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Portugal : Porto - November 2007

Country Code: Dial 1 for Portugal

November is a lovely time to visit Porto – the weather is mild and the summer crowds have disappeared, leaving plenty of room to stroll through the streets of the old town or take a tram ride along the banks of the Douro. Fiona Keating gets under the skin of Portugal’s second city

Getting around

Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport

Bus: The 601 bus runs to the city centre every half hour, the 602 runs every 15 minutes. The journey takes about an hour and tickets cost €1.30.
Train: The metro runs into the airport terminal and takes 25 minutes to reach the city centre. Tickets cost €1.35. Trains run from 6.00am to 1.00am.
Taxi: A taxi to the town centre costs about €20 and will take approximately 20 minutes.
Tourist information: 25 Rua Clube dos Fenianos (tel.//, www.visitportugal.com).

Ribeira

Once the destination of shipments from all over the world, today Ribeira is the vibrant social centre of the city.

Sleep soundly – The Pestana Porto (1 Praça da Ribeira, tel. , pestana.com, rooms from €142) offers fantastic views of the Douro river and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Culture vultures – During the 15th century, the first ships set sail from Porto to Africa, heralding the beginning of Portugal’s Age of Discovery. Prince Henry the Navigator ordered the expedition and his house, Casa do Infante (63 Rua do Infante D Henrique), is now a museum.

Must eat – Casa Filha da Mãe Preta (39–40 Cais da Ribeira, tel. ) serves superb seafood dishes, such as lulas grelhadas (grilled squid) or pez espada (swordfish), along with dreamy riverside views.

Must drink – The classy Dom Tonho (13-15 Cais de Ribeira) has an extensive list of wines and port, the drink that made the city famous. » Shop til you drop The Ribeira Craft Centre (37 Rua da Reboleira) sells hand-made fabrics, embroidered dresses and vibrant pottery.

Aliados

The tourist hub of town regularly hosts seasonal festivities.

Sleep soundly – Eurostars Das Artes (160 Rua Do Rosario, tel. , eurostarshotels.com, rooms from €89) is set in the city centre’s galleries area, 600m from bustling Rua das Carmelitas.

Culture vultures – Visit the Churches of do Carmo and das Carmelitas (Rua do Carmo), which are within easy walking distance of each other.

Must drink – Take a sip of vintage wine in the granite-arched O Almadinha cellar bar (131 Rua do Almada) of the Hotel Internacional, formerly a convent.

Boavista

A great place for retail therapy, Boavista is home to the best boutiques in town.

Sleep soundly – The Porto Palacio Hotel (1269 Avenida da Boavista, , ghotw.com, rooms from €190) combines luxury, elegance and comfort with state-of-the art business facilities. The Sheraton Porto Hotel And Spa (146 Rua Tenente Valadim, tel. , sheratonporto.com/eng, rooms from €114) gets top marks for glamour, with its great health and beauty facilities.

Culture vultures – The Portuguese are immensely proud of the Serralves Museum (210 Rua D João de Castro) and with good cause.

Must eat – The Bull and Bear (3431 Avenida da Boavista, tel. ) is home to Miguel Castro Silva, one of Portugal’s most important chefs. If you’ve an adventurous palette, try the Beira blood sausage and pig’s trotters.

Dance the night away – Sip cocktails until dawn at Le Meridien Porto’s nightclub (1466 Avenida Boavista).

Gaia

Head to this pretty riverside district to visit the famous Port cellars.

Sleep soundly – Mercure Porto Gaia (Rua Manuel Moreira De Barros, tel. , mercure.com, rooms from €59) is just 5km from the beach.

Culture vultures – Head to Serra do Pilar Monastery (Santa Marinha, Vila Nova de Gaia) and enjoy the views from the cliff 100m above the river.

Must drink – Don’t leave Porto without a tour and tasting session at a traditional Port wine cellar. Try the Ramos Pinto (400 Avenida Ramos Pinto).

Compiled by Fiona Keating