By Mike Homer
I always feel that one of the best ways to get a feel for a city is to find a walking tour that covers the “must see” highlights, led by an enthusiastic local with plenty of insider knowledge.
That’s exactly what I got on this 3-hour small group walking tour of Porto (it’s also available as a private tour if you prefer).
After refilling my water bottle in preparation, I and four other enthusiastic travellers met our guide for the afternoon, Lia, a vibrant native of Porto with a welcoming smile.
A quick introduction to each other and we were soon on our journey to discover the foremost Porto sights.
The first stop was just a short distance downhill where we could see along the Douro River and take in a few of the many bridges. Lia gave us quite a detailed history of Portugal and how the capital city changed location throughout the ages.
She mentioned that when Lisbon became the country’s capital, no official papers were registered, so the title of capital city actually reverts to the previously registered one, i.e. Coimbra! (I’m not sure what Lisboetas would make of this!)
Porto Cathedral
After stopping at the stately horseback statue of Vimara Peres and taking in the views, Lia told us about the history of Porto’s Romanesque Cathedral. Constructed in the 12th century, it apparently houses more azulejos (tiles) than anywhere else in Portugal. You can see some of these in the open-sided passageway to the left of the main entrance.
Although we didn’t go inside the cathedral, Lia did invite us to take a close look at the wall by the entrance. There are two lines gouged into the stone work (see photo), used to measure a length of cloth sold in the market in front of the building. The lower mark is supposedly the length of a forearm, a measurement previously used when buying textiles.
After being invited to place our own arms on the mark, it was evident that it was much longer than it should be; about 6 inches, in fact. The story goes that the locals felt they were being undersold by the merchants so, every night, someone would creep in the dark and scratch a little more stone out. Thus, the measurement got longer and longer!
Down to Ribeira
If you’re walking in Porto it’s difficult to avoid hills and steps. As we headed downhill towards the Douro River, we passed through the ‘Arch of Truth’ (where wives were not allowed to lie to their husbands) and chatted about the old houses with their small doors. These low doorways are not for short Portuguese people but for their animals, who used to be kept on the ground floor beneath the living quarters, for warmth.
As we strolled along Ribeira we saw various teenagers precariously perched on the outside of the Dom Luís I bridge. In warmer months, it’s quite common to find small groups of boys encouraging passers-by to part with a little money to see their colleague leap into the river. Apparently, this can be quite a lucrative pastime!
Boats and festivals
Whilst at the riverside, Lia explained about the rabelo boats that were used to transport barrels of port wine from the vineyards much further upstream in the Douro Valley.
On June 24th, which is the São João festival in Porto, you can see many of these boats race along the Douro, each manned by one of the major port wine houses. However, the night before is a huge party where people go around bopping each other on the head with plastic hammers. Sounds fun!
As the afternoon wore on we wandered past the Igreja de São Francisco and Palácio da Bolsa and headed up Rua das Flores towards Porto’s most beautiful train station.
São Bento train station
A convent until 1834, the building was first used as a train station in 1916. What happened to it in the intervening 82 years? Well, the abolition of Portuguese monasteries came into effect from 1834, all of the nuns who had been living there were allowed to stay there for life. However, a 14-year-old girl had just joined the sisterhood and lived to a ripe old age, meaning that the state had to wait a long time to take over the property.
The beautiful tile panels show significant moments from Portuguese history as well as insights into bygone lifestyles.
Find out what happened when I went on this Portuguese Tile Painting workshop.
Lello bookstore
Any Porto walking tour needs a break, especially on a hot August afternoon. After a welcome café stop for refreshments, we were now approaching the Clérigos area and the final stages of our tour.
We didn’t join the long, snake-like queue to go into the famous Lello bookshop (you need to purchase tickets in advance if you want to go inside). Instead, Lia explained the many Harry Potter connections in the area, from the grand staircase found within the bookshop, to students’ attire and even the griffin fountain just around the corner.
We couldn’t walk through Jardim da Cordoaria due to roadworks but we did spot the unusually bulbous sycamore trees lining the pathways. Legend has it that all of the badness and disease from the nearby hospital was absorbed into these trees. Actually, it was a nasty fungus.
Clérigos Tower
An informative stroll past the courthouse and the former prison led us to our final stop, the Torre dos Clérigos, with its 75-metre tall bell tower, which can be seen from various points of the city and is one of Porto’s most characteristic symbols.
The verdict and tips
Overall, this was a very pleasurable Porto walking tour, with lots of interesting information and a relaxed pace. If you do decide this is the tour for you, remember to take plenty of water and be prepared for quite a few steps and the notorious hills of Porto.
Another nice touch was that shortly after the tour had finished, we were sent lots of recommendations for restaurants, museums, etc.
For further information, click on the questions below:
Does the tour include entrance to the sites?
No, but information is given regarding prices and the best time to visit.
I have mobility issues. Could I cope with this tour?
It is a 3 hour walking tour and Porto is very hilly. I have a dodgy knee and I must admit it became quite painful later on. One alternative option would be Julie’s Flexible Self-Guided Walking Tour, where you can do everything at your own pace.
Is there a private tour available?
Yes. Just choose the private option when you book.
Alternatives
If you’d prefer to walk without a guide, try Julie’s Flexible Self-Guided Walking Tour of Porto, which you can do in 1 day or split over two if you have more time.
If you’re looking for more Porto ‘must sees’ check out this 40 Of The Most amazing Things To Do In Porto post.
