21 Best Sights in Porto, Portugal

Designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, a winner of the Pritzker Prize and Portugal's best-known architect, this is one of Portugal's leading contemporary art museums. The facility has lovely gardens (which can be explored by treetop walk) and interesting exhibitions of works by painters, sculptors, and designers from throughout Portugal and around the world. Visitors can recharge flagging energy levels with a drink in the Auditório bar, tea and cakes at the pleasant Case de Chá, or a full meal in the Restaurante de Serralves.

Originally constructed in the 12th century by the parents of Dom Afonso Henriques (Portugal's first king), Porto's granite cathedral has been rebuilt twice: first in the late 13th century and again in the 18th century, when the architect of the Torre dos Clérigos, Nicolau Nasoni, was among those commissioned to work on its expansion. Despite the renovations, it remains a fortress-like structure—an uncompromising testament to medieval wealth and power. Notice a low relief on the northern tower, depicting a 14th-century vessel and symbolizing the city's nautical vocation. Size is the only exceptional thing about the interior; when you enter the two-story 14th-century cloisters, however, the building comes to life. Decorated with gleaming azulejos, a staircase added by Nasoni leads to the second level and into a richly furnished chapter house, from which there are fine views through narrow windows. Nasoni also redesigned the Paço Episcopal (Bishops' Palace) behind the cathedral, adding a famed monumental stairwell.

Steps from the Douro, a network of former cellars have been repurposed as a new cultural district showcasing Porto's importance to the global wine industry. With several museums, numerous places to eat and drink, art galleries, shops, and a wine school, you could easily spend several days exploring everything that World of Wine has to offer. Highlights include a chocolate factory (think Willy Wonka, but with more advice on pairing chocolate with Port wine), and the Pink Palace: an Instagram-ready museum dedicated to rosé wines. Here, visitors can jump into pink ball pools, visit an Old West saloon bar, and climb inside a vintage pink Cadillac. 

A string of fish restaurants and tascas (taverns) are built into the street-level arcade of timeworn buildings along this pier. In the Praça da Ribeira, people sit and chat at outdoor café tables surrounding a modern, cube-like sculpture. Farther on, steps lead to a wide esplanade along the river that's backed by vibrantly hued row houses. The pier also provides the easiest access to the lower level of Porto's most iconic bridge across the Douro, the Ponte Dom Luis I. Those wishing to delve deeper into the Ribeira's 2,000-year past can embark upon informative riverboat tours, leaving from Cais da Ribeira and across the river in Vila Nova da Gaia, which generally cruise around the city's six bridges and up the river to Peso da Régua and Pinhão.

Home to the National Orchestra of Porto and Portugal's Baroque Orchestra, this soaring postmodern temple to music was designed by legendary Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas ahead of Porto's stint as the European Culture Capital in 2001. There are frequent musical events, but the gravity-defying building deserves a visit even when the stage is bare. Book in advance for hour-long English-language guided tours.

Housed in a spooky yet stately 18th-century jailhouse, this stellar museum hosts an ever-changing rotation of exhibits of works by modern Portuguese photographers, reflecting their work both at home and abroad. Photography buffs will appreciate the permanent collection of analog cameras housed on the top floor.

This eye-catching train station was built in the early 20th century (King D. Carlos I laid the first brick himself in 1900) and inaugurated in 1915. It sits precisely where the Convent of S. Bento de Avé-Maria was located, and therefore inherited the convent's name—Saint Bento. The atrium, worth a visit even if you don't have a train to catch, is covered with 20,000 azulejos painted by Jorge Colaço (1916) depicting scenes of Portugal's history—from battles to coronations to royal gatherings—as well as ethnographic images. Designed by Porto-born architect Marques da Silva, it's one of the city's most magnificent artistic undertakings of the early 20th century.

With the most striking exterior of any church in Porto, Igreja de Santo Ildefonso has a facade covered with some 11,000 blue-and-white azulejo tiles depicting scenes from the Gospels and the life of Saint Ildefonso. The church was completed in the 18th century on the site of a previous chapel from the Middle Ages. Inside, a sacred art museum showcases interesting religious artifacts, books, and paintings, and you can see a gilded raised altarpiece by the 18th-century Italian artist Nicolau Nasoni.

During the last days of Porto's siege by the absolutist army (the miguelistas) in July 1842, there was gunfire by the nearby Convent of St. Francis. These shootings caused a fire that destroyed most parts of the convent, sparing only this church. Today the church is the most prominent Gothic monument in Porto. It's a rather undistinguished, late-14th-century building on the outside, but inside is an astounding interior: gilded carving—added in the mid-18th century—runs up the pillars, over the altar, and across the ceiling. An adjacent museum houses furnishings from the Franciscan convent. Guided tours include visits to the church, museum, and catacombs.

