Porto, Step by Step
Historic churches, stunning architecture, and Porto's most famous hot dog
Every few blocks in Porto there’s another stunning church or grand building that makes you stop in the middle of the sidewalk in awe.
After wandering all over town by ourselves for a week, we decided we needed a local to tell us what we are actually looking at. We could not have chosen a better guide than Ana for the Best of Porto Walking Tour through Viator. We had slightly chilly weather and a small group of 8, which was perfect for the 3 hour tour.
Our morning began at the Church of Saint Ildefonso, perched high above the city and covered with thousands of beautiful azulejo tiles. Portugal has somehow managed to convince us that blue-and-white ceramic tiles belong on absolutely everything.
From there we wandered down Rua Santa Catarina, Porto's busiest shopping street. It has a little bit of everything, historic cafés, gourmet shops, street musicians, and plenty of people watching.
Eventually we reached the grand Town Hall overlooking Avenida dos Aliados. The wide boulevard feels like Porto's living room, with elegant buildings stretching in every direction and locals and tourists sharing the space. It seems impossible to walk through without stopping for a few photos.
Speaking of crowds...
One stop we didn’t make was Livraria Lello.
We certainly found it.
More accurately, we found the line to get into it. Our guide advised against visiting because of how crowded it gets inside the store.
The famous bookstore is said to have inspired some of the Harry Potter series, since JK Rowling lived here while she was writing the first book. We admired it from the outside, and continued on our way.
I found a photo of what it looks like on the inside (I’m certain this was taken after hours)…
Porto is frequently celebrated as the capital of Portuguese Baroque architecture. You can also see Art Deco and French influences everywhere.
A few blocks away from the famous bookstore, we reached one of Porto’s most fascinating architectural oddities: the Carmo and Carmelitas Churches.
At first glance they look like one enormous church. They’re actually two separate churches built side by side, divided by what was once considered the world’s narrowest home, and amusingly called the Heathen House. Apparently back then, churches could not be built next to each other, so this was their work-around.
Not far away stands the Clérigos Church and its famous bell tower, one of Porto’s most recognizable landmarks.
We didn’t climb the tower ,(we had gotten quite a few steps in at this point), but we were lucky enough to step inside while the organist was playing the church’s pipe organ.
The music filled the entire church.
For a few quiet minutes, everyone simply stopped walking, stopped talking, and listened.
Our walk eventually brought us to São Bento Station, which may be the only train station where people spend more time looking at the walls than the departure boards.
More than 20,000 hand-painted azulejo tiles cover the main hall, telling stories from Portugal’s history. It’s hard to imagine commuters hurrying through this space every day without looking up... although they probably do.
And finally, because every walking tour deserves at least one completely unexpected stop...
McDonald’s.
Not just any McDonald’s, but the famous Imperial McDonald’s, often called one of the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world.
Originally built as the elegant Café Imperial in the 1930s, much of the original Art Deco interior remains, complete with chandeliers, stained glass, ornate ceilings, and an enormous bronze eagle watching over the dining room.
In some areas of town (like near this McDonalds), Porto has a bit of a pigeon issue, and this team below is part of the solution. They were stationed outside the McDonalds ready to take down any wayward pigeons who might want a fry or two. I can’t decide whether I am disappointed or relieved that we didn’t get to see them in action.
Of course, no walking tour is complete without rewarding yourself with something delicious, so after our tour was complete, we finished the day by joining the line at Gazela for one of Porto's legendary hot dogs (aka cachorrinhos). Anthony Bourdain (and several other famous chefs) visited here while in Porto. Their famous cachorro isn't piled high with toppings like an American hot dog. Instead, it's a thin sausage tucked into a crispy roll, brushed with spicy sauce, cheese melted on top, pressed until perfectly crunchy, then cut into bite sized pieces to be eaten with your fingers. It's simple, a little messy, and worth the wait. After several miles of walking, it tasted less like a snack and more like a well-earned reward.
By the time we made it back to our apartment, our watches informed us we’d walked several miles. Our legs already knew.
Today was exhausting, but beautiful.