Porto city break guide: What to see, eat and do and why now is the time to go
Tue Jan 20 2026
Planning a Porto city break? Explore a riverside city of cobbled streets, iconic bridges and colourful azulejo tiles and find out why Porto is the perfect weekend break. Here, the Douro River carves through the centre and in the medieval Ribeira (riverside) district, narrow cobbled streets wind past merchants' houses and charming cafes, and there is so much to explore.
On this on-location episode, we explain why now is the ideal time to visit Porto and stay at Mercure Porto Centro Aliados, a four-star hotel right in the heart of the city. Its central location puts you within easy walking distance of the main sights, and we reveal a surprising feature that sets it apart from other city centre hotels.
Join presenter Portia Jones and producer Luke Jones as we share the best things to do in Porto, including where to eat, drink and wander. You'll also hear more about Mercure's Discover Local concept, designed to help visitors feel part of the neighbourhood and experience the city beyond the usual tourist trails.
From the river-spanning bridges to narrow streets lined with wine caves, bakeries and riverside restaurants, Porto is a city of layers. Every climb and descent uncovers new corners, views and flavours. Join us on an immersive audio guide around the city as we bring you the best things to do, see, and eat in Porto with our bumper Porto Travel Guide.
Huge thanks to Mercure Hotels for supporting this episode of Travel Goals. Visit https://mercure.accor.com/ and start planning your next trip.
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Hi, I'm your podcast host, Portia Jones [nickname Pip Jones]. I'm a freelance travel journalist, podcaster, and presenter.
If you love to travel, check out my travel website to get travel guides and find new episodes of the Travel Goals podcast.
Connect with us on social media: Travel Goals on Instagram | Travel Goals on Facebook.
Travel Goals is produced and owned by South Girl Production Music and Podcasting Ltd.
Email us to discuss working together or with any questions about the podcast.
Enjoy the show, and don't forget to leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Planning a Porto city break? Explore a riverside city of cobbled streets, iconic bridges and colourful azulejo tiles and find out why Porto is the perfect weekend break. Here, the Douro River carves through the centre and in the medieval Ribeira (riverside) district, narrow cobbled streets wind past merchants' houses and charming cafes, and there is so much to explore. On this on-location episode, we explain why now is the ideal time to visit Porto and stay at Mercure Porto Centro Aliados, a four-star hotel right in the heart of the city. Its central location puts you within easy walking distance of the main sights, and we reveal a surprising feature that sets it apart from other city centre hotels. Join presenter Portia Jones and producer Luke Jones as we share the best things to do in Porto, including where to eat, drink and wander. You'll also hear more about Mercure's Discover Local concept, designed to help visitors feel part of the neighbourhood and experience the city beyond the usual tourist trails. From the river-spanning bridges to narrow streets lined with wine caves, bakeries and riverside restaurants, Porto is a city of layers. Every climb and descent uncovers new corners, views and flavours. Join us on an immersive audio guide around the city as we bring you the best things to do, see, and eat in Porto with our bumper Porto Travel Guide. Huge thanks to Mercure Hotels for supporting this episode of Travel Goals. Visit https://mercure.accor.com/ and start planning your next trip. ************ Hi, I'm your podcast host, Portia Jones [nickname Pip Jones]. I'm a freelance travel journalist, podcaster, and presenter. If you love to travel, check out my travel website to get travel guides and find new episodes of the Travel Goals podcast. Connect with us on social media: Travel Goals on Instagram | Travel Goals on Facebook. Travel Goals is produced and owned by South Girl Production Music and Podcasting Ltd. Email us to discuss working together or with any questions about the podcast. Enjoy the show, and don't forget to leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.