Porto Tips for Stags and Hens

About Porto – the happening city for your stag or hen do!

Population around 1.8 million. It’s known as the “capital of the north”. Located along the Douro river estuary, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and its historical core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.
A city with history, Porto enchants and delights both residents and tourists, exhibiting proudly its streets, monuments, bridges and people. But Porto is more than that.
Porto is also a beach town, living side by side with the sea. The city combines a traditional and progressive urban center with an immeasurable value Atlantic front, unique in the world.
Food, wine, architecture, culture and the hospitality of its people are some of the best symbols of this historic city, whose name is the very essence of Portugal..
Average costs are lower than in Spain say (beer meals, taxis etc).
Great beaches are very accessible and right on the ocean
People speak a very good level of English in general, and a very good Spanish. Great French influence too
Weather is great – most sunlight of any capital in Europe and highest winter temperatures and not too hot in summer.

The Local Flavour – what to try, what to see, what to taste in Porto. Porto Tips for Stags and Hens

Porto, like Lisbon, offers fantastic northern Portuguese cuisine and also dishes from former Portuguese dependencies such as Brazil, Goa and Mozambique. Porto tips for Stags and Hens eats:

Wonderful wine, Portobello mushrooms, marinated pickled mackerel, mussels with saffron, bacalhao (salted codfish), exquisite selection of charcuterie and chesees
Caipirinha cocktails with lime and cachasa liqueur from sugar cane (former colony Brazil has a big influence in Portugal)
Ginjinha (a wicked cherry-based liqueur)
Wonderful, under-rated wine: Porto wine is famous all over the world, and you can visit caves once you’re there if you’re interested in wine-making. Usually you can join a guided tour, and there will be some tasting at the end.
The typical local dish is the “francesinha” – a kind of sandwich with cold cuts and meat, melted cheese on top and a hot sauce dressing
not only Mateus Rosé! There wonderful Port wines (Porta is one of the world’s oldest wine production regions). Other excellent appellations: Dao, Alentejo, Vinho verde and Albarinho.
Porto is football crazy: Fc Porto, called Azuis e brancos (Blue and whites) or Dragões (Dragons)
Wonderful old Mercedes taxis
The sea and the Porto estuary – majestic views and great beaches nearby
The trams !
Take a picture of hand-painted tiles called “azulejos”. They’re everywhere, even in the main Station
The character of the old streets of Porto, the famous bridge and the viewing points all over the city
The nightlife of Ribeira and Bairro Alto
Great clubbing and party-all-night spirit
Great prices for drinks and food
The seafood is excellent but roast chicken and grilled meat also very good. Don’t forget to leave some space for dessert: almendrados, clarinhas, empadas…
Grab a snack: brilliant Francezinha (a special meat sandwich of epic propotions) and delicious homemade desserts that you can try around in cute bars like Miss Pavlova and La Copa
Very good food and drinks from other countries of Portuguese influence (Brasil, Goa, Mozambique, Angola to name but a few)
Craft beer at Catraio Craft Beer shop, where you can try Porto-brewed Burguesa o Sovina and typical beer from all over Portugal.

Top Activities – Porto tips for Stags and Hens

Rent a Porto boat and have your own party on deck
Cruises on the Douro river
Guided tour in the historic center
Discovery of the cellars
Porto Wine tasting
Sports and nautical activities
Jaunt in the hinterland
Try out a Porto beer bike along the river
Take a Porto surfing lesson!
Sample the great wines of Portugal with a wine tasting: you’ll be surprised.
Check out towers and the Luis I bridge: see a fantastic view of Porto and admire postcard views, take a photo, …oh and there will always be a chance for a glass of wine or two while you’re there.
Take some time to visit art galleries, there are more than 20
Downtown there are quite a few vintage shops for cheap and really pretty second-hand clothes. Mon Père is one of the best ones. Also good for holidays souvenirs
Ladies, check Cortebel shoes

Where to go out in Porto – Porto Tips for Stags and Hens

Nightlife in Porto is one of the most dynamic and entertaining in Portugal.

The Avenida de los Aliados is definitely a must-go.
You will love the bars of the two main streets: Cândido dos Reis e Galeria de Paris (“right in the city center – everyone goes there and everyone fills its streets with joy at night” – you may love it so much you may never want to leave this area of pub crawl heaven…
Clubbing and bars at Baixa, Ribeira and Foz do Douro, to dance all night long in front of the ocean
Clubs of Plano B, Tendinha dos Clerigos, Pacha Ofir
Bar Labirintho if you prefer to dance on the rhythm of jazz music and 80’s hits

Getting around Porto

Hens: don’t wear high heels – not built for the cobbled and hilly streets of Porto!
Porto Tips for Stags and Hens : go out late and take cabs!
Cabs won’t break the bank – easy to hail and take around the city centre
Walk across the bridge to get to the other bank wherever you are!
Porto has an efficient and modern underground that will take you to points on the limits of the city such as the FC Porto Stadium in no town.