Porto - 3 to 4 Days Tour

I should have written this article long time ago – as a friend of mine pointed out, in a way, having started this blog with a post about Lisbon does not properly honour my proud origins as a Porto born and raised. Nevertheless, better later than never, so here it goes for a couple of friends from Paris that are visiting the city in the coming week.

In the last couple of years, Porto (World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1996) has been on the spotlight as a must go, trendy destination. As a result, there is plenty of good information available on the web. However, embodying the spirit of this blog, I will try to add my personnel touch.

Day 1

Morning

Porto centre is mostly within walking distance, so I recommend you start with a walking tour in the most central point in town – Avenida dos Aliados – following this recommended path.

Dedicate sometime to appreciate the neoclassic façades of Avenida dos Aliados where the city hall is located and where even Mc Donalds is worth checking out.

If you follow the path, you get to Mercado do Bolhao (Mon-Fri 07:00-17:00 Sat 07:00-13:00), historical market where you will experience the real Porto - make sure you pass by A Perola do Bolhao which represents a terrific example of traditional commerce from the middle of last century.

You will also pass by Capelas das Almas which is well worth checking out.

If you fancy a quick coffee and nata (traditional custard) this is a good place to stop.

From here reach Santa Catarina street which is a traditional shopping spot for the locals - specially crowded on Christmas. Walk through the street and make sure you stop by the Magestic Cafe, a magnificent example of the Belle Epoque architecture considered by some as one of the most beautiful cafes in the world.

From here walk to Praca dos Poveiros where you can stop for a quick lunch in the typical 'tasco' (Portuguese word for a sort of tabern) Casa Guedes. Near by you will also find a good alternative for a more heavy meal - eLeBe Baixa.

Afternoon

After lunch follow the following path down the hill in the direction to Sao Bento train station - also considered by many (you will get this a lot in Porto) as one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. Make sure you get inside where you will be able to enjoy the beautiful azulejos.

Go through the historical centre in the direction to Palacio da Bolsa - on the way you will pass by Mercado Ferreira Borges which is worth a quick look. Palacio da Bolsa (November to March: Mon-Sun 09:00-12:30 and 14:00 - 17:30 - April to October: Mon-Sun 09:00-18:30) is an absolute must see specially the Arabic Room.

Once you done you will find around the corner another city pearl - the Sao Francisco Church also well worth the visit.

From there it will be a short walk to the wonderful medieval district of Cais da Ribeira. This is a great place to stop by, have a coffee and enjoy the view over the river and the magnificent masterpiece from Gustave Eiffel - D Luis I bridge.

Recommendations for Dinner

Taberna do Barqueiro

Papavinhos

Taberna dos Mercadores

Recommendations for Bars will be covered in the Nigh life section in the end - Porto surely deserves one!

Day 2

Morning

Head through the following path to Igreja dos Clerigos - the master piece from Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni - and considered to be the city symbol. It is worth to climb the tower as you will get one of the best views the city has to offer. From here go to Livraria Lello - elected by many including The Guardion newspaper as one of the best in the world.

From here walk to Jardins do Palacio de Cristal. The gardens are beautiful and the view over the river, Arrabida bridge and the Atlantic ocean are well worth the visit. On the way back pass through Miguel Bombarda street where you can find a number of art galleries and interesting shops.

A good place for a quick lunch would be the A Sandeira.

Afternoon

On the afternoon I recommend that you head back - through the following path - to Ribeira, cross D Luis I bridge into Vila Nova de Gaia and go for a visit in one of the many Porto Wine Houses next to the river front.

Most of the tours are paid, but you have a couple of free ones well worth it - Taylor's would be my recommendation particularly due to the view over Porto while you enjoy the precious liquid (they usually provide free samples). Ferreirinha, Sandeman, Graham's are also a good paid alternative and the tour guide will take you through the history and production process within the ancient cellars where many barrels are stored (Taylor's tour in comparison will be smaller). In the end you will also have samples included as part of the entrance fee.

From here, I would suggest you head to Miradouro da Serra do Pilar for one of the best city views in the world - it is particularly impressive during the sunset.

From here you can either cross the bridge -through the upper lane - back to Porto or decide to have dinner in Vila Nova de Gaia in the river front turned to Porto.

Restaurants in the river front are a tourist oriented but the view is worth it and later on you will find a number of bars around. On this basis, I would recommend:

Beira Rio

If you decide to head back to Porto centre then Restaurante Abadia do Porto is a good dinning option. 

You will find a quality Francesinha here - as in many other places - which is a mandatory traditional dish in Porto regarded by many international publications as one of the best sandwiches in the world. Just don't get fooled, this is not a sandwich as you would expect, so make sure you come with plenty of appetite.

