 1995, this building was home to the legendary Café Imperial, which first opened in 1936. When it was transformed into a McDonald’s, much of the original interior was preserved, including the magnificent crystal chandeliers, Art Deco stained-glass windows, the famous bronze eagle above the entrance, ornate ceilings, and beautiful decorative mouldings
It’s certainly not your typical McDonald’s — quite a remarkable place to stop and take a look!
Next, we head to São Bento Railway Station, considered one of the most beautiful railway stations in Europe. Its interior is truly breathtaking, featuring enormous panels made up of around 20,000 traditional blue-and-white azulejo tiles. These magnificent tile murals depict important moments in Portuguese history, as well as scenes from everyday life and the country’s rich traditions.
It’s almost hard to believe that this is a working train station!
As evening approaches, we make our way towards Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto). We’re hoping to reach a beautiful viewpoint in time for sunset, when the city is bathed in the warm golden light of the setting sun
From the viewpoint, we’re treated to a breathtaking panorama of the city, with the colourful tiled rooftops of historic houses, the winding Douro River, and the picturesque city of Vila Nova de Gaia stretching out along the opposite bank
By now it’s dark, and we make our way from the cathedral towards the upper level of Dom Luís I Bridge. One of Porto’s most iconic landmarks, the bridge connects the two banks of the Douro River, linking Porto’s historic centre with the neighbouring city of Vila Nova de Gaia. The bridge has two levels: the upper deck carries the metro line and pedestrian walkways, while the lower deck is used by cars and also has sidewalks for pedestrians.
This is a remarkable feat of 19th-century engineering, designed by Théophile Seyrig, a close collaborator of the famous Gustave Eiffel. Its most striking feature is the enormous steel arch, which allows the bridge to span the river without any supporting piers in the water. This design was particularly important given the challenging conditions of the Douro River, with its varying depths and unstable riverbed.
And here are the views from the bridge!
It’s getting quite late, and we have a busy day planned for tomorrow. We head back to the hotel, passing by the little shops along the way
Day 2. The Douro Valley
Today, we’re heading out on a tour of the Douro Valley — one of Portugal’s most scenic regions, famous for its vineyards and the production of the world-renowned Port wine. We’re looking forward to a beautiful drive through rolling hills covered in terraced vineyards, visits to small wineries, and, of course, stunning views of the winding Douro River.
We booked our tour through Viator. It’s early morning, but we’re already ready for an adventure. First things first — we need to grab a coffee and a couple of pastéis de nata before setting off. By the way, coffee in Portugal was excellent, no matter where we ordered it from
The drive to the Douro Valley by tour bus took about two hours. And here we are at our first winery, tasting delicious Port wine and listening to stories about how it’s made
Next, we enjoyed a delicious lunch right at the winery
After lunch, we boarded a boat and continued our journey along the river, taking in the breathtaking scenery and terraced vineyards that seem to be carved into the steep hillsides, creating a truly unique landscape. Many of these stone terraces were built by hand over the centuries
We’re off to visit another beautiful winery
It was a wonderful, beautiful, and relaxing day. I highly recommend taking a tour like this!
And now, we’re heading back to Porto. After a little more exploring, we make our way to Ribeira, the city’s most atmospheric riverside neighbourhood along the Douro River. It’s full of charming restaurants, street musicians, and lovely views of the iconic Dom Luís I Bridge
Day 3. A Little More of Porto and Our Flight to Madeira
We’re flying to Madeira this evening, but we still have a whole day ahead of us to explore a little more of Porto. We start the day with a delicious breakfast. Along the way, we pass countless cafés tempting us with pastéis de nata, but keep walking until we come across a lovely little spot called Do Notre Cafe by Hungry Baker.
Only later did we discover that all the staff spoke Russian and Ukrainian. The owners have done a wonderful job creating such a cozy atmosphere, serving delicious food, and presenting everything so beautifully
As we stroll through the city, we come across a queue outside the famous Livraria Lello bookstore. It is considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, renowned for its extraordinary wooden staircase and stunning interior. There is a popular story that the bookstore’s interior inspired J.K. Rowling during her time in Porto, when she was working on the first Harry Potter books.
Admission is ticketed, and with a long queue outside followed by the prospect of navigating through crowds inside, we decide to skip it and move on.
Not far away stands Clérigos Tower (Torre dos Clérigos), one of Porto’s most iconic landmarks and one of the city’s best viewpoints. At 75 metres tall, it was once the tallest building in Portugal. We decide to pass on climbing the tower as well and continue exploring the city...
And we find ourselves in the famous sardine shop, Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa. Later, we’ll come across many more shops from this chain, but on our first visit, we’re impressed not only by the beautiful displays and incredible variety of sardines, but also by the prices! :)
The truth is, these beautifully packaged tins make wonderful little souvenirs or gifts. But if you’re simply looking for delicious Portuguese sardines to enjoy, you can find equally tasty ones in any local supermarket at a much more affordable price...
We continue our walk and find ourselves on Rua das Flores, or Flower Street. Dating back to the 16th century, this historic street was once home to numerous jewellery workshops. Artisans worked on the ground floors, where their creations were also displayed and sold, while they and their families lived on the floors above. Even today, you can find beautiful jewellery here made using the traditional Portuguese filigree technique — an intricate art of working with delicate threads of gold and silver.
To be honest, we didn’t find this street particularly different from the other charming streets of Porto’s old town...
We also try Pastéis de Bacalhau — traditional Portuguese croquettes made with potato and salted cod (bacalhau). Unfortunately, they didn’t impress us all that much...
We decide to take another stroll across Dom Luís I Bridge, and then stop for lunch at Time Out Market. It’s a great place when you don’t have time for a leisurely restaurant meal but still want something quick and delicious. And, of course, the octopus in Portugal is absolutely outstanding...
We’re off to the airport, ready to fly to Madeira, where we’ll spend five wonderful days, followed by a few more days in Lisbon. But more about all that next time...
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