Hallo, and greetings from Portugal! As I said in my last post, I was out gathering some great information on a new spot and that spot was Porto, Portugal. I will begin by saying that Porto was the most beautiful city I've ever been to and I've been to Moscow, Krakow, Vienna, Prague and Paris. Mull that over a bit. I also can say that it was one of the friendliest places I've ever visited. It's also affordable and easy to navigate with great public transportation. Therefore, I have a lot to say and this is just the first of a few posts that will be a comprehensive guide to Porto!
Above: Capela das Almas de Santa Catarina (Chapel of Souls).
1. Churches and Cathedrals. We took a walking tour with a wonderful local guide, which I highly recommend, because we got so much good information from him, including a list of suggestions of places to visit to eat, sightsee and so on. He actually guided us away from tourist traps! He told us that there are over 400 churches and cathedrals in the Porto vicinity. Obviously, that means you can't see them all.
Let's start by saying that not all of them are even open to the public. There are many beautiful churches and cathedrals in the city, and some of them are quite famous and public, but others are still for the parishioners and I was happy to respect that. Also, some of the locations post hours of services, so you shouldn't attempt to visit during those hours. It's best to not plan to visit most churches on a Sunday for obvious reasons as most are Catholic and Sunday is for services.
Other things to note about visiting churches and cathedrals. Read the signs and listen to the staff. Some venues allow photos in the main church; some do not. Some ask you not to speak in the main church. Some are in use most of the time, so be respectful of worshippers while you are in their church. There's a lot of different approaches to visitors in a church, so try to go with the flow.
Above: Porto Cathedral.
If you really want to make the most of your church and cathedral visiting, pick out some and go with that list. I've seen articles with up to the 50 most beautiful churches in Porto, so make sure you choose some good ones. Research is your friend. Read reviews.
That being said, I have some thoughts. We stayed in Bolhao, a neighborhood in Porto where many tourists stay. Around the corner from us was a beautiful tiled church called Capela das Almas de Santa Catarina (Chapel of Souls) or St. Catherine's Church.
This fabulous church is barely on most tourist's list. We stopped by after our morning coffee on a Tuesday and it was fabulous. Both outside and inside were stunning. It was small but not lacking in any category. Sometimes it's worth checking out a church as you're passing by. This church was free entry as well.
On the other end of the list is the most famous cathedral probably in the city; The Porto Cathedral. This is where tours meet up. This is also where tour buses stop and visit with groups. It's also the home of one of the visitor's centers. There's a lot to see at this spot, and it's one of the oldest in the city. You can visit the museum at the Bishop's Residence as well, but our guide recommended we stick to the cathedral. There is also a stained glass museum on the grounds.
The grounds are stunning. The architecture, the tiles, the office was stunning with gilding and frescoes. We saw multiple levels, and there were informational displays about many churches and cathedrals all around the country in the courtyards. We saw museum exhibits, and climbed the tower. We spent quite some time in this one cathedral and were blown away by the beauty and history.
Now comes one of the important issues. Cost. As we visited more than one cathedral and church in Porto, as well as the cathedral in Braga; we discovered that even in churches there was a wide array of prices and found out that sometimes bang for your buck should be a factor.
Above: inside of Igreja de Santa Clara Church
We visited the small church in Bolhao for free. The Porto Cathedral was 3 Euros or 6 Euros to visit the Bishops Palace as well, which we didn't do on our tour guide's recommendation. The Igreja de Santa Clara Church which was lovely and along the ancient city walls at the funicular was 4 Euros. All of these churches and cathedrals allowed you to take pictures all over the place, had beautiful things to see, and also had a historical section for viewing. All good bargains and stunning beauty.
Above: Outside and Ossuary Tombs of Igreja de Sao Francisco.
We heard about Igreja de Sao Francisco and how beautiful it was. This was a live and learn item, however. This cathedral is located along the Riverfront in Ribeira. That's code for tourist central. Ribeira is beautiful, but it's overrun with tourists and there are vendors with their stands as far as the eye can see. The restaurants are expensive, the crowds are smothering and even the McDonald's is busy, which I find disturbing anywhere.
That being said, we discovered that when the cathedral is in the over populated tourist district, it costs more. It was 10 Euros per person and a tax that made it 21 Euros for the two of us to get in. I did enjoy the ossuary, because I'd never seen one, but... It was crowded, you couldn't speak or take any pictures in the church and several other areas. There was no directory, no map, and no one to answer most questions. We also visited later in the day, and they began to close off sections of the property almost an hour before closing with no posting of any upcoming services. I was not impressed. In a city with a plethora of beautiful churches, this one seemed like a tourist trap with the souvenir shop being the main area where they were attempting to herd the tourists.
All in all, check the locations, the prices and read a little bit about a church or cathedral before you choose the ones you wish to visit. It can be very important with so many places to choose from to weigh your options and choose wisely.
My choice for bang for my buck and amazing history and beauty was the Porto Cathedral. It's the standard, and there's a reason for that. I would stay away from doing much along the river in Ribeira as it is a tourist center full of people wishing to spend a lot of money. We took our river cruise from that side of the river and it cost 3 Euros more than on the Villa Nova de Gaia side of the river. Tourist areas are almost always overpriced. The more well known a tourist area is, the more everything there costs.
There are many religious places to visit in Porto. Monastery sites, churches, cathedrals, bishop's homes, and on and on. There's no way to visit them all. As I said, plan it a bit. But not too much. We had some planned and some we stumbled upon. Each one is different, and it was a bit like visiting a citywide art museum. So, for the first of several installments about Porto, Portugal this has come to a close. Remember, I travel without a net and without a lot of tours. I do recommend free walking tours, because you get a lot of valuable information to help you plan the rest of your stay. If you book all of your activities in advance, you may find yourself too busy and not having a chance to do things you learn about along the way. I advise that you take a tour at the beginning of your visit and enjoy!
https://www.introducingporto.com/igreja-sao-francisco
https://www.gooporto.com/porto-sights/ribeira.html
https://www.gpsmycity.com/blog/7-of-the-most-notable-churches-and-cathedrals-in-porto-5437.html
https://portugaltips.com/churches-cathedrals-in-porto/
https://www.portugalexposure.com/most-beautiful-churches-in-porto/
https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/120866/best-churches-in-porto
https://www.diocese-porto.pt/pt/catedral-do-porto/
https://insideporto.com/package/porto-city-guide-monuments-capela-das-almas/
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