Two days in Porto: river, then ocean

With two days, Porto opens up. You still get the old town, the river and the Port lodges — but you also have time to see that the city has another face: modern architecture, one of Europe’s finest garden museums, and a long Atlantic seafront where residents go to breathe.

01Day one: the old town and Gaia

Day 1

Follow our one-day itinerary: the cathedral terrace and São Bento in the morning, lunch near Ribeira, a booked Port tasting in Gaia mid-afternoon, and sunset from the Jardim do Morro before dinner back in the centre.

02Day two, morning: Serralves

Day 2

Take a taxi west to Serralves. Álvaro Siza’s white museum of contemporary art is the headline, but the 18-hectare park — formal gardens, woodland, a farm, a treetop walk and the pink Art Deco Casa de Serralves — is what makes the morning. Allow two to three hours, and check opening days before you go.

03Day two, afternoon: to the Atlantic

From Serralves it is a short taxi ride down to the sea. Spend the afternoon on the Foz do Douro promenade: the Passeio Alegre garden, the breakwater and the Felgueiras lighthouse, and the long Avenida do Brasil. Alternatively, return to Ribeira for lunch and ride the historic tram line 1 along the river to Foz — slow, scenic and a little nostalgic.

04Day two, evening: sunset and seafood

Watch the sun set over the Atlantic from the promenade, then settle into a long seafood dinner in Foz or neighbouring Matosinhos — grilled fish by weight, shellfish, or an arroz de marisco for two. Book ahead on weekends. Take a taxi back to the centre afterwards.

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