Soar To: Where To Stay in Porto | Neighbourhoods & Areas | Tips | FAQs
When deciding on the place to remain in Porto, you may have loads of choices. Every neighborhood affords one thing distinctive, and this put up will enable you to select the place to base your self in Portugal’s second city. Whether or not you’re in search of tradition, nightlife, seashores, otherwise you’re after a bit little bit of all the things, you’re in luck.
I’ve visited Porto a number of occasions in the previous couple of years and used to stay in a tiny gem of a village within the hills, about an hour’s drive from town. I do know Porto fairly effectively, have visited the entire major sights, and made my means round a lot of its (glorious) bars, eating places, coworking spaces, and occasional retailers.
Consider Porto as Lisbon’s edgier, rebellious sibling. It’s a sprawling, inventive metropolis, filled with character and historical past. Elements of Porto would possibly look a bit tough across the edges, however scratch under the floor, and also you’ll discover a number of the most stunning structure, scrumptious meals, and fun-loving individuals in Portugal.
SEE ALSO: 15 Pros and Cons of Living in Portugal
Finest Areas to Keep in Porto


The place To Keep in Porto
Let’s take a better have a look at a number of the finest neighborhoods in Porto and the place to remain in Porto’s metropolis middle.


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Ribeira (Historic Heart): Finest Place To Keep in Porto for Your First Time


Ribeira is the historic middle of Porto. This stunning outdated neighborhood is positioned on the banks of the Douro River and contains a maze of slender cobbled streets, with colourful homes, shaded courtyards, and several other iconic landmarks together with the Dom Luís I Bridge and Porto Cathedral.
I really like how casual and atmospheric this district is. There’s no strain to decorate as much as go wherever in the event you don’t need to, you’ll see colourful murals and hanging graffiti in all places, and you’ll spend hours exploring the historic alleyways, backstreets, and quaint little cafes.
Execs of Staying in Ribeira
- Central location
- Quick access to town’s main sights
- Beautiful structure
- Gorgeous views of the river
- Wealthy in historical past and native tradition
- Numerous nice cafes and eateries
- Very safe neighborhood in Porto
Cons of Staying in Ribeira
- May be crowded, particularly throughout peak season
- Lodging might be dearer
- Some streets are noisy at night time (a lot of bars and eating places)
- Numerous steps and steep hills, not superb for these with mobility points
Finest Locations to Keep in Ribeira
Right here’s a set of a number of the finest locations to remain in Porto middle.
1. Muralha da Barca Apartamentos: A wonderful 2-bedroom condominium proper on the river. It comes with a well-equipped kitchen and patio with views of the Douro. Click here for details.
2. Porto River: Stunning ethereal rooms, elegant decor, comfortable furnishings, and beautiful riverfront views. This is likely one of the finest flats in Porto! Click here for details.
3. Being Porto Hostel: Staying in Ribeira doesn’t must be costly! This is a wonderful hostel, spotlessly clear, with an ideal location and each 4- and 6-bed dorms. Click here for details.
High Issues To Do in Ribeira


There are tons of nice issues to do and see in Ribeira – listed below are 3 of my prime choices:
1. Stroll throughout Dom Luís I Bridge: Porto has a number of stunning bridges, however that is essentially the most iconic. It has two ranges; the decrease is for automobiles and the higher is for trams and pedestrians. You get wonderful views of the river and metropolis from up right here – extremely beneficial! Click here for directions.
2. Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): This huge cathedral appears a bit like a fortress, standing proudly on one of many tallest factors in Ribeira. The big sq. exterior is all the time buzzing with individuals. Click here to find it.
3. Take a historic strolling tour of Riberia: When you’re concerned with studying about Porto’s wealthy historical past, I extremely suggest taking a historic strolling tour of Ribeira. Click here to learn more and book.
The place to Eat and Drink in Ribeira
There’s actually no scarcity of wonderful cafes, eating places, and bars in Ribeira. Try a few of these prime spots:
1. A Tasquinha Dos Guindais: Presumably my favourite place to eat in Porto. It’s a tiny family-owned restaurant on a set of steps main right down to the river. Their chargrilled sardines are beautiful.
2. Muro do Bacalhau: When you’re in search of one thing a bit fancier, it is a nice choice. It’s positioned proper on the riverfront and affords a spread of scrumptious small plates, and glorious native wine.
3. Wine Quay Bar: A implausible, unpretentious wine bar with an awesome ambiance and engaging tapas.
Baixa and Sé: Finest Space(s) in Porto for Nightlife


