I didn’t expect to fall in love with Porto.
And, to be honest, my first impression of Porto was that the city was dark (no thanks to the dark clouds and cold weather), cold and grimy.
As we drove into Porto, we were tired and chilled to the bone, thanks to a wicked cold snap roaring through Europe. Our GPS lost reception through the thick clouds, and we drove around in circles as Cole helpfully piped up “Mom, I’m think I’m going to be sick!” from the back seat. Such is the glamorous life of family travel blogging.
We were primed for a bad first impression of the city.
And yet, three days later, I found myself utterly in love with the city, and sorry to leave.
Here’s the story of how I fell in love with gritty, beautiful Porto, told through the lenses of our point and shoot Canon camera and iPhone.
Bride on steps of Cathedral Se
Medeval Pillory at Cathedral Se in Porto Portugal
Jordan and Daddy peeking out at the Douro River
Looking down from the hills above the Duoro
Door to an abandoned building
Jordan’s loving our boat tour of the Douro River
Boats on the Douro
Cobblestone streets near the port houses
Tour Boat on the Douro
Crumbling ruins on the banks of the Douro
Micki carrying Jordan through the steep Cobblestone Streets
Weathered door in Central Porto
Porto’s Ribeira district from the Dom Luis Bridge
Wow, beautiful pictures. I love all the colors in the architecture.
Oh I LOVE Porto.. and I’m glad you enjoyed it after all.
The first time I visited (October last year).. I booked a second trip within two weeks of returning from Porto…
Wow! I’m also falling in love. The picture of the door to the abandoned building is my favorite. I like the contrast in color.
One of my really good friends is originally from Porto so I always assume everyone who lives there is really nice! lol.
Portugal is #1 on my wish list so I love to see what people have to say about it. Porto looks like a lovely city.
I haven’t made it to Porto yet but it is on the list now! Great photos! Porto is such a colorful city. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Charles & Micki,
Did you have some tips about the wine produced next to porto in the Douro region ? After the extremadura region (Lisbon wine region) i really wanted to get some inside information from travelers 🙂
Hello any tips for hotels in Lisbon and Porto + Duoro. I will be travelling end of April for 10 days with my husband and we are looking for some affordable place to stay.
Gorgeous photos, I love how you managed to capture the colours in the buildings.