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Porto is an easy city to paint. It rises steeply out of the Duoro river, making the red roofs of the city look like an uneven staircase, winding between elegant churches and historic buildings. Some of the best neighbourhoods to stay in in Porto are located below these roofs, on narrow streets lined with grand townhouses and palaces - many that have been converted into hotel accommodation. Porto’s most coastal neighbourhoods will appeal more to some, though, where the views are expansive and the beaches inviting. As you move further away from the historic heart of Porto, around Baixa and Sé, you’ll pass through some of Porto’s up-and-coming neighbourhoods, where innovative contemporary architects are adding their own flair to this compact skyline.
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Baixa is at the heart of Porto, sitting on top of two hills, overlooking Ribeira - the port district, and the river. On top of one of the hills is Porto Cathedral, and on top of the second is the Clérigos tower - which you can climb! Between them is the Avenida dos Aliados - which translates to the Avenue of the Allies, and is probably Porto’s most famous, and useful thoroughfare, with the Municipal buildings at one end, and Liberty Square, with its mounted statue of Pedro IV, at the other. From here you’re within walking distance of all of Porto’s main sights. If you’d like to spend your time in Porto staying in a flash hotel, consider the Avenida dos Aliados. It’s also great for apartment rentals, and aparthotels. Baixa has some charming architecture, with some of the best along some of Baixa’s shopping streets - admire the baroque designs on Rue day Flores, or the Art Nouveau facades on the Galeria de Paris. Expect plenty of painted picture tiles too. In addition to its major sights and sites, Baixa is also known for its party scene - which gets warmed up pretty late.
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The Ribeira neighbourhood is one of Porto’s most famous. It’s known for its picturesque, and colourfully painted, buildings, and it runs alongside the river, by the very photogenic iron bridge, Dom Luis I - so it’s a very well photographed neighbourhood. And you’re close to the Port wine lodges. No wonder so many people know it and want to stay here! Ribeira has a very good catering department too, with lots of choice when it comes to cafes, bars and restaurants - many have wonderful views. You will also find a good range of accommodation options. If you’re wondering which of Porto’s main sights are in Ribeira, start with the Dom Luis I bridge, Stock Exchange Palace, the Palácio da Bolsa - which is the grand old merchant’s association headquarters, the old Customs House, and the gloriously golden, Gothic church of St. Francis. Ribeira is also on the famous number 1 tram route. It’s also an absolutely charming neighbourhood to stroll around, with narrow alleyways to get tangled up in.
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The Sé neighbourhood is part of the World Heritage Listed area of Porto, probably because this neighbourhood of tangled medieval alleyways and avenues is where you’ll find Porto’s impressive cathedral, also called Sé. This is one of the oldest parts of the city, existing since the 12th century. It’s also where you’ll find the Church of Santa Clara and several other significant religious buildings. Sé is also where you’ll find Porto’s main railway station. The cathedral is right on top of a hill, so you can see it from all around, an impressive fish-mash of architecture that incorporates a rose window, Gothic cloisters, and an elegant Romanesque vaulted nave. There are some impressive tiles too! Outside the square was once the place where all the major markets were held, and the views over the city to the river are some of the best in town. Spreading out around the cathedral are some of the oldest residences in Porto - they’re colourful too, which gives even more reason to explore the tangled alleys with plenty of time on your hands. There are plenty of hotels around the cathedral, some quite fancy, but this neighbourhood has plenty of accommodation choices.
Conveniently close to all the sightseeing highlights of Baxia, the Cedofeita neighbourhood is hip and arty choice. If you like an art themed hotel, Cedofeita is the neighbourhood for you. It’s close enough to the centre of town to enjoy the great bars and restaurants of Baxia too, while being far enough away to have its own great cafes, bars and restaurants. This is a popular neighbourhood for locals who like to brunch. And it’s pretty - with traditional architecture, and plenty of leafy spaces. Cedofeita’s numerous art galleries are centred around Rue Miguel Bombarda, which is also a good place for design shopping generally - and it has a Saturday food market. Cedofeita has its own sights to see too: the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, and the Crystal Palace Gardens come to mind first. Because it’s green and leafy, with lots of independent boutiques, and places to eat and drink, Cedofeita manages to feel both romantic, and family-friendly. It’s all about which cafes and restaurants you choose - and what sort of accommodation, and there is a good range here.