Legend has it that one of J. K. Rowling’s chief inspirations for the fantasy world of Harry Potter was this century-old bookstore, often cited as the most beautiful bookshop in the world. Although Rowling hasn’t confirmed these rumors, an undeniable fairy-tale magic permeates this place, whether you’re marveling at its 60,000-plus books, painted-glass ceiling, fanciful facade, or crimson double-helix staircase. In recent years, the bookstore has become so overrun with tourists that queues snake down the street, and there’s now a €10 admission fee, which is redeemable against any purchase in the store.

With a prime location on the banks of the river in downtown Vila Nova de Gaia, Mercado Beira-Rio is a modern food hall that opened as part of the area’s riverside revitalization. It features numerous stands selling everything from pizza and steaks to wine and fresh fruit salads. There are terrace tables and communal seating indoors, ideal for sheltering from Porto’s infamous rain. 

Formerly Porto's stock exchange, Palácio da Bolsa is one of the city's most breathtaking historical buildings. Guided tours leaving every half hour are the only way to see the interior of this masterpiece of 19th-century Portuguese architecture, so if you're only in Porto for one day, it's wise to book your tour in the morning for an afternoon time slot. The grand Moorish-style ballroom, with its octagonal dome and ornate arches, is the most memorable chamber. A high-end restaurant, O Comercial, serves European dishes in a suitably grand space with high ceilings and elaborate chandeliers.

Designed by Teófilo Seyrig (who apprenticed for Gustave Eiffel), this two-tiered metal bridge leads directly to the city of Vila Nova de Gaia. On hot summer days some brave souls dive straight into the waters below for a swim, but it's definitely not for the fainthearted. For most visitors, the real glory is the magnificent view of downtown Porto. The jumble of red-tile roofs on pastel-color buildings is reflected in the majestic Douro River; if the sun is shining just right, everything appears to be washed in gold. By the foot of the bridge is the lower station of the Funicular dos Guindais, the quaintest part of the city's public transportation system, which cranks uphill to the Batalha neighborhood.

Sandeman's distinctive logo can be seen from across the river, and the image of cable cars soaring over the black, cloaked silhouetted figure is an unforgettable one. Scotsman George Sandeman founded the brand in London in 1790, and the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia have been in use since 1811. A museum here re-creates 19th-century London through photographs and other artifacts, and visitors can also explore the cellars and sample the famous drink.

If your feet are tired, skip climbing up Vila Nova de Gaia's steep hills on foot and hop on the cable car, which offers sweeping views of the Douro River and the Ribeira.

Designed by Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni and begun in 1754, the baroque tower of the Igreja dos Clérigos is the tallest in Porto and a landmark on the city's horizon. There are 225 steep stone steps to the belfry, and the considerable effort required to climb them is rewarded by stunning views of the red-roofed Old Town and the mouth of the Douro River. Binoculars and audio tours are available for an extra charge. The church itself, also built by Nasoni, predates the tower and is an elaborate example of Italianate Baroque architecture. Admission includes access to a small museum. 

Architecture buffs intrigued by Álvaro Siza Vieira's work after visiting the Serralves Museu de Arte Contemporânea might consider a trip to this modernist restaurant (formerly a tea house), wedged between boulders just steps from the sea. One of Siza's earliest projects, completed in 1963, it was designed after careful analysis of the surrounding rock formations, tides, and flora. The approach—a series of platforms, steps, and bifold doors—provides a sense of anticipation and views of the structure and the ocean beyond it. In summer, the enormous windows slide down, creating the impression you can step right out into the sea. At the double Michelin-starred restaurant ($$$$) you can take in glorious sea views as you tackle huge plates of seafood and grilled fish. To visit the interior of the house you must make restaurant bookings ahead.

Although there's no longer an actual crystal palace here (the grand original building, built to host the city's 1865 International Exhibition, fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1952 to make room for the somewhat unsightly sports stadium dubbed "the UFO" by locals), the Crystal Palace Gardens remain a lovely place for a stroll in the shade. With ornate fountains and statues, strolling peacocks, hidden chapels, rose gardens, and views over the Douro, it's a romantic spot beloved of both locals and out-of-towners. 

Cálem is one of Portugal's biggest port wine producers, and the enormous letters spelling out its name name is a landmark on the Vila Nova de Gaia skyline. The grand building on the riverbanks is an attraction in itself, and visitors have the option of enjoying fado shows and food-pairing sessions as well as taking tours of the cellars and tasting the wares.

The city's top children's attraction, this well maintained aquarium is at the western end of Avenida da Boavista. Sharks, jellyfish, rays, and giant turtles are among the 5,600 or so animals on display, representing hundreds of species. Other highlights include Portugal's only Ocean Tunnel, which gives a peek into underwater life for the colorful creatures that inhabit the main tank. The nearby Parque da Cidade, a large landscaped park dotted with trees and lakes, is a lovely place for a picnic.

Time Out Market Porto follows the same model as the wildly popular Lisbon original, bringing together top local chefs and producers under one roof. Housed in the redeveloped south wing of São Bento station, it’s a buzzy, central spot for shopping, eating, and drinking, with occasional live music and DJ sessions.