The fact that I’m writing a third post about Porto shows how much we found to see and do in the city. You can’t visit without noticing the beautiful tiles everywhere you look. Below are some tiles on the ordinary houses in the street where we stayed.

However, the most famous are the traditional ceramic azulejo tiles. They are Moorish in origin, dating from 711 when the Moors invaded Portugal, bringing many aspects of their culture. On my first visit to Porto, I was blown away by the beautiful blue and white tiles I saw across the city. Some were on large, impressive buildings; others on abandoned, derelict dwellings.

Igreja de Santo Ildefonso
São Bento railway station
Igreja do Carmo – José Sanchez:Pixabay
Derelict dwelling

The historic market, Mercado do Bolhão, is well worth a visit. This must-see venue opened in 1837, but the building has since been restored. More than eighty stalls sell a variety of fresh produce, and there are plenty of opportunities to take a break and enjoy food and drinks. As can be seen below, I was fascinated by the tinned sardines!

In contrast to the noisy and bustling central market, we also visited the small but fascinating botanical gardens. The morning we visited, few people were in this green oasis in the city. I particularly appreciated the varied water features. Of course, there are many other parks and gardens to enjoy in Porto.

I could share many other aspects of Porto, but I will leave you with two images I particularly like and say I would love to return to this intriguing city. Thanks for reading!

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