I Fell in Love with Porto on My First Trip, Here's Why You Need to Visit

“Hurry,” my friend Katie urges me. “You can unpack later, but you cannot miss your first Porto sunset. It’s the moment that sparks your love affair with the city. After a week of experiencing Porto's sunsets, delish food, city strolls, and surf lessons, you’ll be contemplating a permanent move here. I promise.”

“Okay, okay, I’m ready, let’s go,” I respond with a smile. I arrived in Portugal’s second most popular tourist city an hour ago. The first thing I did upon arrival was fall down a flight of stairs at our Airbnb, so I'm ready to take Katie's word about the sunsets and fall in love with something a little less damaging to my ego (not to mention my body). This is my first trip to Porto, and I can’t wait to spend the next week exploring this hilly city filled with colorful buildings and cool neighborhoods in the place where the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean meet.

Katie and I walk to Parque Municipal Das Virtudes, set on a hillside overlooking the river and parts of the city. Porto’s west coast locale means it gets some epic evening fire shows. And everyone – locals and in-the-know tourists – comes to watch the sun put on its nightly show on sunny, late summer days.

You can grab beer or wine from one of the bars on the street behind the top of the park, sit in the grass, and breathe. People of all ages come for sunset, and you’ll hear a mix of languages and maybe even be treated to some impromptu live guitar and drum sessions.

The sunset does not disappoint, and neither does the city, which quickly becomes one of my favorites in Europe. Even though Portugal is part of the European Union and uses the euro as its currency, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how affordable this destination is. The dollar goes a long way in Portugal, especially compared to prices in France, the UK, Germany, and Italy.

How to Explore Porto

Porto is a relatively compact city that sprawls upward from both sides of the Douro River. It is easy to explore on foot so long as you don’t mind climbing steep hills. If you do get tired, Uber works in the city, is not expensive, and cars come quickly. There is also a public transit system. I called more than one Uber to get me back up the hills to my Airbnb after dinner on the riverfront.

Begin your first day in Porto, letting yourself get lost on the cobbled Medieval streets of the Bairro da Sé neighborhood, located just below the cathedral. This set of narrow streets and high houses with colorful or beautifully tiled facades, dating back to the Middle Ages, was the city’s heart for centuries. While wandering, you will pass a lot of intricate blue and white tiles on buildings. Called azulejo tiles, the originals date back to the 14th century and were a key decoration element on streets, buildings, and monuments.

The Sāo Bento train station is the most impressive example of this tile art form. Floor-to-ceiling tile murals tell stories of Portugal’s history here. Other top spots for intricate tiling include Rua de Santa Catarina Street and the exterior of the Igera do Carmo church. Done in ornate architecture from the late 18th century, its interior drips with gold.

Wander downhill to the banks of the Douro River and explore the Ribeira neighborhood. This is the most popular tourist area in Porto for good reason. It boasts stunning river views, a gorgeous cast-iron bridge (Ponte Dom Luís I) that crosses the river, and numerous restaurants, bars, markets, and boutiques. Street performers are also prevalent.

On sunny summer days, head to Foz do Douro, Porto’s most famous beach. The ocean is chilly even in summer, but on hot days, it feels refreshing. A promenade runs along the coast for 1.6 miles to Porto’s most extensive city beach, Matosinhos. You’ll find cafes with terraces that face the sea along both shores. If you want freshly caught seafood for lunch, head to Rua Heróis de Fran?a in Matosinhos. The entire street is filled with small restaurants cooking up wood-fired grilled seafood. This is also one of Porto's top surf beaches, and you can sign up for a lesson with Fish Surf School here. Board rentals are also available.

Where to Taste Port

The grapes that produce Portugal’s most famous export, port, are grown in the Douro Valley, upriver from Porto. To taste this sweet, liquid dessert, you’ll want to head to the port lodges in Porto’s sister city, Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the Ponte de Dom Luis I bridge. You can walk or take the metro across the bridge, then head to vintage cellars for Graham’s, Taylor’s, and Ramos Pinto, among others.

While in Gaia, visit the World of Wine. It is a massive complex home to a wine school, wine and chocolate tastings, museums, and a dozen restaurants and bars with views of the river and Porto on the other side.

Where to Eat

Porto’s most famous dish is the Francesinha sandwich, which should be tried once on your trip as long as you eat meat. It is made with a hearty mixture of ham, steak, and pork, topped with a fried egg and melted cheese, and then covered in a spicy tomato gravy. Café Santiago serves one of the best Francesinha sandwiches in Porto. If you don’t eat meat but do eat seafood, another local specialty served here is Bacalhau à Brás (cod fried with onions and thin-sliced potatoes).

Porto is a meat-focused city, but vegetarians will be happy dining at Tia Tia. It serves breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. It serves creative Portuguese fare and excellent wines. While the menu is veggie-forward, it does have some meat entrees.

For some of the best views in town, you’ll want to head to one of the riverfront tables at Casario inside the Grand Cruz House hotel in the Ribeira neighborhood. It serves Portuguese classics and has an excellent chef-recommended tasting menu for a memorable meal.

If none of these spots sound appealing, wander Ribeira, and you’ll stumble upon something that tickles your tastebuds.

Where to Stay

Porto has ample lodging in hotels and a good selection of Airbnbs. For my trip, I chose Airbnb because I was staying with my friend, and we each wanted our room. Ribeira and Baixa are the top two neighborhoods in which to stay. They are the most central of Porto’s neighborhoods, within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and all the top attractions.

Ribeira, located along the Douro River, is the more charming of the two neighborhoods and will involve fewer hilly walks. But it is also more crowded, especially during the June to August high season. Baixa is also central and often has better deals on hotel rooms. The Gran Cruz House in Ribeira is a top hotel choice. It has a central location, and many rooms have river views. The Exmo Hotel, also in Ribeira, is another good choice.