Porto. A City To Take Your Breath Away.

Arriving in any city for the first time when grey skies, driving rain and cold conditions dominate is never that pleasant as often weather conditions can, and do leave a poor and sometimes an undeserved impression on a city.

So it was with Porto.

Located in Northern Portugal, Porto is often neglected in favour of Lisbon, the country's capital, when in fact this city is like the proverbial beautiful sister, prettier, more sophisticated and less tarnished than her somewhat shop-soiled southern metropolis.

My first introduction to this magical place was the imposing Sao Bento railway station with its vast arrivals and ticketing hall festooned with approximately 20,000 azulejo tiles, created by the renowned artist Jorge Colaço. The massive blue frescoes depict the Battle of Arcos de Valdevez and the Conquest of Ceuta as well as an array of smaller works that are truly breathtaking.

There’s an almost dreamlike quality to Porto – a tumbledown, romantic place of medieval relics, soaring bell towers and stately beaux-arts buildings, complete with its seven bridges crossing the mighty Duomo River. It has about it an almost Parisian feel brought on no doubt by the splendid two-tier wrought iron Ponte D Maria railway bridge designed by Gustave Eifel the man responsible for that famous tower that dominates the Parisian skyline.

Within twenty- four hours of my arrival, the weather lifted and the city revealed itself in all its finery; its pastel painted buildings in hues of ochre, mustard and pink, shine in the mid-morning sunshine. Porto’s UNESCO-protected riverfront district, the Ribeiria, is a remarkable tangle of historic streets and narrow alleys that snake and weave their way through the hilly heart of the medieval district, replete with its Rococo façades and Gothic churches.

Walking along these ancient cobbled streets, comforting sounds permeate the air, the slosh of the Duomo against the docks or the snap of drying laundry hanging from washing lines three or four stories above one’s head. Traditional barcos rabelos (flat-bottomed boats) bob along the river loaded with large barrels of Porto’s most famous export, port wine.

So it has been for hundreds of years.

Porto, like its sister Lisbon, is undergoing a massive bout of ‘cosmetic surgery’ as apartments, hundreds of years old are gutted, stripped and ‘gentrified. Cranes dot the skyline, busily transforming the interiors of these crumbling structures. The city is now beginning to be awash with burgeoning short-term rentals suitable for the Air B & B market, furnished floor to ceiling by Ikea.

Cheap and cheerful bars and restaurants line most of the narrow streets and lanes all serving gourmet meals from kitchens the size of cupboards. The residents of Porto now appear to go about their everyday business with bovine good humour knowing that with the massive influx of tourism, the despair of the global financial crisis is, after more than a decade, finally lifting.

It would be criminal not to sample the famous ports that the city is famous for and, to do that, it is essential to visit the famous port wine houses on the other side of the river. (an easy walk across the Ponte D Maria bridge)

Here you will find yourself in the neighbouring city of Vila Nova de Gaia which has more than 60 port-making ‘lodges’ on its river banks, or high in the surrounding hills, many dating from the mid- 18th century. To those who have a hardy disposition, a one-kilometre walk up to the famous Grahams lodge is well worth the effort if only for the view of Porto across the river and the splendid restaurant in the actual storage ‘cave’ surrounded by hundreds of barrels filled with the precious nectar.

Travel upriver on one of the numerous tourist boats and within minutes you are in the wine country of Alto Douro and some of Portugal’s most appealing countryside. This is a place of dramatic landscapes, terraced vineyards, whitewashed estates and delightful quintas (country homes).

The recently departed Anthony Bourdain remarked once of the cheese served with his small glass of port from the region, “It smelled like a dirty foot, but tasted like heaven.” True Port can only ever come from this part of the world — the rest is all just fortified wines.

When the hills in Porto’s ‘old city’ become too much it is easy to escape to any one of the numerous beaches on the Atlantic or to amble through any one of their several parks that dot the city.

Taking the quaint No.1 tram in front of the cathedral of St Francisco will take the traveller on a meandering journey through the outer suburbs of the city until you reach the end of the line. A brisk walk along the boardwalk next to the ocean is often an escape from the summer heat where the Atlantic breezes bring a welcome relief.

A point of interest regarding the Porto trams is that many of these ‘rattling wardrobes’ were transported to the city of San Francisco where they happily carry tourists and its citizens up and down that city’s steep inclines.

At the end of the boardwalk is the vast, Jardin Passeio Alegre park which really is not to be missed. Again, it is wonderful to find that city authorities have invested heavily in such vast swathes of green spaces. Tree-lined avenues, open meadows and thick undergrowth offer a tranquil escape from the day to day lives for the citizens of this delightful part of the world.

A visit to Porto should never be rushed as the longer one stays the more one discovers. Walking the cobbled streets there always seems to be a ‘hidden’ laneway or path that will take the curious pedestrian to another delightful gem, away from the hustle and bustle of the more popular tourist areas.

To ‘feel’ the city’s heritage, a wander through the tranquil cemetery of Cemiterio do Prado do Repouso  , high above Porto itself will give the visitor a unique look at the region’s history where long-dead citizens lie entombed in ornate mausoleums surrounded by well-tended gardens and towering cypress trees.

It really is difficult, to sum up, a city’s history and unique charm in just one thousand odd words as there is so much that this particular jewel offers. With its plethora of statues that seem to adorn every corner, its fountains, churches and cathedrals and it’s splendid architecture in general, Porto is a place that will leave you breathless and be wanting for more.

Germano Silva’s excellent, “the Ultimate Porto Guide. 7 Walks through the city’s history and secrets” is a must-have travel companion if you are thinking of visiting Porto.