We’ve just returned from an eight-day trip of two halves, offering two very different experiences.

The first was a destination that’s become something of a regular bolt-hole for us, the quaint old town of Faro. Here we took time to relax during the day on the islands of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, eking out the last of this year’s summer sun. Evenings were spent wandering around the old town, checking out a few new bars and restaurants.

The second was a city break further north, the historic city of Porto, a place that needs no introduction. It was our first time here, and we lucked out with the weather — it was stunning throughout.

Over the eight days, we averaged 20,000 steps a day and managed to clock up over 100 km of walking, no mean feat given the terrain! As usual, we spent time researching budget flights and decent-value accommodation to make sure we didn’t have to skimp on the important things in life — namely good food and wine. More on this in the “Hints and Tips” section below, but suffice it to say, it was a real bargain: the three flights averaged £39 per person (hand luggage and a shared trolley bag), and accommodation worked out at around £21 per person per night.

At both locations we went in search of, and found, some gastronomic delights. I’ll start with Porto, since it was new territory for us.

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— Porto —

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There are so many nooks and crannies to explore en route to the usual sights and attractions you’ll find in most travel books and blogs – which, of course, we’d researched beforehand.

But as with most of our trips, we like to mix things up a bit, seeking out both the lesser-travelled spots and the landmarks that make these places so famous.

To say this city is hilly would be an understatement! It got our heart rates up on more than one occasion, but the effort was well worth it. Perhaps we won’t be tackling those routes through the Ribeira district in twenty years’ time, so it’s just as well we’re doing it now, while we’re still relatively fit and able. So if you’re reading this and thinking of visiting – do it now! It’s worth it. Every corner reveals another steep climb (or descent), another row of colourful houses, or a majestic church.

Our accommodation was a few hundred metres south of the Ponte de Dom Luís I bridge, a landmark that dominates the city. This meant that every morning, within seconds of stepping out the door, we were greeted with sweeping views of the city spanning the Douro River, facing westwards.

It’s also one of the best places in the city to watch both sunrise and sunset — though, of course, the crowds tend to appear for the latter.

There are countless cathedrals and churches here, many boasting rich histories and even richer “golden” interiors. The narrow cobblestone streets are lined with restaurants, bars, and cafés — we tried quite a few during our stay.

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***** When in Rome! *****

Of course, the city is famed for its fortified wine, Port of which we sampled quite a few!

The area south of the Douro, Vila Nova de Gaia, is full of historic warehouses, open squares, markets, cultural quarters, and street performers (some of the best I’ve ever seen), along with plenty of places to sit and watch the world go by. The view from the southern bank back to the north side of the city is particularly pretty.

We toured one of the port houses , no prizes for guessing which, and sampled several others. Not being a port expert or snob, I wasn’t fussy; I was just curious about the history and flavour differences. I hadn’t realised how many varieties of white port there are, or how strict the rules are governing the styles and labelling; from vintage to blended. You really do learn something new every day!

We’ve both agreed that Tawny is our preferred style, though of course we’ll have to sample a few more to be absolutely sure. The things we do in pursuit of knowledge, eh?

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***** Open Spaces *****

We took a long walk westward to the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, which offer great views out to the ocean beyond the last bridge, the Ponte da Arrábida. The gardens are vast and home to a huge dome that hosts musicians from all over. Next time we visit, we’ll check who’s performing and perhaps make a night of it.

The Museu Romântico was closed when we visited, but its gardens were still a gorgeous spot to sit and unwind.

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***** Top wine bar and restaurant *****

While waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant, we stopped by Apothek Wine Bar for some excellent bar snacks (which doubled up as our starter), before heading to La Ricotta for a superb main course meal. We spilt the location for starters and mains like this occasionally, it provides an opportunity to sample more places.

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***** The Book Store *****

Emma insisted we visit Livraria Lello, which, while a bit of a tourist trap, is absolutely worth the queue. It’s so popular they sell entry tickets, but if you buy a book (and not just take photos), you get your money back.

There’s no shortage of prima donna influencer types posing on the staircase – short skirts, big makeup, and all – so be prepared! I couldn’t resist joining in, mockingly, by holding a book written in a language I don’t understand… upside down.

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***** Best places for a Nightcap *****

Just beneath the monastery, on crossing the bridge, is a plush hotel called Hotel Vincci Ponte de Ferro, which has a lovely wine bar with an exclusive feel and amazing views, we couldn’t resist.

