Porto: Star Attraction, Options, etc.? Portugal Rising!!

As we prepare for a mid June 2017 Lisbon to Rouen, eleven-day sailing, I have discovered a number of key news/travel articles that highlight and celebrate Porto, just north of the Portugal capital city. Porto will be one of our stops and it seems excellent and wonderful. Here is one article that focuses on Portugal as a rising star for upcoming travel.

From the Seattle Times earlier this week, they have this headline: "The top travel destinations for 2017" with these highlights: "Porto, Portugal, was named to Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017 list. Long overlooked in favor of neighbors France, Germany, Spain and Italy (some of which are showing decreased tourism because of safety concerns), Portugal is now turning heads in record numbers. U.S. travel to Portugal was up 20 percent in 2016. According to Allianz Global, travel to Lisbon alone was up 29 percent. Travel + Leisure named Portugal their 2016 Destination of the Year, and both Lisbon and Porto found spots on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017 list. We love sampling sweet port wine along the river in Porto, taking village-bound day trips to catch the freshest seafood dishes, and grabbing a quality meal for two with a bottle of wine for less than 20 euros."

Have done a search on CC board and have found many helpful tips from a number of key experts and starts on this website. Will post more key and recent media stories related to Porto. Feel free to share your experiences, secrets, key tips for Porto, etc.!! Appreciate this great help.

Full story at:

http://www.seattletimes.com/nwshowcase/journeys/the-top-travel-destinations-for-2017/

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 164,027 views for this posting.

From the New York Times Travel Section early this year in late January, they had this headline: "36 Hours in Porto, Portugal" with this sub-headline: "From its Beaux-Arts station to its cool bars serving Porto’s signature drink, this charming city combines the best of old and new."

Here are some of the story highlights: "Stunning 18th- and 19th-century buildings, new indie bars and restaurants and a laid-back vibe, facilitated by the excellent wine — it’s hard to find anything to dislike about Porto. Its walkable center is crammed with cobbled streets and balconies adorned with flowerpots, and the city’s love of food and design is apparent in concept stores and trendy restaurants offering innovative small plates. An ideal day in Porto combines both the grandeur of its history and its very up-to-the-minute cool. It’s worth taking the time to examine the São Bento station. Over a century old, the interior of the Beaux-Arts building is decorated with azulejos, the exquisite blue and white tiles for which Portugal is famous. A short walk from the station are two establishments patronized by Porto’s sweets-loving citizens. Confeitaria Serrana, a family-run bakery for over 40 years, serves the city’s best bola de Berlim (1.10 euros, or $1.16 at $1.06 to the euro), a dose of custard sandwiched in a sugar-dusted roll. At nearby Cremosi, the superb local gelato comes in boozy flavors, including port and gin and tonic."

Lots of ideas and potentials are outlined in this helpful profile with a good map, many pictures, etc. Sounds exciting!! Looking forward to sampling Porto in June!! Reactions and other insights?

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/travel/what-to-do-in-36-hours-in-porto-portugal.html?_r=0

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 206,806 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

My day there. All the best, tony

[YOUTUBE]4bZ2fhGQQjI[/YOUTUBE]

As we prepare for a mid June 2017 Lisbon to Rouen, eleven-day sailing, I have discovered a number of key news/travel articles that highlight and celebrate Porto, just north of the Portugal capital city. Porto will be one of our stops and it seems excellent and wonderful.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Looks like you are embarking on a river cruise, Terry.

Tony's videos are wonderful & his Porto submission will give you a great overview. I also love Rouen. Hope you have a great cruise. :)

Originally posted by TLCOhio As we prepare for a mid June 2017 Lisbon to Rouen, eleven-day sailing, I have discovered a number of key news/travel articles that highlight and celebrate Porto, just north of the Portugal capital city. Portowill be one of our stops and it seems excellent and wonderful.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Hello Terry,

We met in the Cooler thread and now I see you are doing a cruise in the Silver Spirit in June very similar to the one we are doing in May in the Silver Whisper. I am following this particular thread because Oporto is one of our ports, and My Silversea is not giving out info on tours on this port, as they are doing with the other ports of call. We've never been to Oporto. I understand that it is around a 30 minute trek from Lexioes, where our ship will berth. Do you have information? Probably the Spirit will also dock at Lexioes. By the way, the Spirit is our favorite SS ship. This will be our first time in the Whisper, we've been in the Cloud and the Wind. Hope you have some more info on Oporto than what I have now. Thanks!!

