PORTUGAL Braga Porto Northern Portugal-What to see and do around Porto
- mcoelho813
- Aug 16
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Northern Portugal
Porto Day Trips
What to see and do around Porto
My advice:
Answer these questions, then plan the trip
What are your interests?
Do you want to visit museums, castles, churches, palaces?
Do you want downtime?
How many people are in your group?
Are you with a family/ kids?
When are you going?
Do you like the beach?
What are your interests?
If you enjoy history, then visit Tomar, Coimbra, Obidos, Lisbon, Porto
If you prefer the beach and pool, then go to Cascais, Albufeira, Algarve, Lagos
Do you want to plan your own itinerary or go with a paid guide?
Do you want to visit museums, castles, churches, palaces?
The best church is Fatima
Best castles are in Tomar, Montemor-o-Velho, Sintra, Mafra
Best Museums are World of Discoveries in Porto, Jeronimos Monastery, Caramulo car museum
Do you want downtime?
Walk the streets of Coimbra or Porto. Take a stroll. Stop at a cafe and have a pastry. Go to a fluvial (river beach)
How many people are in your group?
If you rent a car, make sure you have seatbelts for all passengers.
We prefer to keep our group size small
Are you traveling with small children?
Coimbra has a child-friendly museum village to visit
Lisbon Aquarium is child-centered
Algarve kayak excursion
Dolphin watching Lisbon
Ericeira surf lesson family friendly
Scenic train tour Porto
When are you visiting Portugal?
January, Feb, March can be rainy and chilly
December is colorful but cold
Algarve is best from April- October, but the ocean water is cool
July and August are hot and perfect beach days but can be busy with tourists (no A/C in most areas of Portugal)
History buffs should visit Portugal in October when the weather is perfect for walking castles, palaces, and aqueducts.
Do you want to pick grapes and make wine? Go in September
Do you want to pick olives? Go to Portugal in November
Religious visitors should go to Fatima on the 13th of the month from May to October.
Easter is an amazing holiday to experience, especially in central Portugal where farmers and villages continue traditions from 100's of years ago.
Our hotel Bracara Augusta
Braga 
Balcony in hotel Braga Braga Braga
THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN BRAGA, PORTUGAL
Se Cathedral dated 1089 - downtown - near Rua do Souto- near Largo do Paco
Bom Jesus do Monte - This sanctuary is an absolute must-see in the area. This is a remake of the Golgotha in Jerusalem. This church was constructed between 1784- 1857.
Dom Jesus Braga
This is a photographer's paradise. The castle has numerous steps leading to the incredibly symmetrical castle. Often, you can see people walking or running up and down the steps for exercise. The masonry is uniquely detailed with etchings and carvings in every nook and cranny. There are concrete carvings of Saints in every section of the castle. There is a historic walkway of the Stations of the Cross behind locked bars but visible to the eye.
There was an elevator built in the early 1900s to assist visitors with traveling the castle. To the left of the castle is a small museum showing the erection of the elevator and the workmanship to create an elevator on a mountainside. There is plenty of parking $1.00
To use the bathroom $0.50
Portugal 
Church Inside Dom Jesus
This is the hotel next to the elevator
Restaurants in Porto
1 "Astro" or Conga" if you want to try the typical "Bifanas of Porto" and "Caldo Verde," a typical soup
2 "Gazela": you can try Porto's hot dogs, which we call "cachorrinhos"
3 Casa Guedes, the typical roast beef sandwich with mountain cheese
4 Santiago or Afonso" to experience the beauty of "francesinha," The Porto dish made mostly here
5 "Manel's kitchen" or "Martinho's kitchen" regional Portuguese food
6 "Churrasqueira Portuguesa do Amial " or "Pedro dos Frangos" restaurants in the city of Porto, both with barbecue where you can also try the famous roast chicken with piri-piri sauce
7 tavern "Casa Expresso " where you can try the ham sandwich with fried egg and accompanied by typical house wine
8 Go to "Regional da Areosa" for cheese and ham (presunto) snacks, Bifanas, and the house wine
9- Restaurant Antunes for the famous "Pernil," an authentic local restaurant
10 In Matosinhos, you can also get very fresh fish; I like to go to Tito 2,
11 Go to "Afurada" Gaia side to the "Taberna de São Pedro"
12 Restaurant Rito: regional cuisine for Portuguese dishes
13 for traditional "petiscos" (Portuguese tapas ) Chico dos presuntos
14 Restaurant " O Buraco"
15 Near Porto, " Mafama" restaurant, for Meat and fish eaters; great codfish and octopus here. I really love this one; it's traditional Portuguese food from the very North of Portugal ( great chourizo, great cheese)
16 Restaurant Caetano, great Portuguese cuisine!
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summary:
In 1979, José Saramago decided to write a book called Journey to Portugal—and dedicated himself to searching every area north and south in Portugal. More than merely journeying in or through his native country, he wanted to achieve a deep encounter with it, foregoing the conventional assumptions and the routines of tourist guides. Instead, he scoured the country with the eyes and ears of an observer fascinated by the ancient myths and history of his people.
There are a variety of trees throughout Portugal and this area of Braga:
Eucalyptus
Oak
Pine
Pine Nut
Chestnut
Cork
Porto
Our Favorite things to do in Porto:
Walking the streets on both sides of the bridges
Boat tour of the bridges
Scenic train tour to Douro area
Buy cans of Sardines at the sardine can store
Lello Library- you need 1 hour there
Food and wine tasting tour- we like to learn how to make pasteis de nata
Ribeira district
In Gaia, complete at least 1 guided tour of the Port cellars
São Bento Train station
Double church 'Carmo & Carmelitas'
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