Porto and Coimbra private tour

Porto is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. We will start our visit with a panoramic view of the sea at the beach in Matosinhos, travelling along the coast until we reach the “Foz”, the mouth of the Douro River, passing through the old medieval city district of Miragaia and arriving at the Clerigos Tower.

Here we can photograph the symbol of this city: the Clerigos Tower . Built in 1754, the Tower is 75 meters high and at the time it was the tallest building in the city of Porto. Next, we will visit the Lello’s Bookstore where author JK Rowling found the inspiration for her best-seller “Harry Potter”. It’s without a doubt one of the most outstanding bookstores in the world. Lello’s beauty is a great attraction for a vast number of tourists. We will stop for photographs at Carmo Church (Igreja do Carmo) noted for its marvelous exterior facades decorated with blue and white tiles.

“Avenida dos Aliados” is the most famous and largest avenue in Porto where we see dazzling architectural examples of granite buildings decorated with domes and sculptures that are the envy of other big European cities. This is the center of the city where Porto’s imposing City Hall, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is located. Next, we will visit the city’s major market place “Bolhao market” known for the extravagant way that the vendors have of selling by crying out their daily fresh products: flowers, vegetables, fish, etc. From here we head on to “Rua de Santa Catarina”, the shopping district of the city. This street is aligned with magnificent shops whose windows are more than appealing to the eye of the visitor. It is also here that we will find the famous Majestic Cafe, a meeting place for Porto’s high society, intellectuals and bohemian artists. The Majestic is considered the most beautiful Cafe in Portugal and one of the most enchanting in the world, entrenched with the glamour of the “Belle Epoque” time period.

The train station of Sao Bento is internationally renowned for its interior tiles that depict important events in the history of Portugal. Another stop on our tour is the Cathedral, which construction began in the 12th century. It is one the city’s oldest monuments built in the Romanesque style architecture and its location, high above the city, is a perfect place to see the fantastic views of the Douro River and the bridges joining its margins together.

The city of Coimbra recognized internationally for its prominent university (one of the oldest in Europe), was the capital of Portugal until 1255. The city of Knowledge, as it is known, breathes culture everywhere, from the banks of the Mondego River to the hills where the university is located. Here we can visit the Johannine Library, considered by the British newspaper “The Telegraph”, the most amazing library in the world. Its construction was ordered by King Joao V. This baroque-style library of indescribable beauty and wealth, was the result of the cultural vision of the richest monarch in Europe at that time. His royal safes were overflowing with gold from “Minas Gerais” in Portugal’s colony of Brazil. Free time to walk around the center of town and visit the Santa Cruz Church where we can find the tombs of the first king of Portugal, King Afonso I and of his son King Sancho I. You will also enjoy tasting the local sweets and pastries “Pasteis de Santa Clara, “Pasteis de Tentuga”l and the ” Arrufadas de Coimbra”.