Another great find was the Origins Porto Gaia Hotel (possibly now a Marriott), where we stopped for a glass of Taylor’s Port on the way home, the bottle was huge!

And right next to our accommodation was Garrafeira D’Ouro, a wine bar and shop run by the most entertaining barman imaginable, a walking encyclopaedia on all things Portuguese. He even gave us some excellent recommendations for mountain festivals to attend next year!

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***** Most authentic meals *****

Adega Rio Douro – OURO

This little spot is miles from the tourist centre, on the north side of the river. You’ll need the number 500 bus to get there. It’s cash-only and serves authentic home-cooked food, mostly to local fishermen, workers, and the occasional curious traveller like us.

The food was hearty and full of goodness, served with local wine. We’d read up on it before visiting and were prepared for a slightly brusque atmosphere, the serving staff were rumoured to be short on patience, but we found everyone, including the staff, incredibly pleasant and helpful. When the bill came, we smiled: €14.80 (£12.80) – including wine!

Taberna do Sao Pedro – Afurada

This little restaurant is on the south side of the river, in the heart of the fishing village of Afurada, and it’s a must-visit.

Like its counterpart across the river, it serves no-nonsense local food, specialising in fish charcoal-grilled right on the street outside. There are more tourists here (it’s within walking distance of Porto’s south side), but they sit alongside locals and workers on their lunch breaks. In fact, the table next to us was full of policemen tucking in between shifts.

Prices are a little higher than on the north side, and, as with many places, there may be a “local” and a “tourist” rate, but still excellent value.

We were lucky to get a table quickly and ended up sharing with two lovely Americans from one of the Carolina states (i can’t remember which), Catherine and Peter. We discovered quickly that we shared similar views on life, politics and the universe in general, so it made for a great afternoon discussion.

The service and quality here were fantastic. At one point, a local couple at a nearby table noticed us glancing curiously at their starters. Without hesitation, they jumped up and shared theirs with us! They went on to enthusiastically recommend dishes for our mains. Later, when I quietly asked the waiter for a wine suggestion, he went straight to that same couple, grabbed their bottle, and poured me a sample. Without missing a beat, they jumped up again and poured wine for our new American friends too.

Now that’s community spirit, and great service!

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***** Sao Bento Train Station *****

We popped into see one of the most ornate train stations in the world, jam packed full of murals depicting events from the country’s past. Well worth a visit.

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***** Some Ramdom photos *****

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— Faro and Ria Formosa —

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We keep coming back to this place, and it’s not difficult to see why!

The beaches are typically Portuguese, by that I mean vast, pristine, and almost completely empty. In the spots we tend to go, we can spend an entire day sitting on the sand, miles from anywhere, and not see another soul.

This region is also famed for its wildlife, drawn to the Ria Formosa estuary, a labyrinth of canals and marshlands between the sandy islands, most of which can only be accessed by boat. On this trip we returned to Culatra/Farol and Deserta. I’d recommend the former if you want a bit of life, it has a few restaurants and bars (but no cars) and the latter if you want solitude.

I have waxed lyrical about this place in previous posts, so I shall keep this one short.

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***** My Birthday – proper *****

I’d celebrated my “royal” birthday with family a few weeks ago, but the actual day fell during this trip. So, after a glass (or two) of wine on the roof terrace of our accommodation, which, incidentally, cost just over £22 per person per night, we celebrated my 60th birthday proper.

Earlier, we’d found a swanky new restaurant in the old town called By Opus, which had only just opened, and booked ourselves a table.

The owner was a bit bouncy ‘enthusiastic as anything’ and spent the entire evening ensuring everyone had the best night possible (he’s the chap in the photo below carving the ham). He succeeded, too. But with over 2,500 bottles on site, it was a bit disconcerting to find no prices at all on the wine list, apparently, that’s part of the place’s USP. Unusual, to say the least!

My guess is that the waiters “size you up” and then pick a bottle based on what you say you like, and perhaps what they think you can afford. Not sure that’ll work for everyone! My advice: turn up with a hole in your shoe and pretend to know nothing about wine. Try something like, “We’d like some cheap Portuguese Prosecco-style fizz, please, definitely not champagne.” You’ll end up on the right price point and they won’t serve bad wine – it worked for us!

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***** The Old-Town *****

The old town is charming, and although we’ve been here four times over the past few years, there are still plenty of great restaurants left to try. What I love most is its cosmopolitan feel — no single nationality dominates, as often happens elsewhere. Here you’ll find a friendly mix of French, Brits, Germans, Spanish, Americans, Canadians, Australians, Irish, Dutch, and of course, Portuguese.

