If Porto beats every other city in Europe — even Lisbon — as the best budget destination, it’s because it’s beautiful almost to the point of absurdity. Like the rest of Portugal, it’s also very cheap.
Most of the tourist area centers around the Douro River, where you can stroll about, catching street performers or capoeira groups doing their thing as large crowds gather around to watch. Thank Europe for its open container laws, buy a $3 bottle of wine — we promise it’ll be one of the best you’ve ever tasted — and sit by the edge of the river to take it all in.
You can also walk about looking for photo ops with azulejos, the country’s famed blue tiles. Or take advantage of the free entrance to the city’s main attractions, like the Porto Cathedral and the Dom Luis I Bridge.