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Miragaia neighbours Ribeira, and offers a similar setting of cobbled streets and alleyways between tall, colourful townhouses, but it’s more peaceful - possibly because it used to be outside of the city walls. It also has more arches, these are here to support the buildings from flooding, which Miragaia suffered a lot of during the 17th century - the houses here are built below the current waterline of the river. In addition to the charming architecture, Miragaia has lovely parks, the best known being the Palacio de Cristal, or Crystal Palace Gardens. As well as being a cool and leafy place to relax, and great for families, this is also a fantastic place for views of the Freixo Bridge. There are two museums within the park, the National Museum of Soares dos Reis, and the Romantic Museum. Just outside the park is the World of Discoveries interactive museum - another great pick for families, and down the road again and you’ll reach the Museum of Transport and Communications. As with many neighbourhoods, the heart of Miragaia is its church, the Church of São Pedro, and around that there are squares lined with restaurants and bars - some with fantastic views. This is a magical neighbourhood to stroll around, especially along the river.
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Vila Nova de Gaia is on the opposite side of the river from Ribeira. It used to be its own city, known for its many port wine caves or cellars, and tasting rooms. All the port wine in the world passes through this point, and has done since the 17th century. Vila Nova de Gaia’s long stretch of water means there are plenty of beaches too, with an impressive number of blue flag beaches amongst the 17 or so distinct beaches. The Vila Nova de Gaia is also known for its parks, especially the Gaia Biological Park - the largest in Porto, and the palm-shaded Jardim do Morro - or Garden on the Hill, which is close to the Sera do Pilar Monastery - one of Gaia’s main attractions. One of the best things about staying in Vila Nova de Gaia is that you can travel to and from Porto proper using the top deck off the Dom Luis bridge.
Bonfim is a great neighbourhood for people who’re fussy about their coffee. Or craft beer. Or boutique shopping. It’s not yet super popular with tourists, because it doesn’t have any of the major sights, but it is just 15minutes walk from the centre of town, so it’s a very practical choice, and becoming more and more popular with visitors. It’s also an understandably popular neighbourhood for cool kids. Bonfim still has an authentic feel, there are a lot of older Portuguese residents, as well as cool kids and art students - Bonfim has the university’s Faculty of the Beaux Arts. It may sound like an unusual landmark, but Bonfim has Porto’s first public cemetery, the Prado do Repouso, which has a beautiful boulevard running through the centre, offering a peaceful place to stroll. Bonfim also has a beautiful public park with wonderful views over the Douro River, and one of the best viewpoints in Porto - called Miradouro Fontaínhas. Bonfim is a great place to eat authentic Portuguese food. There’s a wonderful garden between Bonfim and Bolhão, and this is a great place to look for somewhere for an especially memorable meal.
Marquês is five minutes away from the centre of Porto by subway - via a station called Marquês. It spreads out around a square called the Marquês de Pombal Square, which sits between Bonfim, Ildefonso and Paranhos. The square itself has a lovely garden, with fountains and a bandstand, and it’s a popular spot for domino playing. This isn’t a touristy neighbourhood, in fact many locals might tell you it’s not a particularly ‘nice’ part of town, but it has a couple of lovely parks, and you can use the Rua de Santa Catarina to get to the Fábrica Social art museum. The Rua de Santa Catarina is a particularly nice street for a stroll. There’s not a huge number of cafes, bars or restaurants, which makes the accommodation options more affordable.
Boavista is quite a well-to-do neighbourhood, though there are also a number of offices here. Boavista is known for having some of the best business hotels in Porto. It’s got a subway station, so it’s not far from the centre of town, but it’s not particularly central - it does have a number of its own attractions, though, including Serralves, the contemporary art museums the Gallery of Biodiversity, which is one of the best museums in Porto for kids; and the impressively modern Casa da Música. Boavista is also home of the Bob Success Market, which is where you’ll find some local stalls, but also small restaurants with tapas type options. If you want to explore the area, start on the Avenida da Boavista, which runs from the centre of town all the way to the ocean.
Foz is a neighbourhood to the west of Ribeira, right on the water, at the mouth of the Douro River, so this is the neighbourhood for anyone who likes to stay near the beach or the water. Foz started out as a fishing village and summer residence of the well-to-do of Porto, so it has an interesting blend of architecture: fishermen’s cottages and then grand mansions, with not a lot in between - and all of it historic. You can probably guess that Foz isn’t a central neighbourhood, so it’s not a great choice for sightseeing - it’s about half an hour from the centre of Porto by public transport - you can use the historic tram, Linha 1. But it is peaceful and beautiful. Accommodation here varies from new build hotels, to conversions of the fishermen’s cottages or mansions - so there’s a choice of self catering, or quite grand! The promenade along the ocean is called the Avenida do Brasil, and is one of Porto’s most fashionable addresses, lined with chic bars and desirable restaurants. The promenade along the Douro River is called the Promenade Foz do Douro, and is one of the nicest walks in Porto: through little fishing ports, parks and gardens, and finishing at the seawall.
