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Portugal : Porto - June 2010

Country Code: Dial 1 for Portugal

There can be few better times to visit Portugal’s northern capital than during the transition from spring to summer. The Ribeira may have seen a return of its once-annual fl ooding this winter, but as the days begin to warm up, the gardens of Porto look particularly wonderful. Kevin Rose gets a taste of the town before heading out to the beach

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).

BAIXA

Downtown Porto is a tight, huddled mass of streets that are just made for exploring on foot and contain many of the city’s historical highlights.

Sleep soundly – Keeping things cool, cheap and very friendly, The Yellow House (96 Rua Joao das Regras, tel. , yellowhouse.hostel.com, rooms from €36, dorms from €15) is winning a lot of admirers. The four-floor converted family house has plenty of garden space and also offers free internet and an organic-based breakfast.

Culture vultures – A visit to the Guerra Junqueiro House and Museum (32 Rua D. Hugo, closed Mon) gives you the opportunity to have a nosey around an 18th-century baroque palace that’s been given over to the collections and items of the radical Portuguese writer and poet Guerra Junqueiro.

Must eat – On the very long list of outstanding Porto cafes, Café Progresso (5 Rua Actor João Guedes, tel. ) merits a special mention. It has over a century of history, but its latest appearance is bright, modern and very enticing. It’s also one of the many places that serves up the wonderful francesinha – an Oporto speciality featuring fillet steak, ham and cheese between two slices of bread all submerged under a rich, meaty sauce.

Shop til you drop – Luís Buchinho is a big name in the city’s fashion circles, and has attracted a lot of praise for his opening up downtown and confidence in the future of Porto’s traditional shopping centre. A quick look around his Luís Buchinho (122 Rua José Falcão) store also provides an insight into the latest trends in Portugal’s female fashion sector.

BOAVISTA

This area is home to the must-see Serralves Museum (210 Rua Dom João de Castro) – even if contemporary art isn’t to your taste, the museum’s gardens are simply stunning.

Sleep soundly – Try the Oporto version of what has become a national chain, combining striking artistic flair with the hostel concept. The Black and White Porto Hostel (944 Rua Barão de Forrester, tel. , hostelbw @yahoo.com, dorms from €12) is a 19th-century family house transformed into an art house, which lives up to its name with a two-colour approach to interior design. Its attention to appearance is matched by its service.

Culture vultures – Casa da Música (604-610 Avenida da Boavista) is commemorating its fifth anniversary in great style, with a packed and ongoing eclectic program that ranges from a hip-hop celebration of Portuguese revolution day to ongoing jazz and classical music cycles.

Dance the night away – Hidden away in a three-floored 19th-century building is an establishment for the trendy. Triplex Bar (911 Avenida da Boavista) has managed to stay hip throughout three decades, and claims a place in the city’s music history.

FOZ AND MATOSINHOS

There’s a rather different feel to these neighbourhoods, as the city moves from its cramped riverside location to face up to its ocean-front destiny.

Culture vultures – For the architecturally minded, the Leça da Palmeira ocean swimming pool complex (Leça da Palmeira seafront) holds a special power of attraction. Designed by the international award-winning and locally born Alvaro Siza Vieira, the pools provide shelter from the Atlantic rollers while blending into their surroundings – blasting the rocks away was beyond his budget.

Must drink – Stop off at the preferred late-night hangout for Porto’s growing surfing community. The seafront location and owner’s passion mean Café do Mar (13 Rua Roberto Ivens) is immersed in the art of riding the waves.

Dance the night away – A white-sided canning factory is now the venue for Estado Novo (722 Rua Sousa Arosa). A long favourite with serious clubbers, you can expect plenty of musical variety. There’s a door charge of between €8 and €16, and this amount is then credited against your drinks tab.

Compiled by Kevin Rose