Looks like you are embarking on a river cruise, Terry. Tony's videos are wonderful & his Porto submission will give you a great overview. I also love Rouen. Hope you have a great cruise. :)

Camillus112: Hello Terry' date=' We met in the Cooler thread and now I see you are doing a cruise in the Silver Spirit in June very similar to the one we are doing in May in the Silver Whisper. I am following this particular thread because [b']Oporto is one of our ports,[/b] and My Silversea is not giving out info on tours on this port, as they are doing with the other ports of call. We've never been to Oporto. I understand that it is around a 30 minute trek from Lexioes, where our ship will berth. Do you have information? Probably the Spirit will also dock at Lexioes. By the way, the Spirit is our favorite SS ship. This will be our first time in the Whisper, we've been in the Cloud and the Wind. Hope you have some more info on Oporto than what I have now. Thanks!!

Appreciate the great follow-up from dogs4fun. No, sorry, not doing a river cruise. Our Lisbon to Rouen cruise is with Silversea on the Silver Spirit over eleven days in mid June. Porto is our first cruise stop and we will be docked at Lexioes. Not perfectly handy to Porto, but we will make it work.

Our other port stops on this cruise include: La Coruna with much history here in this major Spanish port that has cultural background going back to the Celtics, Romans, Moors, etc.; Bilbao with much here centered around Frank Gehry’s dramatic Guggenheim museum and their historic medieval streets; St Jean De Luz, for accessing San Sebastian, its top-rated food, the elegant Belle Époque architecture, its Spanish royalty setting as their seaside summer resort, etc.; Le Verdon allowing much time for Bordeaux, sampling the top-rate wine chateau sights, famed architecture and history. This areas includes the world's most famous vineyards including Médoc, St-Emilion, Pomerol, Graves and Sauternes. La Pallice (La Rochelle), 8 am-11 pm. More Bordeaux options from here, including being able to see where Cognac and other specialities are produced. Belle-ile, the largest island off of the Brittany coast with a sampling of Breton coastline comprising of cliffs, creeks and beaches. Saint Malo/France with many nearby Brittany and Normandy options including Mont St. Michel, the WWII D-Day beaches, etc. St Peter Port, Guernsey, for an island with cobblestone streets, blooming floral displays and tiny churches along with a scenic harbor. Rouen/ after sailing up the Seine river, overnight in this port on the ship. Home of its famed Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame immortalized by Claude Monet’s paintings. Nearby to Monet’s Giverny home. Sound interesting? Added tips, suggestions, ideas, secrets?

Our cruise is all about port stops. No sea days!!??

For Camillus112 regarding the "My Silversea" web links, we now have just three of our port excursion options up and available for viewing. My guess is that it takes a little more time for Silversea to have finalized the most current port options, pricing, etc., as to what they will have offered. Be patient!! It's not easy, but hopefully, they will have more up soon.

Keep up the great sharing and postings!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 221,904 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Terry,

Are you sailing on the Jun 25 voyage from Rouen to Lisbon? I just received an email from SS where they note this voyage is now an Opera Cruise in partnership with Accademia Teatro Alla Scala.

Ouch! Sorry the dates did not work for us!!!

We have spent 2 days in Porto during a land trip to Portugal. The following are the places we've visited:

* Clerigos Church and Tower

* San Bento Station (for the azulejos)

* Lello & Irmao bookstore (amazing interior)

* Stock Exchange Building (beautiful Arab room)

* Cathedral

* Sao Francisco Church

* Ribeira and Duoro River 6-bridge cruise (excellent view)

* Wine Tasting

If you just have a day, you won't be able to do all the above. However, since Porto is small and most attractions are close by, you will still be able to see a lot.

Terry, Are you sailing on the Jun 25 voyage from Rouen to Lisbon? I just received an email from SS where they note this voyage is now an Opera Cruise in partnership with Accademia Teatro Alla Scala.

kestrel: We have spent 2 days in Porto during a land trip to Portugal. The following are the places we've visited:

* Clerigos Church and Tower

* San Bento Station (for the azulejos)

* Lello & Irmao bookstore (amazing interior)

* Stock Exchange Building (beautiful Arab room)

* Cathedral

* Sao Francisco Church

* Ribeira and Duoro River 6-bridge cruise (excellent view)

* Wine Tasting

If you just have a day' date=' you won't be able to do all the above. However, since Porto is small and most attractions are close by, you will still be able to see a lot. [/quote']

 

Appreciate these great specifics and ideas from kestrel. Very helpful as we will need to narrow down our options and set our priorities as to what we do in interesting and historic Porto. Right now, we are getting ready to start Tuesday a 15-day Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco sailing that goes through the Panama Canal. This will give us our first visits in Colombia, Central America and Mexico. Plus, seeing the musical “Hamilton!” in the Golden Gate City after the end of our cruise. Will do a live/blog on the Princess CC Board for this upcoming "adventure". Got to finish packing today in order to fly to Florida tomorrow morning.

 

Sorry for Stumblefoot that we will not be on that Silversea sailing that includes the opera singers. We will be on the June 14-25 Lisbon to Rouen sailing. That later 12-day sailing with those from Teatro Alla Scala sounds great.