It’s also noticeable that most people make an effort to dress up in the evenings. I must be getting old – oh yes, I am… sixty!

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***** New find ‘Columbus’ *****

We’ve walked past this place so many times over the years without giving it a second glance – what a mistake! This time we peered through the window, wandered in, and sat down.

It was absolutely first class. The atmosphere was fantastic, a DJ was playing a chilled live set at just the right volume, the diners were relaxed and enjoying the vibe, and the food… well, it was off the scale. I don’t think I’ve ever been blown away by a side salad before, but there’s a first time for everything – and this was it.

Highly recommended.

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***** Breakfast at Hotel Occidental *****

Every time we come to Faro, we make a point of heading to this hotel for their buffet breakfast, it sets us up perfectly for the day. The food quality is excellent, the portions are bottomless, and the views from the rooftop breakfast bar over the port and marshes are simply fantastic.

***** Until next time *****

We love it here and will almost certainly be back, so until next time…

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—- Hints and Tips —-

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Flights

This was another bargain trip, with ridiculously low priced air travel which averaged out at £39 per person per flight.

• Leg 1 – Gatwick to Faro, WizzAir (£46 per person average cost)
• Leg 2 – Faro to Porto, Ryanair (£25.50 per person average cost)
• Leg 3 – Porto to Luton, easyJet (£45.50 per person average cost)

We always prefer to travel without hold luggage in order to reduce the risk of loss, and speed up the entire process.

So for this trip we travelled with hand luggage and one trolley bag sized rucksack (20x30x40cm) between us. This was more than enough for eight days, in fact, we both came back with clothes we hadn’t worn.

Of course, Ryanair and WizzAir have the smallest allowance, easyJet are more generous, so we had to follow the stricter rules for all three flights.

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Accommodation Faro:

Happening Guesthouse, 9 Run de Sao Francisco, 8000-169 Faro.

£22.75 per person per night.

We love this place, but were suspicious when we first booked a few years ago, as it has shared bathroom/s and was soooo cheap – despite being next to the old-town. However, the rooms are spotless, and there are three bathrooms to chose from.

Bathrooms are pristine and cleaned often. In my books, no different from sharing facilities in an average family home.

There is a lovely roof terrace here, and a kitchen, with cooking facilities and a fridge freezer. Perfect for storing wine for a “pre drink” before heading off.

We stayed in the same room this year as in April ’24. Perfect!

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Accommodation Porto:

Portus Ribeira House, Rua Guedes de Amorim, 26, 4430-999 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

£20.60 per person per night

The location of this guesthouse was excellent and ideal for us. It is very very close to the centre of the city and all the top tourist spots. It is located on the south side of the river, which has great views to the more picturesque north, which you see as soon as you turn the corner at the end of the road, which is only 20m away.

The house is very close to the Monastery, and the area where all the port warehouses are. It is a genuine 3 minutes walk from Ponte de Dom Luís I bridge.

The facilities are clean, offer free coffee, tea and biscuits for their guests, which are replenished regularly. It has a kitchen and one decent shower room. The rooms are clean and tidy.

On the negative side, there is no air conditioning, which was OK for this trip but would not be great in the summer. The beds were not as comfy as we are used to (low quality spring mattresses), and I got unlucky with bathroom queues, but that was just poor timing.

I would definitely come here again, but not in the height of summer and so recommend it for shoulder season budget travellers. Can’t really complain for £20.60 per person, per night!

We often got back to our room around midnight and were up and out again by 8am – so perfect of our kind of holiday.

There are a few posh hotels within a few minutes, which we used on a couple of occasions for their facilities, like wine bars etc, and if we come again, we will ask them for their walk-in rates for breakfast, much like we do in Faro at Hotel Occidental.

Other guests made their own breakfast, or like us, headed off to local cafes for coffee and croissants.

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Transfers

• Croydon to Gatwick – Transport for London, contactless travel by bus and train £5.85 per person
• Faro airport to Old-Town – Airport taxi €6 per person
• Faro Beach to Airport – Bolt taxi €1.75 per person
• Porto Airport to Porto City accommodation – Booking.com luxury taxi €14 per person (expensive, but late hour and pre booked)
• Porto City to Airport – Standard taxi via Booking.com €6.50 per person
• Luton to Croydon – Luton Airport Dart and Thameslink £21 per person, plus TfL bus fee (around £2).