I decided to visit my friend in London since I had an entire month free before classes started in Madrid. There is a budget airline based in Portugal called TAP. They have lots of flights that are great deals, including flights to Portugal from the US, and flights between the UK and Portugal and Spain and Portugal. If you stay in any of these places, definitely check out TAP!
Something that TAP you’ll often see TAP offer is 24-ish hour layovers in Portugal. Since I didn’t have a strict timeline, I decided to take advantage of this in Porto because it also was cheaper anyway.
Accommodations
In Porto I stayed in Hostel One Ribiera. This was a great first hostel. It was clean and the people were friendly. They have family dinner and are located in a great location (although it’s a bit of a hike if you go down to the river, as is anything). They also offered a free walking tour. After dinner, we went out for a pub crawl. I had a great time due to the group we had that night, but it was the off season so none of the places had many people other than us. I definitely recommend staying here while you are in Porto.
Transportation
I flew to Porto on a layover from Madrid. TAP air often allows you to do ~24-hour layovers for free so I opted to stay here for a night on the way to London. I used the light rail to get to and from the hostel by using the Adalante card which I purchased in the airport. The Porto light rail is split up by zones so check where you are going and how much you plan to use the metro to see if the Adalante card with pay off, or if you should just purchase normal fares. The light rail zone system was a bit confusing, but I figured it out eventually. Make sure to tap your card to the posts before getting on the train. If your fare isn’t validated (even if you have unlimited rides!) you will be fined.
Attractions
The Luis Bridge is one of the famous images of Porto, take a picture with it and climb to the top to get a good view of the city. I took the Teleferico across the river and walked back. The Teleferics is only a few euros, and you get a coupon for free wine with it. I couldn’t find the free wine though….
Food
I was really in the mood for pizza when I arrived, so I stopped at Duorro pizza on the river. The pizza was great, Neapolitan style. If you decide to go, make sure to sit upstairs as there is a huge window with a view of the river. I also tried port at Bolhao Market and got some fruit and pastries as well.
What I would do differently
Given the time I had I wouldn’t change anything I did. There’s not much more to see in Porto but it would be a lovely place to work or study from for an extended period.