Day 3

Morning

Walk to the remnants of the old city walls (not very well known but worth it). The view over the bridge is unique and a great place to stop for a morning coffee in one of the very local cafes/bars. From here walk to the Cathedral (Se) and from there lose yourself through the claustrophobic streets/paths within the heritage centre down to Ribeira and from there back to Sao Bento train station.

Afternoon

Catch the subway and go to Boavista district to visit Casa da Musica (Opera House) - specially from outside. For Lunch you have two very interesting options on the area: Casinha Boutique Cafe or a short walk to Mercado do Bom Sucesso - which in conjunction with Mercado do Bolhao - is the one of the biggest markets in the town.

Once you done, get on a bus from here down Avenida da Boavista (the longest avenue in Europe) on the direction to Castelo do Queijo (in front of the Atlantic Ocean). Here you will be able to get terrific views over the ocean and walk through Foz and Parque da Cidade - one of the best urban parks in the world and one of the few in front of the ocean.

This is a great spot to see the sunset while enjoying a drink. This is also a great area to enjoy good fish in one of the many Matosinhos restaurants directly sourced from the lota - fish market.

Recommendations for Dinner

O Lusitano

Salta o Muro

O Valentim

This is also a good area to try one of the best Francesinhas in town on Cafe Requinte.

Day 4

There are still plenty of things to cover your time:

Take a day tour up the Douro valley into the region where Porto wine is produced. This is an unique place recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage since 2001. This is a strongly recommended experience specially if you don't have a rainy day.

If you really fancy modern art, then Fundacao Serralves is a great place to go. The gardens are also well worth a visit.

To finalize, many friends wouldn't forgive me if I wouldn't include a reference to the magnificent Dragon stadium, home for the FC Porto club - no introductions required really!

Night life

Porto developed plenty of vibrant and trendy offers over the last years in this space. 

Here it goes a list of some of the best bars and clubs in the centre - most of them in the Clerigos area (Garelia de Paris, Rua Candido dos Reis and Rua Conde Vizela)

Aduela Taberna Bar (really interesting)

Cafe Candelabro

Radio Bar (specially the upper floor)
Gin House (if you fancy a good Gin)

La Boheme

Casa do Livro

Ginjinha Club

Tendinha

Plano B

The following website contains some interesting information worth checking.

Photos from Carlos Pinto

Weekend in Skopje

Day 1

Morning/Early Afternoon

Everything in Skopje is within walking distance so I strongly recommend that you put on comfortable walking shoes and sign for the Skopje Free Tour that departs from the Invictus statue in the city centre at 12:00. This tour is conducted by Sashko which delivery a quality and informed tour over the main attractions throughout 3 hours - strongly recommended.

On the tour you will have the opportunity to pass through:

Macedonia Square with the Alexander The Great

Mother Teresa Memorial House and Statue

The old train station destroyed during the earthquake of 1963 (the clock stopped at 5:17am and it remains as such). Near the station you will find plenty of examples from Kenzo Tange architecture (famous for drawing the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and a number of buildings in Tokyo) as part of the city was reconstructed based on his contributions.

Church of St. Clement of Ohrid

The Stone Bridge and the river banks with the new government buildings and opera house

The Old Bazaar - the largest Bazaar in the Balkans outside Istanbul (Wikipedia)

Mustafa Pasha Mosque

Skopje Fortress Kale

For lunch (and depending if you decide to join the tour or not) I strongly recommend the following local restaurant in the city centre - Stara Kuka

Afternoon

Skopje is surrounded by mountains being one of them the Mountain of Vodno.
The views from the top are recommended and near by you will find the Millennium Cross - which is the largest Christian cross in the world.

In order to get there either get a taxi to the cable car that will take you to the top or catch the Millennium Cross bus that passes every 20 minutes in front of the Mother Teresa memorial.

Dinner

Skopski Merak - terrific local restaurant outside the main tourist areas. If you are lucky you might find a day with live local music which was a must among the locals.

Evening

Skopje has a modest but interesting night life scene. Near the Stone Bridge river bank you will find a number of pleasant bars. In the Old Bazaar you also find a number of bars from which I recommend one in front of the Holy Savior Church entrance.

If you fancy a night club to finish the night, these ones are not to be overlooked: Club 69 and Club Colosseum

Day 2

Get a taxi and go to Lake Matka - it should take you no longer that 15-30 minutes to get there and 10 - 20 Euro would be more than enough! This is an amazing canyon well worth the visit. The car will drop you near by the Matka Dam, from there it is a short walk to the St. Andrew's Monastery. Have a look to the amazing frescoes and stop by in the restaurant next door for a quick meal or lunch.

At this point, you either take a walk from here up to 6 kms along the Treska river or rent a kayak (I took this last one and the views from the middle of the river were just amazing). Is is also possible to rent a boat trip up the river to visit the Vrelo Cave regarded as the deepest in the world (400 dinars will take you there).

