Porto had been on my list of places to visit for quite a while, and it didn’t disappoint. Filled with history, beautiful architecture, friendly locals and great food.

I knew very little about Portugal’s rich history and was surprised to find out that it endured Europe’s longest fascist regime in the 20th century (basically further education for all but the selected few and women’s rights were actively suppressed to keep the Salazar regime in power).  Rumour has it that this is where JK Rowling got the name of her baddie in the Harry Potter books from, as she lived in Porto for a short while, but more about that later.

Porto gives its name to port wine, and along the port side you’ll see the historic warehouses that supplied port to the world for centuries.  If port is your thing there are plenty of bars and restaurants that have options for tastings.  I’m not a huge fan of it personally, but the other wines we had were tasty and inexpensive.

The city is fairly walkable, yes there are some hills, but if you’re ambling along at a relaxed pace they’re fine.  I’d recommend going on a walking tour on your first day to find out more about the place and get your bearings.guides are also a great source of ideas for good places to eat and  local attractions.   These tours often free and you tip the guide what you feel it was worth and I honestly have not been on a bad one.  I have to say that I was actually embarrassed this time when at the end of our tour a woman handed the guide pocket change.  These people work hard and bring the city alive for you, you don’t need to empty your bank account when tipping but think of a fair hourly rate if you hired an expert and pay it.

There is plenty to learn for history buffs, and Harry Potter fans can visit https://www.livrarialello.pt/ Livrariar Lello bookshop that was said to have inspired some of the imagery in the books (the author has said it didn’t, but people feel she might just be annoyed at people making money off this).  To get inside you’ll be charged 10 euros, and anytime I passed there were always massive queues of people to get in.  You can buy a skip the queue ticket online which gives you a time slot to visit for 15 euro.  In cooler weather you’ll also see some school kids in black cloaks with symbols embroidered on them, and it is clear to see that this is inspired the Hogwarts uniform.

You’ll see the popular blue and white tiles on many of the older buildings and quirky houses and the place is just incredibly pretty.  Food and drink is relatively inexpensive and excellent and Porto is home to some fantastic bakeries (top travel tip, hit these after walking up all the hills, not before like I did).

We also decided to take a day trip out to the local wine producing region, the Douro valley.  Booking a tour cost 100 euros but included an air-conditioned coach, a boat tour, visits to two port vineyards and a 3 course lunch, so all in not bad value.  I would definitely return and visit the Douro valley and you can take trains from Porto to some of the larger towns. 

It’s a beautiful area, but the locals warn that it’s 9 months of winter and 3 months of hell, this is because the unique micro climate that gives port it’s distinct flavor runs from -15 degrees in winter to 48 degrees in Summer.  I actually got sun burned for the first time in years because you’re up in the mountains or beside the river it didn’t feel that hot, so beware and slap on that SPF.

Porto and the surrounding area is definitely worth visiting.  The city has quite a laid back vibe, it’s beautiful, locals were lovely and English was widely spoken (as always, try to at least few words of the local language up your to sleeve).