This post is going to be a little unusual - our love and enthusiasm for exploring new places rarely leaves us disappointed; we usually find something unique, beautiful or fun to experience. So it was surprising and unexpected when we were left a bit underwhelmed by Porto, after hearing and reading fantastic things. Full disclosure - we visited in winter and had a tight itinerary, so we skipped the beach and the recommended trip to the Duoro Valley. We also decided against standing an hour in line and jostling with crowds to visit Livaria Lello, as it was just giving typical tourist trap vibes. We did walk past it and caught a glimpse of THE famous staircase, with people swarming and trying to take selfies. It didn't seem like one could browse books in peace, which would kind of defeat the purpose of visiting a bookstore. Another let down was the construction work going on at Sao Bento station, which covered a portion of the beautiful hand painted tiles. However, whatever was visible, was very appealing.
We had already completed the Algarve and Lisbon stops on our itinerary - Porto did not offer the awe inspiring beauty of the southern coast and seemed to be a smaller, less metropolitan version of Lisbon. Yes, the tiled facades of buildings in the old town near the river were beautiful, and the Duoro River cruises offered promising views with that soothing glass of local port, but it was nothing new. If you have already been to Budapest or Prague, you may get a strong sense of deja vu. We did enjoy our port tasting at La Maison des Port and the night time views of the lit up city from Rua Nova da Alfandega.
In a nutshell, if your itinerary required you to choose between Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve region, you can easily give Porto a miss. Unless, of course, the Duoro Valley is the main reason for visiting Porto.
Here are a few tips for you -
1. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk uphill/downhill
2. Uber is widely available and reasonably priced
3. There are several vegan/ vegetarian restaurants (Apuro and Nola Kitchen were great!) and most restaurants have a few vegetarian options
4. If you love burgers you should definitely try Uata
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