Porto. O Porto. What a special place. There’s something dreamy about Porto, and it’s not just the Instagram-friendly facades that have been flooding your feeds over the past few years. I think it has something to do with the history, how you feel like you’re at the edge of the world, sheltered from the rest of Europe in a way, but also so connected to the rest of the world.
Porto, like Lisbon, like many other cities, is defined by a body of water. The Duoro river that carves out the shape of the city, that gives it life, and connects it to the ocean and beyond. It also gives it bridges to connect Porto to Gaia, bridges that rise dramatically in the horizon, high above the water. It’s not difficult to imagine how these very waters inspired a spirit of exploration centuries ago, the ones that completely changed the world we know today.
Porto, like much of Portugal, is hilly. There are endless stairs winding through the narrow streets. But it’s the very height that makes for the breathtaking panoramic view.