Porto for under £100 a night: enjoy and nibble your way through the colorful streets of Portugal’s second city
Clustered on the northern bank of the Douro River, Porto’s Old Town is a warren of hilly cobbled streets, blue-tiled buildings and charming churches.
The focal point here is Gustave Eiffel’s double-decker Dom Luis Bridge.
Cross this to the south and you will find the historic port houses where you can taste the drink.
With good restaurants and affordable hotels, Porto, Portugal’s second city, is perfect for a budget holiday
There are good restaurants and affordable hotels… perfect for a cheap city trip.
Where to stay
Village near BOA
Behind a modest door in a quiet street on the edge of the Bolhão district lies this collection of 40 rooms arranged around a beautiful courtyard. Each room has a fully equipped kitchen and living area.
The design is modern Scandinavian and minimal, yet warm and welcoming. A small gym and on-site deli are useful. One of the hotel perks is a welcome pack with Portuguese wine and local delicacies.
Doubles from £85, villagebyboa.com.
Hotel Carris Porto Ribeira
If you want to stay right in the old town, with the Douro on your doorstep, the location of Hotel Carrís Porto Ribeira is hard to beat.
Set in a series of historic buildings dating from the 14th century, the renovated rooms retain original features such as exposed brick walls and stone arches, but are decorated in a contemporary style with a predominantly monochrome palette.
There are two excellent restaurants and terraces with beautiful views of the city.
Doubles from £52, carrisportoribeira.com.
If you want to be in the heart of the old town, with the Douro on your doorstep, Elizabeth Bennett says the location of Hotel Carrís Porto Ribeira (above) is hard to beat
Casa Carolina
This tiled townhouse turned eight-room guest house has beautiful original wooden floors and whitewashed walls. Floor-to-ceiling doors with Juliet balconies provide access to the busy street below. It is located in a quiet street, but in a central location.
Doubles from £77, Casacarolina.pt.
Porto AS 1829 Hotel
Located at the end of the main pedestrian street, Rua das Flores, this hotel is housed in a historic stationery shop. The 41 rooms embrace the past and feature original typewriters and vintage furniture.
Doubles from £68, artsoulgroup.com/portoas1829hotel.
Where to eat
Taberna Dos Mercadores
Taberna Dos Mercadores (photo) serves dishes such as flaming salt-crusted sea bass
This cavernous restaurant seats 16 guests. Watch the collective gasp as dishes of flaming salt-crusted sea bass (£16.50) are brought out of the small kitchen. Start with classic cod croquettes (€2.60) and finish with port-soaked pears (€3.45), while enjoying a glass or two of Branco, a white wine from the Douro Valley (€3.90).
Rua dos Mercadores 36, tabernadosmercadores.eatbu.com.
Mercado do Bolhao
Mercado do Bolhão, Porto’s main market, benefited from a major makeover last year
Porto’s main market dates back to 1914 and underwent a major makeover last year. The ground floor functions as a produce market with 79 stalls, while the upper floor houses restaurants. Get a plate of cheese (€4.35) at Queijaria do Bolhão or visit Bolhao Winehouse for a sardine and mackerel tasting (€5.20).
322 Rua Formosa, mercadobolhao.pt.
Manteigaria — Fabrica de Pastéis de Nata
No trip to Portugal is complete without trying a Pastéis de Nata. These crispy, flaky tarts filled with thick custard – deliberately slightly burnt on top – are a mainstay for breakfast or as an afternoon treat. Buy to take away (£1.30) or enjoy in the adjacent coffee shop.
Rua de Alexandre Braga 24, manteigaria.com.
What to see and do
Pick up some port
Cross the Dom Luis Bridge (pictured) to the south and you’ll find the historic port houses where you can sample the drink
At Cockburn’s Port Lodge, the largest wooden port cellar in Vila Nova de Gaia, you can see the age-old practice of making this fortified wine with grapes from the Douro Valley. Watch the team of coopers handcraft wooden barrels and learn about the history of Porto’s most popular export. At the end you will taste three different varieties. A 90 minute tour and tasting costs £17.50 pp (cockburns.com).
Find the azulejos
Above is the Chapel of Souls, covered in 16,000 hand-painted blue and white tiles
Porto’s churches are best seen from the outside thanks to the beautiful array of azulejos (hand-painted blue tiles) that adorn them. Start your free DIY walking tour at the Chapel of Souls, the jewel in the crown with a whopping 16,000 tiles, before continuing to Saint Ildefonso Church and Igreja do Carmo.
Not a church, but the UNESCO-listed Sao Bento Train Station is also a must-visit for its floor-to-ceiling tiles.
How to get there
Ryanair flies from Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Stansted and Manchester to Porto from £14.77 one way (ryanair.com).
With three departures per hour, the metro (purple line) connects the airport to Trindade station in the city center (the journey takes 30-40 minutes, £1.75 one way). More information at visitportugal.com.