Gastronomic getaway to Oporto, Aveiro and surroundings

A wonderful and surprising gastronomic getaway to Oporto, Aveiro and surroundings where we have enjoyed the gastronomy, the cultural and historical heritage, the landscapes and the charming people!

Do you know Porto in Northern Portugal? I recommend it, because every corner and every corner will surprise you! Lose yourself in this colorful and charming city on the banks of the Douro River and facing the great Atlantic Ocean, up and down its streets and explore it unhurriedly, because it is a very lively treasure full of color!

I tell you about our itinerary, step by step, and recommendations of things you should see, do or eat in case it helps you to plan your next trip. We walked most of the trip, except for some of the trips in our car (if you don't have your own car, rent one for the trip to Aveiro, for the rest there is public transportation or streetcars:

DAY 1:

Climb to the Tower of the Clerics, wonderful views of Oporto.
Visit the Lello Bookstore, or known as the Harry Potter Bookstore.
Admire the large tiled façade of the Church of the Carmelites.
Eating a Francesinha the typical Porto dish, hearty but great to pick up energy. A sandwich of sliced bread, with many versions, but mainly filled with a steak, sausage and cold meat, topped with grilled cheese and a slightly spicy sauce, and abundant that soaks the dish and that is mainly made with beer and tomato, ... best accompanied with a beer. French friesinhas al forno da baixa,The place is nothing special, large dining room with tables, but not bad for a quick meal at a good price. We didn't go there, but in the evenings they have live Fado singers.
Enter in the station of Poro-Sao Bento , where its 20,000 precious tiles tell the history of northern Portugal.
Climb up to the majestic Cathedral and then winding down, through the oldest narrow streets of Oporto and from there continue down to the river, passing by the Palace of Arts and the Stock Exchange, to finish at the promenade “Cais da Ribera”. Beautiful tour along the Douro, with its colorful houses, the views of the Luis I Bridge and the other side, Vilanova de Gaia.
Cross the bridge and stroll through Gaia. do you like the port wine? Visit one of their wineries You can choose between several; Cálem, Sanderman, Ferreira, Taylor's, Ramos pinto ,,,,, , sit down for a cocktail on the terrace of Sanderman and enjoy the great sunset!
You can't miss, on this side either, the sculpture of the Bordalo II rabbit, (pass the Ramos Pinto winery and just turn left and you will find it in front of you) Great work of art made with recycled material!
Dining at Taberna dos Mercadores . Rua dos Mercadores 36, although there are several along the promenade. We ate some codfish bolihnos, a kind of cod fritters, very rich and tasty, not greasy at all,,, and a baked octopus with delicious rice.
To end the day, return in cable car that takes you up from the 2nd level of the bridge (there are two, one on top of the other) and then take a cab, after a long day of walking.

DAY 2

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we visited the Chapel of the Souls. Wonderful neoclassical building of the 18th century with an impressive facade with the typical Portuguese blue tiles (although these were put at the beginning of the 20th century).
Then, a few meters away, on the lower floor of Decathlon, we spent half a morning in the Bolhao Temporary Market, (it is being remodeled). We bought wines, very good Portuguese cheeses, sausages and the very cute cans of sardines.
We continue our way to the famous Café Majestic. A new cream cupcake who are the celebrities Pastelitos de Belém.Back to the hotel to get the car, if not take a cab, they are not expensive.
Picnic in the Crystal Palace Gardens. A very well-kept garden, with wonderful views of the Douro and a thousand romantic corners, with fountains and an incredible variety of trees and flowers. Here we lay down and tasted some of the delicacies we bought earlier at the market.
As you leave the gardens, a downhill slope leads you to a walk along the Douro River . It is worth doing this walk with fantastic views. to the Felgueiras Lighthouse and see where, after 897 km of travel, the Douro River flows into the great Atlantic.
Return to hotel and dinner Dinner at the rSanta Rita Restaurant Great grilled cod! Super recommended and the place is very nice with impeccable and friendly service.

DAY 3

Today we have a busy day with many things to see but very worthwhile! 40 minutes from Oporto is located Sao João de Madeira, The industrial estate where industrial tourism has been promoted in a spectacular way and where you can visit (previous reservation here): http://turismoindustrial.cm-sjm.pt/ ) various factories, such as the pencil, hat, shoe and textile factories, there are also some museums worth visiting, such as the shoe museum. we loved it!

For me, visiting the Viarco factory, that since 1907 has been producing pencils, and to see live how these colored sticks, which have passed through my hands so many times since I was a little girl, has been fascinating! California, I did not know that they were made as a sandwich (wood-graphite-wood) and then cut, in short, a lot of things! 100% recommended!

Then we go for lunch near Aveiro, We went to a restaurant near Costa Nova, a very nice long beach of fine sand. The restaurant
After lunch, about 10 minutes away you will find the famous Vista Alegre ceramic factory and museum . It is a super interesting museum with more than 30,000 pieces that shows the history of more than two centuries of the factory, and the important role that porcelain played in Portuguese society during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It also has a charming little hotel and gardens, and two impressive stores, one of them outlet, for different budgets :).
Finally, another ten minutes away, we can't miss a visit to Aveiro, the ”Portuguese Venice”, where you can take a walk in Moliceiro ( its gondolas) between canals and taste its typical sweet, the Ovos molhes, The dessert is a kind of sweetened egg yolks covered by a crispy and thin layer of wafer. Return to Oporto.
And dinner at Laureate, Rua do Fábrica 18. They do not reserve and have only a few tables, but it has a lot of charm and you can have a snack based on very rich Portuguese portions.

DAY 4

Today is our last day, but we took the opportunity to visit an almost centenary confectionery, Arcadia , Since 1933 they have been making handmade chocolates and sweets with quality products. Thanks to my work, I had the opportunity to enter the workshop and see how the women worked by hand hundreds of small sweets, with great care and detail, look at the photo!
We finished our getaway with a small tribute based on fresh fish grilled in the city of Matoshinos, Just 10 minutes north of Oporto, with a great beach area and lots of atmosphere, where the locals go to enjoy a good meal. You can find many good restaurants on Herois de Franća street, where you can even see how they grill fish.

And that's all! I hope that anyone reading this has found it interesting, and that my recommendations will be useful for your next trip to Porto! When planning a trip, it is good to know what you don't want to miss when visiting a new place, but it is also good to know how to get lost and enjoy a city, getting lost in its streets and discovering new things and places. ,,,, is magical, don't you think?

With all my love,

Mireia Alum