Lake Matka is a must to everyone that visits Skopje.

Lisbon - 3 Days Tour

Day 1

Morning

Depending where you will be based I recommend a walking tour from Avenida da Liberdade until Lisbon Baixa Pombalina, which was totally reconstructed after the 1755 earthquak: Proposed Path

On the way you will pass by the Liberty Avenue in the direction to the historical Rossio, Chiado, Baixa Pombalina and Praca do Comercio (also known as Terreiro do Paco). This is the historical downtown and you will find plenty of historical and classic architecture. Make sure you visit on the way the Santa Justa Lift and the Quartel do Carmo on top (if you use the lift – which is recommended as the view over the city hills is rewarding), where the 1974 revolution had one of its high points.

Pass by the historical 19 century cafes (however, I don’t recommend that you have coffee here as these are expensive places now focussed on the tourists – nevertheless the interiors are worth a look): Cafe Nicola

After lunch, go to Cais do Sodre, catch a train in direction to the Belem monumental complex. On the way you will pass by the 25th April Bridge (a small twin of the San Francisco Golden Gate bridge as it was projected by the same architect).

Afternoon

Make sure you visit the following places (all of them close to each other in Belem district):

Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (UNESCO World Heritage) – gothic monastery build on the Age of Discoveries do celebrate the discovery of India.This is a very symbolic and monumental place where Vasco da Gama (and many other navigators) is buried.

Torre de Belem – one (if not the most) recognizable monument in Portugal.

Padrao dos Descobrimentos – impresive scrultures that celebrate the Age of Discoveries (with Henry the Navigator on the front).

It is imperative to stop by the Casa de Pasteis de Belem and get Pasteis de Belem – it is easy to find, just follow the crowd at the entrance.

Dinner

Cafe de Sao Bento - terrific steaks in front of the Parliament

Cervejaria Ramiro - great place for seafood

Evening

If you are still alive, and fancy a good night out, make sure you visit Bairro Alto area (specially on a Friday or Saturday night) in the downtown. This place has plenty of bars and Fado houses to visit (however, I won’t recommend to have a Fado night here as Alfama has better places (check next day)).

If you fancy a nice club, have a look to the Lux (dress code applied and sometimes the entrance is very restrict). Here is some additional suggestions for a few spots.

Day 2

Morning

I recommend that you go to the site were Expo 98 was made (now called Park das Nacoes in the Eastern side of the city) for a morning walk.

Here you will still be able to see some of the sites from Expo 98, get a great view over Vasco da Gama bridge (the longest in Europe and one of the longest in the World) and if you are up to it, a visit to Oceanarium (the biggest in Europe and one of the biggest in the world as well). You will find plenty of places for a quick lunch.

Afternoon

Go back to downtown and catch the traditional tram 5 near Rua Augusta in the direction to Sao Jorge Castle. The ride is great but  beware the pickpockets. Castelo Sao Jorge and Alfama area will fill the rest of your afternoon.

This part of the town is the most ancient one as it goes back to the Muslim times.

Take the opportunity to stroll around the small streets up and down the hill. Nearby you can find Panteao were important nation figures are buried and the Fado museum. Visit the castle, specially near the sunset as the views are incredible or sit next to one of the nearby viewpoints (e.g. Miradouro Das Portas do Sol), relax and have a drink.

Lunch/Dinner

Restaurante Ti Natercia

If you fancy to experience a Fado night (Portuguese traditional music) in a very traditional (out of the beaten path) place, check this one: Belas, Vinhos e Petiscos

If you are looking for something more on the beaten path(but good) then: Sr Fado

Outside of Lisbon (Day Trip)

Sintra (UNESCO World Heritage)

It is highly recommended to take a day trip to Sintra and take a look to the following spots:

Pena National Palace

This place is a must see for everyone that comes to Portugal. The views from the top of the hill are breath-taking.

In a clear day it is possible to see until Lisbon. It is also well worth it to visit the palace inside and the gardens.

The best way to get to the top is through a bus that departs from the centre of Sintra. However, if you are up for a walk it won’t take you more than 30m and you can pass by a number of mall palaces on the way up.

Quinta da Regaleira

This is a very mystic place that is worth a visit. You will find lots of fun on the gardens with secret passages, tunnels, mystic elements and so on…

Sintra National Palace

If after the two visits above you are still have energy, the National Palace in the centre of Sintra is a very interesting place to visit. In this palace major military decisions were taken (such as invading the North of Africa in the Age of Discovery).

If you prefer to relax a bit, in front of the palace you will find a stairway where you can enjoy Queijadas from Piriquita (on the other side of the road – check bellow).

Queijadas

Make sure you don’t leave the town without trying one of its major specialities: the Queijadas pastry.
The Piriquita place is the best one in the centre to taste them.