A Taste of Portugal

Like the illustrated tins of its famous sardines, the pretty Portuguese capital is colorful, compact and packed with flavor. Trams and hilly streets tip travellers out into Bairro Alto’s lively bars, the chic beaches out at Cascais and Alfama’s winding backstreets, which echo with the refrains of a fado singer. Beneath ancient fortresses and grand, Palladian-style squares, the salty air of the Atlantic mingles with the sweet smell of flaky pastry and custard at traditional pastéis de nata shops and bars serving cherry-red ginjinha. 

At once moody and magnificent, Porto is a city of brutish good looks, set on the steep terraced banks of the Douro River. There are soaring bell towers, tiled train stations and baroque churches with gleaming gilded interiors that sparkle like the surface of the Douro. Boats laden with barrels of port once lingered along La Ribeira out into the distant Atlantic mists. Now, the neighborhood’s buzzy riverfront bars and restaurants make for prime people-watching, whilst Mercado do Bolhão is an immersive insight into local life and fresh Portuguese produce.