Planning Your Time

You'll need a couple of days to experience Porto and its wine lodges, and the nearby coastal resorts. Make sure you visit the port-wine lodges, and leave yourself an afternoon or evening free to relax at a riverside bar or restaurant. Art lovers may end up spending hours at the Serralves National Contemporary Art Museum, whose extensive gardens will also charm visitors. And to really appreciate the new Casa da Música, you should take in a concert.

Several more days here would permit a trip out to one of the region's beautiful beaches; up the lovely Douro Valley—rail or boat are options, or rental car, if you want to visit a quinta (wine estate); or an excursion to the history-rich towns of Braga, Guimarães, or Amarante.