The green spaces and Porto transport you to another time. All of the gardens are meticulously maintained and even in December there are blooms. The Jardins do Palacio de Cristal in front of Super Bock Stadium are home to peacocks and peahens that freely roam the area. The gardens are filled with fountains, flowering trees and hedges, with the spaceship like stadium looming in the background.
The truly magical thing about this place is the Torreao do Jardim do Palacio, (gardens of the Crystal Palace) hidden directly behind The stadium. It offers the best views of the Douro and some of the most exquisite gardens I have seen. There are several themed gardens; the garden of aromatic plants, the garden of feelings and a rose garden. the gardens also house a chapel built in the mid 19th century dedicated to the King of Sardinia who died while in exile in Porto. Sadly the palace itself was demolished in 1950 to make way for “the UFO” that hosted the Roller Hockey World Cup in 1952. At least the 19th century gardens remain, containing rhododendrons, ginkgoes, camellias and beech trees.
The is no lack of breathtaking views in Porto. Mosterio da Serra do Pilar, a world heritage site that sits above the Dom Luis Bridge is one of many. The 16th century monastery was also used as a fort and barracks during the Peninsular War. You can still see old artillery in the monastery grounds. The circular Church of Serra do Pilar is one of the few in Europe and Sunday mass is still offered. Sadly the church was closed when we were there, but just being on the grounds in this place is enough. The best way to get there is atop the Dom Luis Bridge, offering many viewpoints from either side of the Douro.
The beach is only an hour walk from Porto and definitely worth it. In December the weather is still mild, we walked in 18c weather (65f) in t-shirts. A perfect sunny day, one of many throughout the month. The Rua do Oro will take you there along the river, which is scattered with cafes, shops and expansive green spaces. We had an incredible pizza, salad and sangria a few blocks from the beach. The Fortaeza de Sao Joao da Foz is a Renaissance fort that protects the mouth of the Douro, along with Pontao da Barra do Douro and Farol do Pontao, two long arms that embrace the river which you can walk along. There was a barricade the day we were there which prevented us from going to the Felgueiras Lighthouse, but it didn’t matter. Along the river there are infinite views and things to do.
Right on the outskirts of town lie these incredible stepped vegetable and fruit gardens maintained by locals. Along the rocky facade are steep stairs that you can climb for another fantastic view of the city. There are a few old rail tunnels that you can hike through, but are blocked for some restorative construction on the other side. Street cats have their home here and seem to be well taken care of. There was one in particular who had his perch along the highway who would sit there daily watching the people and cars go by.