 

Keep sharing the great ideas, experiences and options for visiting Portugal. Looking forward to visiting for the first time in that historic nation.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 30,142 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

We think the biggest attraction is the Douro Valley. You might want to rent a car and tour.

If you stay in town (which we also enjoyed) then add a stop at McDonalds. Not for the food but for the building. Inside and out-most espcially the stained glass windows.

We think the biggest attraction is the Douro Valley. You might want to rent a car and tour. If you stay in town (which we also enjoyed) then add a stop at McDonalds. Not for the food but for the building. Inside and out-most espcially the stained glass windows.

Appreciate these great suggestions, ideas and follow-ups. Sorry for my delay in responding, but just got back from a Panama Canal sailing that is detailed below.

Now shifting gears to finish planning for June 2017 in doing Lisbon/Portugal to Rouen/France, including previously-unseen parts of Spain, Bordeaux, Brittany, etc.

Our time in Porto is rather limited. Just there from 8 am to 5 pm. With that narrow of a net timing window, doubt that we will want to do car rental, etc. BUT, will check the ship tour options and consider what works best for exploring/sampling this historic and interesting area. Keep up the great sharing!!! Love reading any and all ideas, suggestions, secrets, tips, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Panama Canal? Just completed Feb. 28-Mar. 15, 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through the Panama Canal with our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Lots of fun pictures!! See more at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

Hi Terry,

It's a pity that we did not coincide in either Whisper or Spirit doing a very similar itinerary. The June dates did not work for us. We have the same time limitation in Porto, and decided to book the cruise excursion which finally appeared in "My Silversea". It seems to be quite a distance between Lexioes and Porto.... So much have wished for more time.....

Hi Terry, It's a pity that we did not coincide in either Whisper or Spirit doing a very similar itinerary. The June dates did not work for us. We have the same time limitation in Porto, and decided to book the cruise excursion which finally appeared in "My Silversea". It seems to be quite a distance between Lexioes and Porto.... So much have wished for more time.....

Appreciate this nice follow-up from our New York neighbor. Sorry that things did not work on your schedule to be on our mid June sailing.

Still waiting for Silversea to post its excursion options for Porto. We are now down to 86 days till our sailing and they do not yet have posted the shore potentials for this one port. All of the rest were up and ready last week.

The good news is that Porto has many wonderful things to do. Bad news? Not enough time!! Keep the good ideas and suggestions rolling along. Always looking to put together the best options to consider. More tips, secrets and suggestions welcomed.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 174,130 views for this posting.

Duoro Valley web site:

http://www.dourovalley.eu/en/PageGen.aspx

Found this in my index from a few years ago. Very timely as we may in fact be back in Portugal in Sept/Oct.

Duoro Valley web site:

http://www.dourovalley.eu/en/PageGen.aspx

Found this in my index from a few years ago. Very timely as we may in fact be back in Portugal in Sept/Oct.

Appreciate this nice video and added background from iancal. Very helpful. Keep it coming!! Great sharing.

From the Travel Section of the London/UK Daily Mail a week ago, they have this headline: “Europe's jewels: From strolling through Monaco to sipping port in Porto” with many highlights about Lisbon, Porto, etc.

Among the story aspects are: “Porto (or Oporto), Portugal’s second-biggest city, was my favourite port of call. The river setting, the grand churches, the winding ancient streets and courtyards filled with geraniums combined into one memorable spectacle. And how could we go to Porto and not sample some port?”.

Now it is just 47 days till we fly to Lisbon for our first visit there. Looking forward to experiencing Portugal, Porto, etc.

Full story at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travelsupplement/article-4414406/Come-sail-serene-way-Europe-s-jewels.html

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 67,271 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

I am also working on a tour from Lexios/Porto for next May 2018. My husband very much wants to see the Duoro Valley, and wants to do a wine tasting along the way. So far, not coming up with a tour that's less than 9 hours, and we are only in port from 8 - 5pm. I'll keep working on it. Terry, if I come up with anything, I'll write back here.

Porto and the Douro Valley was actually a surprise to us and quite unplanned. Our destination was Rome, for a cruise. Part of a much longer trip. We only wanted a one way fare.

We picked up a very inexpensive direct one way fare from Toronto-Porto. At the same time we picked up, a week later, TAP fare from Porto to Rome. So the die was cast.

We enjoyed the area so much that we want to go back. Drive through the valley again, then head north into France and back through Spain. Not as touristy as some regions that we have visited which was another draw. Mostly Europeans a few years ago however that may have changed.

There are wineries very close to Porto and of course there are tours of the Port cellars just across the bridge from Porto. I would guess that there are some independent tours available.

Perhaps Viator might have tours that fit your time schedule.

