Top 5 free – Porto

As I’ve been to Porto in the last few days and while I still have clear memories of my trip’s details, I am going to tell you the coolest free things to do in Porto …Especially as I have was really looking for pick up free stuff. What I can tell you is that Porto is a cool city with a bohemian atmosphere, a city where past wealth and contemporary poorness intertwine, but what comes out of it can create a special mood … As a plus, what will please you more are the low prices of food and accommodation, as well as the fact that you can find very nice things to do…for freeJ

1. Free tours in Porto – I have decided to highlight these tours every chance I get. Well, Porto as well has free tours. Unlike other parts of Europe where you have to be at a certain time at a certain place (a central one, generally speaking), when it comes to the Porto tours you need to telephone a night before. That’s that, you call. Anyway, take a look on their site.

2. Free tours at the Porto wine producers – in general, the visits of the few “caves” on the shores of the river Douro cost money, but there is one producer that offers these tours for free! It’s called Taylor’s  and you can find him in the same area, approximately, as the others, in Gaia, on the left shore of the Douro river. More than that, you get a free Porto tasting session made by Taylor’s!

3. Take a bath in the Douro.  I only saw young people from Porto that were jumping from the Luis bridge directly into the river, but if you know how to swim it would be an experience! If the bridge seems too high for you, you can jump from the shore that is full of restaurants J

4. Visit the train station. Not necessarily to leave anywhere, but, as simple as that, it has the most beautiful azulejos (tiles) out of the entire town. An absolutely superb interior that cannot be missed.

5.  Go to the Lello bookstore! Built in 1906, in a period when the competition between the bookstores from Porto was tight and each and every one of them tried to stand out, the Lello bookstore is considered one of the most beautiful top 3 bookstores around the world. The neo-gothic façade hides a dreamy interior where, some say, scenes from Harry Potter might have been shot…and it is probably true. What’s annoying is the fact that you can hear the yelling of the staff at every 2 minutes “No pictures, please!”. Just act like you don’t understand it and go ahead take pictures.

These are pretty much the coolest 5 things that you can do for free in Porto. I would add the visit to the Cathedral or the crossing of the river on the Louis I bridge, but I would probably end up to 10 or 15 top free things to do in Porto…And, anyhow, as I have said already…the prices are pretty low in Porto, so you can discover an extraordinary city with on a small budget!

Images in Porto

In all certainty the free tour will take you on the shore of the Douro river

The neighborhood with the Gaia wine cellars …Taylor’s is around here somewhere as well

What do you say about a bath in the Douro?

The Porto train station

The Lello bookstore