Porto is totally different from Lisbon, but it offers visitors a unique experience. To begin with, the centers of the two cities are completely different: downtown Porto is steep with tight streets, while in Lisbon this area is flat and has wider streets; the Douro River is narrow and Vila Nova de Gaia is right there with its bars and Port wine cellars, but in Lisbon the Tagus is immensely wide and you can barely see the other side; In Porto, most of the churches and buildings of historical interest are concentrated in this area, but in Lisbon everything is more dispersed, from Belém to Expo.
For a long time, Porto has been considered a serious and hard-working city. In fact, it was said that the tripeiros (the people of Porto) worked while the Moors (the people of Lisbon) had fun. There was a certain flaw when talking about glam in relation to Porto actually. But in recent years, with the explosion of tourism, these images have faded and Cidade Invicta – as Porto is known – has completely transformed. New design hotels, fashion stores, art galleries, cafes and restaurants opened trendy. And to further consolidate this image, Porto won first place in the best European destinations in 2017 (see the video here).
Geographically, Porto has an advantage over Lisbon because it is closer to large urban centers, and therefore to tourists. While the closest Spanish area to Lisbon is Extremadura, a less populated, poorer region with few prominent cities, Porto manages to be close to cities like Salamanca, the entire Galicia region and cities like Vigo, Santiago de Compostela and Coruña and even the capital Madrid is closer than Lisbon. And naturally, as it is further north, it is also closer to large European cities such as London or Paris.
In recent years, Porto has earned its place on the podium of the best cities to visit in Portugal and is now one of the spots most popular with tourists. With the Ribeira, its monuments, its gastronomy, its world-renowned wines, the way the people of Porto live their lives, Porto is increasingly in fashion. The city remains full of charm and proud of its traditions, but today it asserts itself as a metropolis on the move, full of emblematic places and with an impressive hotel and gastronomic offer.
Porto is a vibrant city full of good reasons to visit, becoming in recent years one of the cities in Western Europe that has attracted the most attention. It is currently a perfect destination full of things to see and do, but remains accessible and compact to be able to visit on a long weekend. And if you have some extra time and want to get away from the vibe Porto, taking the Port wine route, visiting Guimarães or going to Braga are all incredible experiences.