When you’re questioning the place to remain in Porto for nightlife, make sure to take a look at Baixa and Sé. They’re technically two distinct Porto neighborhoods, however they’re subsequent to one another and kind the center of Porto’s nightlife scene, so I’ll point out them each right here.
These energetic districts home many glorious bars, golf equipment, and stay music venues. They’re additionally fairly near town’s major sights. Baixa particularly is the place you’ll discover a few of Porto’s finest retailers, most vibrant public squares, and grandest accommodations.
Execs of Staying in Baixa and Sé
- Wonderful nightlife
- Energetic and enjoyable
- Central location
- Good public transport hyperlinks
- Limitless alternatives for purchasing
- A great deal of eating choices
- Dwelling to a number of the finest accommodations in Porto
Cons of Staying in Baixa and Sé
- Comparatively costly
- Crowds
- May be noisy and hectic (particularly at weekends)
Finest Locations to Keep in Baixa and Sé
Listed below are some nice locations to remain in Baixa and Sé – notably in the event you’re in search of the perfect locations to remain in Porto for nightlife.
1. Moov Hotel Porto Centro: It is a very good mid-range lodge within the coronary heart of Baixa. Some rooms include balconies, there’s a lovely backyard, and the breakfast is nice. Click here for details.
2. Pestana Porto: When you’re trying to push the boat out, this is likely one of the finest high-end accommodations in Porto. It’s elegant and delightful in and out, there’s a bar and a health club, and the service is impeccable. Click here for details.
3. Apartamentos Villa Bolhao: It is a attractive 1-bed condominium proper subsequent to Bolhāo Market. It has a great location, comes completely geared up for any size of keep, and is flooded with pure mild. Click here for details.
High Issues To Do in Baixa and Sé


Listed below are just a few concepts for enjoyable issues to do on this energetic nook of town:
1. Take a foods and drinks tasting tour: Pattern a number of the finest spots for meals and drinks in Porto. Your native information will take you to a spread of prime bars and eateries the place you’ll get to benefit from the metropolis’s genuine flavors and a few native favourite hangouts. Click here to book.
2. Lello Bookstore: Go to some of the stunning bookstores on the planet. This place is an actual masterpiece, it’s undoubtedly value a go to. Click here for directions, or right here to book a tour that includes Lello Bookstore.
3. Bolhāo Market: Considered one of Porto’s most well-known markets. Yow will discover an entire vary of meals and different recent produce right here, it’s an awesome place to discover and spend just a few hours wandering round. Click here for directions.
The place to Eat and Drink in Baixa and Sé
You’re spoilt for alternative with regards to consuming and ingesting in Baixa and Sé. Strive these locations:
1. Abadia do Porto: Get pleasure from conventional Portuguese delicacies in historic environment.
2. Big Bad Bank Bar: Subtle cocktails in a sublime, upmarket bar.
3. Nata Lisboa: You’ll spot the long-lasting Portuguese custard tarts in all places in Porto. However Nata Lisboa does a number of the highest! I really like watching them being made by way of the glass window behind the store.
Cedofeita: Coolest Place to Keep in Porto


When you’d choose to remain someplace a bit quieter and additional out from the middle, take into account Cedofeita. It’s one of many extra hipster areas of Porto, identified for its bohemian vibe, with a focus of classic retailers, artwork galleries, unbiased retailers, and stylish cafes.
Cedofeita is a well-liked space with Porto’s younger professionals and artistic sorts. It’s a great place to base your self if you wish to expertise Porto’s various scene and keep someplace surrounded by extra locals and fewer vacationers.
Execs of Staying in Cedofeita
- Cheaper than the central districts
- Wonderful espresso retailers
- Arty, stylish vibe
- Wonderful avenue artwork
- Loads of unbiased retailers
- Much less touristy, extra native
Cons of Staying in Cedofeita
- Additional away from the principle vacationer sights
- Fewer public transport choices
- Not as a lot nightlife (which might be a professional or a con relying in your preferences)
Finest Locations to Keep in Cedofeita
Listed below are my beneficial locations to remain in Cedofeita:
1. LivingPorto Boavista: This good-value 2-bedroom condominium sleeps as much as 4 individuals. It’s spacious, well-appointed, and even has a rooftop terrace full with solar loungers and a ping pong desk. Click here for details.
2. Oporto Serviced Apartments – Alvares Cabral: A big 1-bedroom condominium with a well-equipped kitchen and a spacious front room and eating space. Personal parking is accessible for an additional price. Click here for details.
3. Exe Essenzia Porto: A trendy 4-star lodge with elegant rooms, luxurious bogs, and a health middle on-site. It’s positioned on a quiet avenue however is a simple stroll from all of the sights of town middle. Click here for details.
High Issues To Do in Cedofeita


