10 Free Ways To Experience Porto Like A Local

For the last few years, Porto has been one of my bases, where I return to between long trips. It’s where I can settle into a routine and explore this incredible city slowly, like a local, with my friends here.

I’ve since compiled two ready to go list for friends visiting Porto. The first are all the classic things you sort of have to maybe possibly do if you’re in Porto.

Things like visiting the Sao Bento train station, walking around the Riberio area and across the Ponte Luis I bridge and catching the sunset from the Jardim de Morro. Or even visiting the Livraria Lello library (tip: skip the long line by buying the golden voucher).

They’re all worth doing, but when you want a deeper more enriching way to see Porto, here are some of my favorite experiences and things to do to make the most of your visit to Porto – almost like a local.

The best part is that most of these things, except the restaurants and transportation, are completely free.

1. Catch The Sunset From The Lighthouses in Foz

It’s about a 3 km run along the river to the Farolim de Felgeuiras and its neighbor, the Farolim da Barra do Douro, from where I stay in Porto. This is one of my favorite things to do on a regular basis. Even if it’s just for a sunset walk and back. It’s a great place to see the sun come down.

To make a full day of this, head out to Matosinhos or Leça de Palmeira area and slowly walk town towards Foz. There’s a beautiful outdoor seawater pool at Piscinas das Marés and the cove at Praia Azul is a great place to lay on the beach where you’re protected from the wind.

2. Picnic At The Palacio De Cristal Gardens

One of my favorite spots in Porto is actually pretty close to the city center. The grounds at the Palacio de Cristal is a lovely escape from the crowds downtown. You’ll have to share it with the peacocks, roosters, and swans roaming and swimming about, but it’s worth it. Many locals come here, and it’s not a bad spot to bring a packed lunch or lay down a small blanket and have a picnic.

You’ll also find a beautiful lake and one of the best views of the Douro River from here.

Perhaps, even more of a gem, from a lack of crowds, is the gorgeous Botanical Garden (location) by the university. There’s a cafe there, just a few minutes from our place, where we like to go for a coffee and scone.

3. Vintage Shopping In Porto

One of my random things I love to do is to explore the different vintage and antique stores scattered around the city. Maquinas de Outros Tempos is where I go for old cameras and to get my 35mm film developed. Mon Père Vintage is a gem of a vintage clothing shop. And there are a bunch of antique shops like Antiguidades Porto Velho along the same street of Rua dos Mártires da Liberdade.

4. Mercado Bom Successo and Mercado Beira Rio

Skip the disappointing Time Out Market and overcrowded Bolhao Market and head out to the neighborhood of Boavista. The Mercado Bom Successo is a much better option if you want to visit a food hall or even the Mercado Beira Rio across the river on the Gaia side.

Try the Leitão (roasted suckling pig), Feijoada (bean stew with pork), Cozido à Portuguesa (regional stew of boiled meats and vegetables), or Arroz de Pato (duck rice). Or if you’re adventurous, perhaps the Arroz de Capidela (chicken and rice cooked in hen’s blood). And wash it down with a cold Super Bock. Always Super Bock in Porto. Leave the Sagres for Lisbon.

Mercado Bom Successo is a good pairing with the Casa da Musica where you can catch local musical performances, or just grab a coffee or daily lunch special in the cafe and admire the architecture. Mercado Beira Rio is great if you’re planning to visit one of the port wine cellars or the WOW Porto museum complex.

5. Take A 30 Minute Train To Espinho And Wander The Boardwalk

When we want a quick coastal break from the city, we either head to Matosinhos or south to one of nearby coastal towns like Espinho or the beaches of Praia de Granja or Praia de Miramar where the picturesque Capelo do Senhor de Pedra is located. A beautiful sunset spot.

Espinho is only 30 minutes away from Porto, but it feels so far away. There’s even a casino there and plenty of beach cafes. Zé da Banana is a local gem for me, an hour’s walk on the boardwalk south of Espinho (or one stop on the train), where it feels like I’m back in a Porto from 10-15 years ago. Randomly, you can also get a 1 meter long Francesinha there, but I come for the seafood platter.

