Porto, Like a Postcard
Portugal.
Porto, specifically.
From the moment you arrive, it feels like you’ve stepped into a postcard—or maybe out of one. It’s hard to tell which. Either way, the feeling sticks.
You arrive, make your way down toward the water, and suddenly everything opens up. Boats moving slowly along the river. A bridge connecting the two sides of the city. Cable cars climbing the hills. Restaurants stacked into the hillside. People everywhere. Life happening in layers.
It really does feel magical. Dreamy, even.
What’s most striking is how the city is built into itself. Porto doesn’t sit beside the water—it leans into it. Buildings rise organically from the river’s edge, worn and beautiful, full of history and texture. Travelers from all over the world come for this exact reason: the architecture, the layout, the light, the scene.
And of course—the food and the drinks are world class.
The photographs almost take themselves. Every direction offers another frame. In some places, it reminded me of Spain, and we did make our way to Lisbon as well, but Porto has its own gravity. Slower. More intimate.
It’s also incredibly walkable. For not much money, you can stay in a small, charming hotel near the water and spend your days wandering—through history, music, museums, and art. One afternoon led to a world-famous bookstore, where I found one of my favorite books, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. That felt like one of those small, perfect travel moments you don’t plan for.
Sunsets here are something special. Soft, golden, reflective. The kind that makes you slow down, take a few photos, and then quietly plan the next day.
The place we stayed had sister hotels throughout Europe—and even its own winery. Drinking wine from the place you’re staying adds a subtle kind of magic. An extra layer you don’t forget.
So once again, my advice is simple:
Get there. Walk everywhere. Soak it in.
Porto rewards presence.
Porto, Portugal
Words and photograph by Tony Frantz
