Porto itinerary for first-timers

The fortress-like cathedral crowns the hill above the Ribeira, with a medieval pillory in the square in front. From the terrace, and from the viewpoints along Rua das Aldas, the red roofs of the old town tumble down to the Douro, with the Luís I Bridge to the right.

• Cathedral façade and cloister
• Pillory of Porto
• Views from the terrace
• Miradouro da Rua das Aldas

Come first thing in the morning for the best light on the old town and the fewest tour groups on the terrace.

Porto's grand railway station is better known for its entrance hall than its trains: tens of thousands of blue-and-white azulejo tiles show scenes from Portuguese history across its walls. It is only a few minutes' walk from the cathedral, down the hill.

• Azulejo panels in the entrance hall
• Station façade
• Avenida dos Aliados nearby

The hall is free to enter and takes ten minutes to see; a quiet moment is usually mid-morning.

The baroque Clérigos Tower is Porto's skyline marker and can be climbed for a view over the rooftops. Around it, Rua dos Clérigos leads to the famous bookshop, the university buildings, the Carmo church with its tiled side wall and the Cordoaria garden.

• Torre dos Clérigos
• Clérigos Church
• Igreja do Carmo tiles
• Jardim da Cordoaria

The famous bookshop here has timed tickets and a queue; book ahead, or enjoy the street and the tower instead.

The Ribeira is the UNESCO-listed old waterfront, a tight knot of lanes and tall coloured houses facing the Douro, with terraces along the Cais da Ribeira. The Guindais funicular climbs back up to the old town if your legs have had enough.

• Cais da Ribeira
• Praça da Ribeira
• Rabelo boats on the Douro
• Funicular dos Guindais

Walk the quay at golden hour, when the houses glow and the boats line up on the water.

This two-level iron arch was completed in 1886. The lower deck runs along the water; the upper deck, shared with the metro, gives the widest view over the Ribeira on one side and the port lodges of Gaia on the other.

• Upper deck views
• Lower deck by the quay
• Ribeira seen from above

The upper deck is a high, open walkway; cross it for the sunset view back over the city.

Porto's main pedestrian shopping street runs north through the centre, lined with old cafés and shops. Just off it, the small Chapel of Souls (Capela das Almas) has a façade covered in blue-and-white tiles painted with scenes from the lives of saints, one of the best-known pieces of azulejo art in the city.

• Capela das Almas tiled façade
• Rua de Santa Catarina shopfronts
• Historic cafés

The chapel's tiles are best photographed in the morning, when the street is quiet.

Porto's historic market is a hall of fruit, fish, flowers and food counters. Around it, the narrow streets still hold old grocers and tascas, and a tiled church stands a short walk away.

• Market stalls and food counters
• Blue-tiled church nearby
• Streets around the market

Go in the morning, when the stalls are fully stocked and the counters are busiest.

Porto's art street is lined with small galleries, design shops and concept stores in old townhouses, with a more relaxed pace than the riverfront. Past Praça da República the walk drifts into everyday residential Porto.

• Gallery shopfronts
• Concept stores
• Praça da República

Galleries tend to close on Sundays and Mondays; the street is livelier from mid-afternoon on Saturdays.

Cedofeita is one of Porto's trendiest neighbourhoods: a pedestrian shopping street of independent shops and cafés, the grand Church of Lapa and, further north, the Church of Cedofeita, among the oldest in the country.

• Rua de Cedofeita
• Church of Lapa
• Church of Cedofeita

Early evening is the best time here, when shops are still open and the terraces start to fill.

Boavista is Porto's modern face: a wide avenue, the monument-topped Rotunda da Boavista and the angular Casa da Música concert hall, a very different Porto from the tiled old town.

• Rotunda da Boavista
• Casa da Música
• Mercado Bom Sucesso

The plaza in front of the concert hall is a good place to watch the evening light on the building; the metro station is right beside it.

After sunset the streets around Praça de Carlos Alberto and Rua de Sá de Noronha fill with young Porto: small bars, street terraces and groups of friends on the cobbles, a livelier and more local evening than the riverfront.

• Rua de Cedofeita at night
• Praça de Carlos Alberto
• Fonte dos Leões
• Rua de Sá de Noronha

Things start late; the busiest hours are after 11 pm, especially at weekends.

At the Gaia end of the bridge, the Jardim do Morro is a hilltop garden with a wide panorama over Porto, and beside it the Serra do Pilar monastery stands above the river. It is a popular place to watch the city at sunset.

• Jardim do Morro viewpoint
• Serra do Pilar monastery
• Bridge and Ribeira panorama

Cross the bridge's upper deck on foot; the Gaia cable car and the funicular are the alternatives for the way down.

Gaia is a separate town on the south bank, and its waterfront is where the port lodges stand. The walk goes from the castle hill past the old wash houses, along the Cais de Gaia facing the Ribeira and by the port wine cellars, with street art and the World of Wine complex on the way.

• Cais de Gaia
• Port wine lodges
• World of Wine
• Castle hill and wash houses

Cellar visits usually need a reservation in summer; the quayside walk itself is free.

Where the Douro meets the Atlantic, Foz is Porto's seaside neighbourhood: a long promenade of rocky beaches, palm trees, a pergola over the sea and the small fort of Castelo do Queijo. The walk follows the shore to the Felgueiras lighthouse at the river mouth.

• Castelo do Queijo
• Pérgola da Nevogilde
• Praia da Foz
• Farolim de Felgueiras

The Atlantic breeze can be fresh even on warm days; bring a layer and stay for sunset.