Try a few of these prime issues to do in Cedofeita:
1. Discover Rua Miguel Bombarda: This avenue is understood for its modern artwork galleries, inventive graffiti, and idea shops. It’s an awesome place to wander and browse. Click here for directions.
2. Calm down in Jardins do Palácio de Cristal: Calm down on this scenic landscaped backyard and benefit from the nice views over the Douro River. Click here for directions.
3. Tour the Tremendous Bock Area: Take a tour of the Tremendous Bock Area (Pavilhão Rosa Mota). This large domed stadium is a Porto icon and hosts a spread of vital cultural and sports activities occasions all year long. Click here to book.
The place to Eat and Drink in Cedofeita
Listed below are some native favorites:
1. Alto Porto: This restaurant is extraordinarily good worth for cash, providing top-class meals at very cheap costs – extremely beneficial!
2. Vinoteca: Wine bar with an unlimited number of native wines. They provide tastings and you too can purchase wine to remove.
3. Base Porto: An open-air bar that’s particularly wonderful throughout the heat summer season evenings.
Foz do Douro: Finest for Households


Foz do Douro is a coastal neighborhood on the western fringe of Porto. It’s dwelling to a number of stunning seashores, parks, and vast promenades with nice sea views. It’s a well-liked spot with native households and is a superb place to remain in the event you’re visiting Porto with children.
Execs of Staying in Foz do Douro
- Near the seaside
- Superb sunsets over the ocean
- Peaceable, relaxed ambiance
- One of the vital upmarket and posh areas of Porto
- Quieter
- Pretty coastal walks
Cons of Staying in Foz do Douro
- Fairly removed from town middle
- Fewer historic or cultural sights
- Restricted nightlife choices
- Pricier lodging
Finest Locations to Keep in Foz do Douro
Listed below are some good choices for locations to remain in Foz do Douro:
1. Bartolomeu Beach Apartments: This 1-bedroom condominium has a balcony with a sea view and a scorching tub. It’s a 2-minute stroll from Ingleses Seashore and a 4-minute stroll from Carneiro Seashore. Click here for details.
2. BOUTIQUE Rentals- ATTICO Luxury Design: An expensive 2-bedroom condominium with a shocking balcony providing panoramic, west-facing sea views. It’s positioned just a few steps from the seaside and former company have praised the welcoming and useful hosts. Click here for details.
3. Estrelícia: A trendy, not too long ago refurbished condominium with 2 bedrooms, a balcony, and a solar terrace. It’s positioned a 5-minute stroll from the ocean. Click here for details.
High Issues To Do in Foz do Douro


Try these nice issues to do throughout your keep:
1. Stroll alongside the seafront promenade: Take within the sweeping sea views, cease for ice cream, and discover a fairly spot to look at the sundown. Click here for directions.
2. Go to Castelo do Queijo: Try this dramatic Seventeenth-century seaside fortress on a rocky outcrop. It homes a small museum and affords implausible ocean views. Click here to find it.
3. Foz Market: Browse the native produce and hand-made items at this enjoyable (and family-friendly) market. Click here for directions.
The place to Eat and Drink in Foz do Douro
Right here’s some inspiration:
1. Peebz: Connoisseur hamburgers at cheap costs, with first rate vegetarian choices. Their garlic oil fries are a should!
2. Ichiban Restaurante Japonês: Very good Japanese restaurant with top-quality recent fish and delightful presentation.
3. Praia Homem Do Leme: Stylish bar and restaurant with outside eating overlooking the ocean. It’s an awesome place to return for sundown.
Bonfim: Finest Place in Porto on a Finances


