Ahhh Porto, where to begin? The people were lovely, the place was stunning and the food was exceptional. This was a much needed break after university and the realities of grad life. We started our trip flying with TAP Portugal which is one of the nicest airlines I've ever used.. we got free wine!
Once we'd landed we got on the metro to our hotel in Balhou. Porto's metro is like a much nicer tube; it's spacious, air conned and very easy to understand. When coming up the stairs of Balhou station we were greeted by this stunning church (one I'd been hoping to see from my Instagram research) which was breathtaking and set a great tone for the holiday. Our hotel was alright, but its location was why we chose it; it was nice to be in the heart of Porto and made travelling around so easy.
On our first evening we went for a glass of wine (standard) and then a concert of Fado and Flamenco which offered a festive introduction to Portuguese culture. We then went to this local restaurant called Taberna Do Doutor which was exceptional ( we went twice). The first time we went I had octopus which was so tender and fresh. The second time we had an octopus salad starter which was octopus, balsamic, onion, parsley and olive oil.. i'm salivating thinking about it. For mains I had the most melt in the mouth steak I've ever had; it was medium rare and perfection. The staff were so clued up on what was gluten free and made the dining experience so easy and everything was amazing.
We stayed in Porto for 4 nights and in that time we saw the river where we tasted port, went on a boat trip and a cable car. People drink port like it's beer in Porto, it's so normalized and I must admit I've got quite a taste for it now. We also went to the contemporary art gallery which has a sculpture park attached to it. The gallery was ok but the highlight was the sculpture park; it was filled with various gardens, animals and one gorgeous symmetrical path of pools and trees. I could have walked around it for ages.
On our third day we took a trip to the beach where I got badly burnt but it was so worth it. Reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on a beach in Porto was not something to complain about. We then went for the most incredible lunch I've had in ages. Their specialty here was seafood and me and mum were like kids in a sweet shop trying to decide what to get. We started with muscles which came with fresh onion, parsley, vinegar and chili. They were so fresh and moorish and went perfectly with the vihno verde we had ordered. For mains me and mum shared giant prawns and squid on a spit over chips. This was AMAZING.. like one of the best meals I've ever had. The fish was so fresh and full of flavor and again went gorgeously with the wine. The staff were also on it with the gluten free options and I noticed that it was so easy as the food is in general very fuss free and all natural ingredients.
After our four nights in Porto we got a train down the river to the Douro Valley. Douro is where they make most of Portugal's wine and the views of all the vineyards are breathtaking. We stayed in a lovely hotel which had a pool and gorgeous terraces to take in the view of the valley. During our time here we went on a wine tasting which was delicious and we ate octopus again.. 3 times in one week and no regrets. I'm glad we only stayed two nights here as I don't think there would have been heaps to do once you'd gone on a boat and done a wine tour. However, it was stunning and made the perfect chill out spot after 4 days of rushing round seeing Porto.
For our final night we traveled back past Porto to this seaside town called Espihno. Here we stayed in the most amazing hotel ever, it had tennis courts, two pools, crazy golf and amazing views of the beach. We only stayed one night as it was extortionate but amazing. Here we swam, drank port, played golf and went down to the beach. This beach was so gorgeous and was a definite highlight for me.. I could have stood taking the view in for hours.
I really like that we traveled around a bit as it meant we got to see lots of different things. My top three highlights had to be the food, the second beach and the scenery. If you are coeliac, Portugal is a really easy place to navigate being gluten free, however if you're also vegetarian I'm not sure how easy that would be as my diet there consisted of meat and fish.
Porto is really special and I would love to go back. If you want any more tips on it drop me a message!
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