Porto: 5+ Floors, No Elevator, and the Best Damn Pork Sandwich.

5+ floors, no elevator, and a couple of overpacked suitcases—that's how our time in Porto started. Fresh off a train from Lisbon, we traded Sintra's castles for the steep climb up to our quaint guesthouse room (My Ribeira Guest House). The reward for that luggage struggle was a fantastic two-room apartment, complete with a record player and incredible bird's-eye views of the azulejos across the street. A week into our trip, we made time for practicalities—laundry at a local self-serve spot, fortified by some quick supplies and a borrowed Amália Rodrigues fado album, which became the perfect backdrop for wine and the sunset views.

-Porto Travelogue -
​Epic Views and Accidental Feasts:
​After a quick rest, we headed out to explore and quickly stumbled upon a wonderful spot, Tapas 65. I think we tried half the menu and enjoyed a couple of bottles of wine, one of which we shared with the friends we spontaneously met at the next table.

​Up early the next day, we meandered down to the port for breakfast at My Coffee Porto—a steep walk, but the amazing views from the two outside tables were worth it. We then continued up the hill to access the upper deck of the iconic Dom Luís I Bridge, which is open only to pedestrians and trams. The views from the 146-foot high deck were spectacular, looking out over the Douro River toward Vila Nova de Gaia. Just a short walk up from the bridge was the architectural landmark Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, a UNESCO site we could even spot from our room. We took the Teleférico de Gaia cable car down, a much higher ride than it looked from the ground!

​Port, Pigs, and Portuguese Hot Dogs:
​We spent the afternoon on the Gaia side, locating some essential street art like "Half Rabbit" by Bordalo II, checking out the ambitious cultural district, WOW, and heading to Cockburn's to learn a little about Port and have a taste or two. We wandered aimlessly back toward the river, discovering beautiful flowers covering a parking lot and an old fountain. Dinner that night was at Sancho Panza right on the river, where the Black Iberian Pig Cheeks were truly the best.
​Our last day was packed. We quickly got caught in a downpour, making our way from cover to cover until we found umbrellas. We checked out the intricately tiled back streets, the famous super fancy McDonald’s with chandeliers, and the gorgeous azulejos at the Estação de São Bento (Train station). We ducked into the vibrant Mercado do Bolhão to avoid the rain and plan our final food mission.

​That mission was to hit our final two must-try restaurants. First up: Casa Guedes, home of the amazingly juicy, tender pork sandwiches cut right off the giant roast. The chef then treated us to something special and off-menu: delicate, complimentary shavings of the flavorful outside of the roast, soaked in the pan juices—a true mark of hospitality. Next was Gazela, where we lucked into a seat at the bar. This is the home of the original Cachorrinho (traditional hot dog), and the chefs were hilarious and so fun to hang out with. Later, we were able to get into the unassuming but fantastic Igreja de Sao Pedro de Miragaia before a final, lighter dinner at A Grade, where the incredible olive oil served became our new souvenir mission.

​This is the messy, wonderful, and totally authentic story of our Porto adventure. We finished with the usual car rental fiasco (up-sells and insurance plans) but eventually hit the road, headed for the Douro Valley.

My Ribeira Guest House https://maps.app.goo.gl/fodK65ydKghHw...
Half Rabbit by Bordalo II https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q5LC9mEb2Hjvj...
WOW https://maps.app.goo.gl/udLkLQZxYV2qe...
Cockburn's https://maps.app.goo.gl/D9uwGuGJ89r2v...
Sancho Panza https://maps.app.goo.gl/pC7Mf9guwB8DL...
McDonald's - Imperial https://maps.app.goo.gl/3p1AasN3Mt2Km...
Estação de São Bento https://maps.app.goo.gl/H2f3CKHxF46V7...
Mercado do Bolhão https://maps.app.goo.gl/v5hLqZHLs3Bgy...
Casa Guedes Tradicional https://maps.app.goo.gl/qUCNrc7PoBaFh...
Cachorrinho Gazela https://maps.app.goo.gl/165HznBy67EAU...
A Grade https://maps.app.goo.gl/oEem5BurnVS8a...


Timestamps:
0:00 DAY 7 (Travel)
1:11 Train to Porto
2:56 Room - My Ribeira Guest House
4:44 Laundry
6:50 Record Player
8:53 Dinner - Tapas 65
10:01 Day 8
10:49 Breakfast - My Coffee Porto
11:44 Monastery of Serra do Pilar
15:19 Half Rabbit
15:56 Igreja Paroquial de Santa Marinha
18:21 Cockburn's
23:07 Lunch - Sancho Panza...no Cais de Gaia
26:08 Douro River
27:56 Day 9
30:44 McDonald's - Imperial
32:05 Átrio da Estação de São Bento
33:11 Mercado do Bolhão
37:33 Food - Casa Guedes Tradicional
39:46 Food - Cachorrinho Gazela
43:56 Parish Church of São Pedro de Miragaia
46:12 Dinner - A Grade