To the east of the central districts, Bonfim is an up-and-coming neighborhood that was once considerably down at heel however is presently present process a metamorphosis. You’ll discover inexpensive lodging and some nice native eateries right here.
Execs of Staying in Bonfim
- Among the best low cost locations to remain in Porto
- Numerous nice native eating places
- Low-cost bars
- Genuine native vibes
- Fewer vacationers
Cons of Staying in Bonfim
- A bit scruffy and fewer polished than different areas
- Restricted nightlife and leisure
- Farther from most vacationer sights
Finest Locations to Keep in Bonfim
Try these nice locations to remain in Bonfim:
1. #Four Apartment by JC: This is a wonderful price range condominium that may sleep as much as 4 individuals. It’s inside simple strolling distance of the metro and comes geared up with all of the necessities for a snug keep. Click here for details.
2. Bessa Apartment: One other implausible and inexpensive 1-bedroom condominium in Bonfim. It has an awesome kitchen and a toilet with a rain-head bathe. A number of company have famous how snug the mattress is. Click here for details.
3. FindMe InPorto Bonfim: It is a small, however fantastically designed and adorned studio condominium. Giant home windows flood the house with pure mild and there’s a bit balcony with views down onto the road. Click here for details.
High Issues To Do in Bonfim


Right here are some things to see and do in Bonfim:
1. Jardim Marques de Oliveira Park: Calm down on this tranquil park, full with colourful flowers, statues, and a fountain. Click here for directions.
2. Fontaínhas viewpoint: This viewpoint affords another – however equally beautiful – view of the Dom Luís I Bridge and has an exquisite ambiance day and night time. Click here to find it.
3. Capela das Almas: It is a beautiful little chapel on the sting of Bonfim that’s undoubtedly value seeing. The surface partitions are coated in blue and white painted tiles, referred to as azulejos. Click here for directions.
The place to Eat and Drink in Bonfim
Listed below are some nice locations to move for a beverage and a chew to eat:
1. Cafetaria Mesa 325: Pleasant neighborhood cafe with scrumptious espresso and engaging breakfast choices.
2. Grill it: That is a tremendous barbecue restaurant providing a spread of high quality grilled meats and burgers, all of which pair completely with their (low cost and glorious) home crimson.
3. Meridians & Parallels: Very cool cocktail bar that’s standard with locals, with cheap costs and engaging drinks.
The place to Keep in Porto: FAQs
Listed below are some solutions to essentially the most generally requested questions on staying in Porto, Portugal:
Ribeira is the perfect space of Porto for first-time vacationers.
I’d keep away from staying south of the river. Aside from the waterfront of Vila Nova de Gaia, the port warehouses, and the (pretty) Jardim do Morro, there’s little to do in contrast with the north facet.
Most of central Porto is, on the entire, very safe. As with all metropolis, you need to control your belongings always, particularly in crowded locations and round vacationer websites. However, total, there isn’t an excessive amount of to fret about right here.
Sure, selecting the best neighborhood can improve your expertise. Whether or not the main focus of your keep is nightlife, historical past, or price range, there’s an space to fit your preferences in Porto.
My favourite view in Porto is from the Dom Luís I Bridge wanting towards Riberia and the river.
I like to recommend staying in Ribeira if it’s your first time visiting Porto.
Most of central Porto is walkable, sure, as long as you’re okay with steps and steep inclines. It’s a pretty big metropolis, nevertheless, so it does partly rely upon the place you base your self and the place you need to get to.
Keep in Ribeira, Baixa, or Sé if you wish to be near all the things.
One of the simplest ways to get round Porto is on foot! It’s a beautiful metropolis to stroll round and most distances are walkable. There’s a dependable bus, tram, and metro system for longer journeys.
Ribeira is the historic middle of Porto, whereas Baixa is called the trendy business hub and downtown space.
In Conclusion
Now you understand the perfect locations to remain in Porto. General, the perfect space to remain in Porto relies upon largely in your preferences and what you need to do there. When you’re solely visiting for just a few days, I’d keep as near town middle as attainable for comfort – both in Ribeira, Baixa, or Sé.
When you’re capable of keep a bit longer, take a look at Cedofeita or Bonfim. And if you wish to be near the seaside, and don’t thoughts being farther from town middle, Foz do Douro is one other nice choice.
Wherever you select to base your self, I’m certain you’ll have a memorable time!