Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Vista sits at the mouth of the Douro, one block from the beach in the tiny neighbourhood
of Foz do Douro. It's worth the extra €13 for a view of the fort and the sea. There are
bikes for hire.
Vila Nova de Gaia
Yeatman
( 220 134 200;
www.the-yeatman-hotel.com
; Rua do Choupelo; s/d €248/263; )
Named for
one of Taylor's original founders, the Yeatman is Porto's only true five-star resort, ter-
raced and tucked into the Gaia hillside with massive Douro and Porto views. There's a
Michelin-starred chef, huge guest rooms and suites with private terrace, a decanter-shaped
pool, sunken Roman baths in the fantastic Caudalie spa, and all the amenities you desire.
Discounts available for online bookings.
RESORT
€€€
PORTO'S GRAFFITI ART
It glows everywhere. Alien words contorted into a visual language that all see and few understand. This three-di-
mensional scrawl appears on garage doors, crumbling ancient walls, empty storefront glass and neglected stucco.
Maybe it's some postmodern, evolutionary art cycle, where the city chooses its worthy, salvageable relics and lets
the bandit artists fix the rest. Usually they do it with loud blocky neon melting into a signature. Other times it's all
straight lines and clear images: a stencilled pilgrim here, a cloaked bodhisattva there. These 'statements' (and
what else can you call them?) are left untouched for days, weeks and sometimes years. There's no getting around
it - when graffiti tolerance is this high, it becomes a sort of passive celebration. And in Porto the graffiti art de-
serves to be celebrated. It's massive, ubiquitous and spectacular - especially at the Lapa metro station.
Eating
Porto's restaurant scene has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years. Diners can enjoy
traditional recipes from the north, contemporary Portuguese fusion fare or a medley of
Italian, Indian and vegetarian dishes, and even sublime sushi. For dessert or breakfast, the
cafes and patisseries around town keep locals in
pastéis de nata
(custard tarts).
Those wanting to self-cater should check out Porto's fantastic municipal market, the
Mercado do Bolhão (
Click here
)
, which is most alive in the morning and is a bastion of
fresh fruit, flowers and fish.
