Following the Camino to Lunch
A ride on Porto's historic trolley, a walk along the Atlantic on the Camino, and another outstanding seafood meal
One of the things we’ve come to appreciate about Porto is how easy it is to string together a perfect day without much of a plan. Ours started by making the trek down the hill from our apartment to catch the historic trolley.
The old wooden cars may not be the fastest way to get anywhere, but they’re certainly one of the most charming. Pro tip - get there early, and sit on the left side for the best views heading up the coast.
We got off the trolley at the end of the line in Foz, where the Douro River meets the Atlantic Ocean, and picked up a stretch of the Camino de Santiago that follows Portugal’s spectacular coastline. You don’t have to be on a pilgrimage to appreciate this path. It’s one of those walks that makes the steps go by without even realizing it. Waves crash against the rocks, salty air drifts in off the ocean, and every bend in the path gives you another beautiful view.
After walking a while, we found a seaside café for a coffee break. Several school groups were spending the morning on the beach, and it was surprisingly entertaining to watch.
After we were caffeinated, we stopped to explore one of the old coastal forts that once helped defend the area from attacks by sea. While I admired the sweeping ocean views, Shawn immediately found the cannons and did what any man would do, pretended to fire them at imaginary enemy ships.
After ensuring the country was safe, we continued north along the coastline, eventually reaching Matosinhos. By then we’d certainly earned lunch, or at least that’s the story we told ourselves.
Our destination was Restaurante Titos 2, where we settled in with a bottle of our now-favorite Vinho Verde and ordered the mussels. We were so excited to find mussels again, but were nervous they would not live up the the ridiculously good ones we had in Lagos. They arrived steaming, swimming in a buttery, garlicky broth that demanded to be soaked up with bread, and were so good we ordered a second round, for €8 a pot, why not? We instantly made another reservation for next week.
After lunch, we wandered over to the Mercado Municipal de Matosinhos to pick up some fresh fruit for the week. One of the little joys of slow travel is shopping like a local. The stalls were overflowing with colorful peaches, nectarines, berries, melons, and cherries, all looking far better than anything we'd find at home. We filled a bag with enough fruit to keep us happily snacking for a few days.
By the time we made our way back to Porto, we'd packed an awful lot into one day; a vintage trolley ride, miles of spectacular coastline, coffee by the sea, Shawn's brief military career, an unforgettable lunch, and a bag full of summer fruit. Not bad for a day that started with nothing more ambitious than going for a walk.