2024 in Portugal (Porto)
On September 1, 2024, while sailing on the Celebrity Equinox, we had a port of call in Porto, Portugal. The ship actually docked in Port Leixões in Matosinhos, a suburb about 8 km (5 miles) northwest from downtown Porto:
Visit
Shuttle to Gaia
A free shuttle took passengers to Gaia, a touristy district south of the Douro River. From there, I walked on my own. Originally having a "free" walking tour, it was cancelled at the last minute. So I made my way through steep hilly terrain (which had staircases like the Escadaria da Travessa Candido dos Reis and Escadas da Pedrosa) to reach the Jardim do Morro, a garden with a spectacular view (Portuguese: Miradouro) of the Douro River and the downtown on the north side.
Centrum
Proceeded by Metro (subway train) to head north into Porto's city centre, getting off São Bento station and visited:
- Rua das Flores
- a shopping street
- Prometeu Artesanato
- a nice gift shop with handmade crafts
- Igreja dos Clérigos
- the church with the bell tower
- Universidade do Porto
- the city's university with an ornate fountain
- Rua de Cedofeita
- an ornately paved shopping street
- Porto City Hall
- with the obligatory "city name" sign
Cais da Ribeira, missed 😞
Due to a lack of time, I regret not visiting Cais da Ribeira (a promenade on the riverfront with all the restaurants). I also did not try any port wine but bought a bottle of white port wine for later consumption on the ship.
I covered quite some ground even without a tour guide, but I would have benefitted from a tour's quick pace to see more!
Reflection
Porto was the only port of call on the cruise trip where I did not have an excursion or a tour. So, I didn't feel any connection to the place, other than whatever impressions I got while walking around semi-aimlessly.
Like Lisbon, Porto had its impressive romantic architecture, religious buildings and limestone walkways. As a person who loves the ultra-modern, I could only appreciate, but not totally identify with, the city.