Our bags were packed and we were enroute to the ariport almost exactly two years since we had returned from our last trip abroad (Covid had struck while we were in the middle of South America - more on this in the "pre kids" area). This time, however, we had a "mini" in tow - O was just over 5 months and we had decided that it was time to start travelling abroad again.
We'd settled on Porto for a number of reasons
1) We've always wanted to go
2) Portugal is very family friendly and we found this throughout our trip - O got a lot of attention which he lapped right up!
3) It was a short flight
4) A city break is fairly easy with a baby as you can just strap them into a carrier or pushchair and away you go...
I was a little nervous about our first flight with a baby, however, I have to say that O was a little superstar. He fell asleep just before take off and once he was awake he just enjoyed smiling at all of the people around him. Luckily he is extremely friendly (and cute) and the other passengers surrounding us were more than happy to entertain him with their attention. The flight home was a little more challenging but we managed. See my "hints and tips" section for tips on travelling with a baby.
Wanting to get a more local experience we decided to get the train to our accommodation rather than a taxi (this was also due to O not being amazing in the car). Whilst the train was simple and I would recommend it to others - the timing coincided with O needing a feed which made it a little trickier as he was exclusively breastfed (bottle refusal). I fed him on the train and had some very understanding looks from other passengers which put me at ease.
In terms of getting around we mostly had O in the carrier but we did use the travel pram on the odd occasion and saw a lot of other people with prams. Just be warned that Porto is quite hilly and there are quite a few cobble streets so we certainly found the carrier the easiest way.
I've added below the highlights of our trip, where we stayed, ate and other recommendations / hints and tips.
Port Caves - this is an absolute must when visiting Porto. We went to Caves Calem and did a tour and port tasting (just a small amount for me given I was breastfeeding O - A was only happy to finish my drinks... O was as good as gold in the carrier looking around until we turned him in for a little nap. https://calem.pt/en/
Crystal Palace Gardens - these are beautiful gardens for a stroll and we even saw peacocks! O being 5 months old wasn't yet on the move but there were a lot of families with children running around so it's a great place to go for kids to let off some steam. We got the bus to and from the gardens which was really easy to do. There were some public toilets in the park which were clean and had baby change facilities.
Ride on the Teleferico de Gaia - it's a short ride but has amazing views and little O really enjoyed it (he was squealing along the way). A one way ticket for an adult is €7 and babies and toddlers are free.
WOW (World of Wine) - this was very new (and quiet) when we went for well worth the visit. We sat outside one of the many eateries and had a glass of wine taking in the views. It's a difficult place to summarise but it basically has restaurants, exhibitions, art, shopping - see for yourself on their website https://www.wow.pt/en
Take a walk along the river - it was lovely just to have a stroll along the river (and the flat) to see the world and boats go by.
Eating al fresco - we had a lovely time just eating out for snacks at small places on the little streets of Porto watching the world go by.
Where we stayed
We stayed in Vila Nova do Gaia as recommended by a friend and our Airbnb apartment had wonderful views over Porto. The apartment had everything we needed and was suitable for a small baby - however, if you have any toddlers I wouldn't recommend this given the mezzanine level to the bed. Location wise it was brilliant as it was close to the Luis I Bridge, the Teleferico de Gaia and as I've mentioned - the great views!
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/Ra8WJGbM
Other accommodation options to suit various budgets:
Where we ate
We ate on the go quite a lot with O and sampled a lot of the lovely Pastel De Nata - as well as finding some gluten free ones for A. I've added a couple of highlights for us in terms of places to eat/drink below.
Eleven Concept - this is a great little place a little outside of the main area of Porto if you walk down the river. They do a great brunch and my pancakes had popping candy on the top!
Taberna do Largo - this is on Rua das Flores and is a great little stop for some wine (or Port) some cheese and meats!
Wine Quay Bar - we didn't eat here but stopped for a drink - lovely wine and a beautiful setting over the river - would highly recommend but be warned it can get busy.
WOW - again not somewhere we ate but stopped for a drink - nice open setting which was easy with O and some lovely views.
Other recommendations
- Wander to Sao Bento station to look at the beautiful mosaic tiles
- Sunset walk over the Dom Luis I Bridge
We had also been given loads of recommendations from friends but unfortunately didn't get a chance to see everything. Here is a list for you to browse:
- Livaria Lello - an amazing bookstore said to have inspired JK Rowling in Harry Potter. We had planned to go here but the queue was huge and O was getting a little fussy so we decided to give it a miss.
- Boat trip - you can do a short boat trip on the river or a longer one to the Douro Valley
- Cantina 32 - restaurant recommended on Rua das Flores
- Dine Al Fresco at the Yeatman (Gaia)
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