10 Amazing Sights for Exploring Porto with Kids

Wander Here

Nov 7

Wander Here: Porto, Portugal

Porto, Portugal is one of those places that you see in the pictures online and think - there’s no way it really looks like that. It’s a storybook setting, and when you get there you look around and realize - yep, it really looks like that!

Most people who go to Porto go for the wine. Traditionally a sweet, red wine, often served with desert, Port Wine is a world- famous Portuguese wine that is produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. Jon and I are not big wine people, but we were still drawn in by the buzz about it! Many would say you’d be crazy to come to Porto and not visit the Douro Valley for a tour or spend an evening wine tasting along the river. And we probably are haha.

But considering we don’t love wine in general and on top of that we have four kids who also are not wine people…we skipped the wine festivities altogether. Although we did immensely enjoy a glass or two of Sangria over the course of the week. Considering we skipped its most famous attraction and STILL fell head over heels, Porto must be pretty spectacular place.

So what DID we do for five days in this cozy little riverside city full of history and cobblestone streets? Here’s a list of our 10 favorite sights and things to do in Porto, Portugal with kids…hope you enjoy!

Livraria Lello Bookstore

As avid Harry Potter fans, we knew we had to make a stop at Livraria Lello! While some believe it to be speculation, word on the street is that JK Rowling visited several during her time in Porto and was inspired by the ornate and beautiful interior when creating the scene for Hogwarts. Whether 100% true or not, the twisting staircase likeness makes it easy to believe! And considering we have a habit of hitting up cool bookstores in every place we visit, it was a no-brainer. It turns out, it’s super crowded no matter what time of day you go (in peak season at least), and if you want the truth - the joy is a bit tainted by the overwhelming amount of folks who are there more for the photo than for the books. But admittedly we still loved it, and we’d be mourning still today if we’d visited Porto and not hit up one of the most beautiful and famous bookstores in the world. My biggest tip - make sure and buy your tickets online BEFORE you go. It’s the difference in standing in line once or twice once you arrive :)

Walk the Dom Luis I Bridge, enjoying views of Porto

Constructed in 1886, this double-decker metal bridge is the most famous of the 6 bridges in Porto. Considering we stayed at an Airbnb across the Douro River in Villa Nova de Gaia, we got super well acquainted with this bridge because aside from a boat crossing, it’s the only connection between the two cities. We weren’t mad about it though because it’s absolutely stunning and the views kept us lingering, never getting old no matter how many times we crossed. You can cross the bridge on the bottom level or the top - the top was our favorite (better views duh), but it’s fun to experience both!

Ride the cable car in Villa Nova de Gaia

On the Villa Nova De Gaia side of the river, a cable car runs the length of the river from the end of town to the top of the hill where you enter the Dom Luis I Bridge to cross over to Porto. We generally like to make ourselves miserable by walking most places (it’s just a thing haha), but we just couldn’t pass up those beautiful river views, and of course seeing across the river to Porto on the other side. The cable car was one of the kids’ favorite activities, and my feet were pretty happy with the experience as well.

Wander the cobblestone streets and eat the traditional Pastel de Nata

One of the things we were most fascinated by in Portugal as a whole was the sheer amount of cobblestones across the country. It’s so interesting to think about how each stone had to be laid individually over the last several hundred years. And the amount of feet that have traversed the streets and sidewalks since. We spent a good amount of time just wandering, taking in the local culture and magical vibes that only Porto can deliver. And while we were at it, we couldn’t pass up the famous Pastel de Nata, the national pastry of Portugal made of caramelized custard and flaky golden brown puff pastry. While not my favorite dessert, it’s an experience in itself and you can’t visit Portugal without trying it!

Tour the Clerigos Tower

The 75 meter tall bell tower of the Clerigos Church is one of the most characteristic structures of the city. The church and it’s tower are part of a Baroque inspired building built in the 18th century. The church itself is a fascinating and sombre part of the tour, but it’s the 225 steps to the top of the tower that were most exciting for us. While I don’t recommend it for anyone who panics in small (or high) quarters, it was worth it a hundred times over for the 360 degree views from the top! You can see every part of Porto - a breathtaking experience. Also, it’s only 6 euros for adults and the kids are free so that’s reason enough to visit!

Visit Piscina das Mares

Being the beach bums we are, we had been away from the coast for over a week, so we decided to spend an afternoon visiting the ocean even though it’s not necessarily one of the top attractions of Porto. After researching the best beaches, we became intrigued by the Piscina das Mares, a salt-water swimming pool beautifully integrated into the Leca da Palmeira beach. It was a bit busy for our usual taste, but the impressiveness of the design and the sparkling blue water had us at hello. Probably not a stop for adults necessarily, it was a perfect way to spend an afternoon outside the city and get that taste of salt air we were craving.

Spot the street art

We love art of any kind, and there’s just something about the creativity of street art and the way it accents the historic nature of the city of Porto that was even more extraordinary than usual. Portugal as a whole is decorated with a surprising amount of graffiti, and there was a fair amount of it in Porto as well. And from the small designs to city block sized images, the street art around every corner left us super inspired, proof of how eye-catching it really was.

Sip some coffee

The coffee in Portugal is just on a whole other level than what we’re used to. But we don’t just hit up coffee shops around the world for the drinks…it’s also for the vibes. And coffee shops across Portugal did not disappoint! Modern, plant covered, a little gritty and full of life, our top two favorites were 7G (actually in Villa Nova de Gaia) and Fabrica Coffee Roasters. We could have stayed for hours (oh wait, we did).

Visit Sao Bento station to see the tile work

Portugal is famous for its tiles, and Sao Bento station really shines as one of the most beautiful representations of Portuguese tile work. The railway station is situated in the Historic Centre of Porto, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a national monument. The panels of azulejo tiles (the blue ones) depict various moments in the country’s history, and the multicolored tiles show rural scenes including different people groups. The kids were a little less interested in this than other stops, but I got chills just walking into the station. Totally worth the stop!

Broom shop at Escovaria de Belomonte

We typically like to get off-the-beaten-path, which can be challenging in a city like Porto where you feel like you just can’t pass up some of the iconic, but touristy stops (looking at you Levraria Lello). So on our first day, I knew we had to scour the city to find this tiny little local broom/brush shop I had read about in an article. And scour we did…tucked in a tiny little space on Rua de Belomonte…if we’d blinked we have missed it! For as tiny as it is, it’s amazing how long we spent there…owing 100% to the passionate shop owner (3rd generation - it was started by his great great- grandfather). This is what really lights me up with travel - having the chance to hear about local life in Porto from this shop-owner whose greatest passion is serving his community with his art. We learned more than we could have ever imagined about the art of brush-making (escovaria) and how his shop has changed and continued to thrive over the generations. We even got to catch a glimpse of brushes being made in the back of the shop by the shop-owner’s mother.

Every time I glance at our look at our handmade-in-Porto brooms hanging on the wall in our schoolroom, I’m reminded of that idyllic little shop and the Portuguese owner who let us infiltrate his tiny shop and ask twenty thousand questions about every product. Oh, and while there are some skeptics, a former Porto college professor stopped in once and shared that she tutored JK Rowling in Portuguese and personally visited the shop with her three different times. It’s said that she was inspired to use brooms as a key element in Harry Potter. Just another reason to love this dreamy little shop.