THank you iancal! The more we talked about this today and viewed some footage online, the more we want to make this a part of this trip. I believe we have decided to take the 9 hour tour and stay in Porto that night off the ship. We can take the train from Porto to Lisbon the next morning and catch back up with the ship.

Appreciate these great posts and follow-ups. Just six days until we depart for Lisbon and our first visit to Portugal. Really looking forward to our ship's stop in Porto. Wish we had more time there, but it should work well to sample this historic town and the region. Yes, this might be a wonderful option to come back later, sample more indepth for both Portugal and NW Spain. Keep up the great sharing and many wonderful ideas provided.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 51,173 views for these postings.

We spent several days in Lisbon. Enjoyed so much that we plan to return. We rode the trams, ate at the outdoor restaurants where the owners are standing outside, the days catch on a platter, beckoning people in.

When we returned by train from a day trip to Sintra and Cascais we came by a large green area. Local fare, local entertainment. It was very nice. We also enjoyed the Carriage Museum. Not certain if this is on the usual tourist route however we enjoyed it. Various carriages, regal and otherwise, through the ages. Only takes an hour or so to go through but quite interesting and quite different.

We spent several days in Lisbon. Enjoyed so much that we plan to return. We rode the trams, ate at the outdoor restaurants where the owners are standing outside, the days catch on a platter, beckoning people in.

Appreciate ALL of these great comments and follow-ups that helped us so much as we planned and prepared for our first visit to Portugal. Below is the link to my live/blog with more details, visuals and specifics as to why why loved these great locations so much during our "adventure" to Portugal last month.

I will do some added posts about Lisbon and Porto on this CC Board to help share why and how we enjoyed these areas so much. Below are a few samples from my many highlight photos.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Just finished June 2017 sailing from Portugal to France along the scenic Atlantic Coast, plus great pre- and post-cruise experiences. Many interesting pictures and details on history, food, culture, etc., from my live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Here are three visual samples from visiting Porto on June 15. We loved doing a small-craft sailing along the Douro River and being able to their historic town areas near where Port wines are warehoused and sold. Plus, we were also able to see the famed tile designs inside their historic rail station, etc. Porto is so super special with its architecture, history, iron balconies, scenic views, etc.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

Here are some more Porto "eye candy" examples for the style and architecture of this second largest city in Portugal. Like these dramatic arched steel bridges?:

Yes, we visited a Port wine warehouse and sampled two different kinds of their famed drink. Yes, it was super good and not too sweet. Very tasty!!:

Where did all the people come from? When we were in that train station there were only a few other people there!

We intend to re-visit the area. Rent a car and through the valley, possibly a little north, then drive south and drop the car in Lisbon.

We love Portugal. The people are among the friendliest we have met. Azores is on our bucket list as well but we need more than a one day port stop.

Where did all the people come from? When we were in that train station there were only a few other people there! We intend to re-visit the area. Rent a car and through the valley, possibly a little north, then drive south and drop the car in Lisbon. We love Portugal. The people are among the friendliest we have met. Azores is on our bucket list as well but we need more than a one day port stop.

Excellent eye and attention to details by iancal. Below are a couple of additional pictures that illustrate that much of the "crowd" was our group from those doing this ship tour. Also, added an additional picture from Porto that I had had not previously posted on my live/blog from this June adventure.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 184,687 views for this posting.

Here are a couple of additional pictures from our visit to the São Bento Railway Station. Most of the crowd in the earlier picture was our ship tour group. This rail station was completed in 1896 on the site of the old Benedictine Convent of São Bento da Avé Maria. The azulejos tile "paintings" reflect historical events in Portuguese history. This station is in a key central location facing the main Liberdade Square where their City Hall and equestrian statue of King Pedro IV are located.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

This is Porto's Clérigos Church, a Baroque church with its tall bell tower, the Torre dos Clérigos. This church was completed in the 1750's. This tower was inspired by Tuscan campaniles and is 248 feet tall. This tower structure has become one of the key symbol of the city.:

From the Travel Section of theLondon/UK Guardian this morning, they have this headline: “Porto: ready for the limelight” with these highlights: “A decade ago, the city’s historic centre was badly rundown. Now, having been carefully restored, it’s filled with culture, cafes and unusual shops.”

Here some other highlights: "Throughout the city, threaded together by charming old wooden trams, Beaux Arts buildings are being renovated so that new cafés and boutiques can blossom. The Majestic Café, the city’s most famous café, was saved a few years ago from decay and is now back to its former glory. Porto is a good-looking city, its granite buildings packed into a hilly landscape, many of them decorated on the outside with azulejos, the stunning blue and white tiles that are a defining feature of this place. The entrance to the São Bento station is particularly memorable, covered in some 20,000 of these tiles depicting key moments in the history of Portugal."

Full story at:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/jul/22/porto-portugal-second-city-culture-cafes-shopping

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 228,524 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923