We had a whirlwind, one-day tour of Porto, starting at the Palacio da Bolsa. It was a short walk from our hotel. The Palacio da Bolsa was a stock exchange built in the mid 19th century. You can reserve tickets online or show up at the ticket booth to book the next available tour. Cost is €12 for a 45-minute tour. Skip if you're short on time. Search on this blog for Palacio da Bolsa to see details from our last trip.
Across the street is Praca do Infante d'Henrique, dominated by the monument of Henry the Navigator pointing towards the sea.
Igreja Monumento de Sao Francisco is around the corner from the Palacio da Bolsa. There is a fee to enter.
Cross the street and walk down to the Rio Duoro. Go upriver until you reach the Praca da Ribeira. This was a bustling square with fish trading and quayside commerce. The northern part of the square has a 3-story fountain built in the 1780s and decorated with the coat-of-arms of Portugal.
A modern statue of St John the Baptist stands in the niche. St. John is wearing a loincloth and could double as Fred Flintstone.
From Praca da Ribeira, we crossed the Ponte Luis I into Vila Nova de Gaia. Pedestrians can cross on both the upper & lower decks of the bridge.
Vila Nova de Gaia is home to the port houses. You can take a tour of the port houses but you should reserve in advance. One of the most well known is Sandeman.
Vendors set up along the riverfront. Rabelos (flat bottom boats used to transport port barrels) line the waterfront.
You can take a cable car from the waterfront up to the Jardin do Morro and the Mosterio da Serra do Pilar. Cost is €6 one-way.
The Mosterio da Serra do Pilar has a cloister, dome and history on Northern Portuguese heritage.
From the Mosterio da Serra do Pilar, you can see remnants of the wall that surrounded Porto.
Check out the colorful Gaia sign before crossing the Ponte Luis I back into Porto.
Back in Porto, stop at the Se Catedral. The Se Catedral dates to the 12th century. King Joao I married Philippa of Lancaster here in 1387. Go inside to purchase your Camino passport--€2 and a shell--€2. You'll need the passport to record the places you visit on the Camino. The passport is necessary to get your certificate (Compostela) when you complete the pilgrimage. You need to collect one stamp every day of the journey. Beginning in Redondela, you'll need to collect 2 stamps per day.
The start of the Portuguese Coastal Camino de Santiago is at the Se Catedral.
Clerigos Tower is a 250-foot tower built in 1754. It was the tallest building in Portugal when it was first built.
Clerigos Church was the first oval church to be built in Portugal.
Igreja do Carmo--from the front, you can see that this is actually 2 churches in one. On the right, the Carmo Church and on the left, the Carmelite Church.
2022 09 25
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