Two Days in Porto

Mish
Jul 2
4 min read

Two Days in Porto Before the Camino: Port Wine, Pastel de Natas & One Very Big Hangover

After nearly 24 hours of flying from Perth, including a layover in Doha where we reunited with our friends (who were fresh-faced and smug after a relaxing Qatar Airways stopover, more on that in another post!), we finally arrived in Porto just after 9pm local time.

We were exhausted, slightly feral, and running on pure adrenaline. And then came the taxi ride. I’m not exaggerating when I say it felt like a Formula 1 warm-up lap through the narrow streets of Porto. We held hands, clutched our bags, and hoped for the best. It was fast, a little wild, and honestly, kind of thrilling in our sleep-deprived state.

We were staying at Hannah’s Studios, a cosy apartment tucked above a local café in one of Porto’s quieter lanes. It had everything we needed, a kitchenette, a comfy bed, and big windows that let the city sounds drift in softly at night. It felt like we were living in someone’s cool little apartment rather than in a tourist hotel. Local living vibes: achieved.

Day One: Pastel de Nata, Tinned Fish & a Gin-Fuelled Adventure

We kicked off our first day slowly, grabbing breakfast at a nearby bakery and tasting our very first Pastel de Nata. There’s a reason these little custard tarts are a national treasure, the flaky pastry, silky custard, and caramelised top are absolute perfection. It set the tone for the food-obsessed 48 hours to follow.

That afternoon, we joined a Vintage Food Tour with Taste Porto - hands down one of the best decisions of the trip. Our guide was funny, warm, and full of local knowledge. We explored a buzzing food market, sampled cheeses and meats, tried our first glass of Vinho Verde (Portugal’s famously crisp green wine), and discovered a tiny taverna tucked into a back street that we loved so much we returned there for dinner.

One surprise hit of the tour? Canned fish. And not just any canned fish, this was the gourmet kind: sardines and mackerel packed in high-quality oils and sauces, beautifully seasoned and beautifully presented. Ash, who normally avoids anything fishy, loved it. It’s nothing like what we get in Australia. This was elegant, delicious, and totally redefined what tinned seafood could be.

After wrapping up the tour with a Port wine tasting (when in Porto, right?), we intended to go back to the apartment for a nap before dinner. Instead, we stumbled across a tiny gin distillery on the way home.

“One quick drink,” we said...

Several gins, a return visit to the food market, lots more Vinho Verde, and a very long chat with some locals at a rainy street-side bar later… we eventually made it back to our favourite taverna for dinner. It was late, it was slightly blurry, and it was perfectly Porto. That wobbly walk home through wet cobblestones, full bellies and sore cheeks from laughing, is one of my favourite memories.

Day Two: Hangovers, Sandwiches & Suburban Supermarkets

We woke up… hurting. Heads pounding, stomachs unsure, and one major task ahead: hiking uphill to Sé Cathedral to collect our Camino Pilgrim Passports.

The walk was beautiful but brutal. Porto’s old town is all winding alleyways and steep inclines, and let’s just say vertigo and hangovers aren’t the best match. But the view from the top. That dramatic stone cathedral, the bells echoing, and the soft morning light made it worth every step. We were officially pilgrims (albeit slightly wobbly ones).

From there, we wandered slowly through the streets, eventually making our way to Francesinha Café for lunch — because what better way to recover than with Porto’s most infamous dish?

The Francesinha is not for the faint-hearted. Think of it as a Portuguese answer to the Croque Monsieur… but taken to the next level. It’s a sandwich layered with cured meats, steak, and sausage, smothered in melted cheese and drenched in a rich beer-based tomato sauce. It’s usually served with fries and, of course, we washed ours down with a cold Super Bock (Portugal’s much-loved beer). We loved it. But be warned, it’s incredibly rich and definitely not light. Let’s just say one between two would’ve been plenty (not that we took that advice!).

On the walk there, we also stopped into a local suburban supermarket, one of our favourite travel rituals. Wandering the aisles, we spotted all the local snack brands, quirky packaging, tins of fish stacked like treasure, and the ever-mysterious shelf of unfamiliar liqueurs. It’s such a fun way to see how the locals actually live and stock their kitchens, and it always reminds us how different, and how connected, our everyday lives are across the world.

After lunch, we headed back to Hannah’s Studios for a rest and a much-needed regroup.

That evening, we took things slower. We wandered down to the Ribeira riverside and crossed the bridge into Vila Nova de Gaia, the home of the Port wine cellars. It’s a completely different vibe on that side of the river - a little glitzier, more open and lively, with the city stretched out behind you in picture-perfect layers.

We found the perfect sunset spot, ordered a round of Port wine (again, when in Porto), and toasted the end of our time in the city. We lingered there into the evening soaking up the view, the music, the golden light, and the feeling of being exactly where we were meant to be.

Michelle’s Travel Tip: Book a Food Tour First Thing

If you’re landing in a new European city jet-lagged and slightly confused (hello, me), book a food tour for your first full day. Not only will you eat ridiculously well, but you’ll also get a crash course in all the essentials: how to cross the road without dying, where to find good coffee, what time the locals eat, what the drinking laws are (Porto: very chill), and which places are worth a return visit. Our Taste Porto guide even emailed us a local dining list, which was gold for the rest of the trip.

Thanks for following along on our pre-Camino Porto adventure, full of flavour, fun, and a little too much Port.

Next stop: the Camino trail begins (with hopefully fewer hangovers).

Mish x