6. Grab A Coffee And Enjoy The View From WOW Porto

The main courtyard at WOW Porto opens up to panoramic views of Porto and the Duoro River. As long as it’s not raining, I recommend grabbing a coffee and pastry from The Coffee House and then taking it over to the courtyard to enjoy the views over the terracotta rooftops extending towards the river.

WOW Porto, besides having 7 different museums and is probably one of the best places to buy unique gifts, also hosts festivals and events in their outdoor space. Check the schedule to see if it overlaps with your visit.

Afterwards, you can head down for an hour long cruise along the river passing the 6 bridges on the Douro. Sure, it’s a little touristy, but it’s still a beautiful way to experience Porto from the river.

7. Take Advantage Of The Local Weekday Lunch Specials

Many restaurants, even upscale ones, offer very reasonable weekday lunch menus. They often comprise of an appetizer, entree, and dessert, and some even include wine and coffee, all for between €15 – €25.

I have a short list that includes places like KOB by Oliver, Tokkotai, Le Palais, and OMA (Friday only). The easiest way to use The Fork and search for restaurants with lunch specials or an executive lunch.

The Fork is the local restaurant reservation platform. Completely free and restaurants offer no-strings attached discounts of between 30-50% to encourage new visitors. As a user, you also earn points with every reservation that you can use to get between €25-€50 off your bill.

If you haven’t used it before, you can sign up with code 83EBDDE8 to get a 1000 points sign up bonus.

8. Eat Like A Local

While there are many new modern restaurants to choose from, the humble ‘tascas’ tavern are the OG restaurants where locals go to grab a meal. There are many scattered around the city and while a lot of have adapted to the surging influx of visitors, the roots are still there.

Taxca is in the city center and is always a stop on most food tours, and for good reasons. They do classics like bifanas, pig ear salad, and tripe stew and when things run out, they just run out. Honestly, half the menu isn’t available most days. And despite this place being a bit touristy, there’s still a charm here that I like. Or venture to Boavista and take your chances at Toca D’avenida. Maybe you’ll thank me, maybe not. Leave your expectations at the door and just go with it.

Also, I know so many list will have Café Santiago or Lado B as the place to go for a Francesinha, but a couple of friends turned me on to Camada and this is it. There’s the one in Boavista and another location in Matosinhos.

9. Take A Historic Train Or River Cruise To The Douro Wine Valley

For me, a visit to the Douro Valley feels like a natural extension of visiting Porto. There’s a historic train that gets you to the towns of Regua and Pinhao in 1.5 or 2 hours, respectively. You can arrange for winery visits or a river cruise from there. While many tourists take this train, it’s not priced any differently than CP’s (Portugal’s national train line) normal trains.

Alternatively, you can take a slow cruise all the way up river from Porto enjoying lunch on the boat and a winery visit when you get to the Douro Valley.

My preference is to spend a couple of nights at a Quinta and just enjoy the slow pace of life. Most will offer breakfast and dinner, so you can just kick back and take it in. I celebrated my birthday one year at the Quinta da Travessa and it was probably one of my favorite trips to the Douro Valley besides doing it on the Presidential Train.

The family-run vineyard only has 3 rooms, and charming would be an understatement. It was a gem of a find on the part of my girlfriend.

If you’re not planning to stay overnight in the Douro Valley or driving yourself, I actually recommend joining a pretty inexpensive day trip to the Douro Valley that includes a river cruise, visits to a couple of wineries, and plenty of tastings.

Most of the wineries or ‘quintas’ are located away from the train stops, so you’ll need to arrange transport to get there yourself.

In my experience of visiting the Douro Valley many times in different ways, the day trip option is one of the most efficient way of visiting the Douro Valley without a car. This is the best option we found and who we decided to go with.

10. Walk the Camino Portugues to Santiago de Compostela

The pilgrimage walk from Sé Cathedral in Porto to Santiago de Compostela is around 250 – 270 km. Most people do it in about 10 – 12 days. I the Litoral route with a detour on the Variante Espiritual and reached Santiago de Compostela in 10 days. I continued onwards to Finisterre and Muxia on the coast and it was one of the most joyful travel experiences.

Even if you don’t do the whole Camino Portugues, it’s fun to walk from the Se Cathedral along the river following the markers up to Matosinhos. You can do it in half a day and enjoy the beaches along the way.

Updated on June 30, 2025