I must be the professional blogger who pays less attention to such an important social media platform as Instagram. But I totally get that you are on vacation and want to create some perfect memories of your trip, which is why I made a list of the best Instagram spots in Porto (and how to get there).
Because I am a lousy photographer, I used the photos of some Instagrammers that I follow to inspire you. Enjoy!
Let’s discover the best instagram spots in Porto!
Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa)
Rua Ferreira Borges | Porto
The Stock Exchange Palace is not only one of our most famous buildings but also one of the best Instagram spots in Porto. Usually people go there to take a picture of the famous Arab room, but I honestly prefer the atrium, as it has a stunning glass skylight (the largest in the city, in fact).
As it is one of the most popular monuments in Porto and you can only get inside the building with a guided tour, I recommend you to buy the online ticket to the Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa).
How to get there: the train station São Bento is a 10 minutes walking distance.
Largo de São Domingos
To get to this Instagram spot in Porto, simply go down Rua das Flores, one of the most iconic streets in the city, and at the end of it you’ll find a tiny square with a beautiful church called Igreja de São Domingos. Make sure you frame it as well!
How to get there: the train station São Bento is a 10 minutes walking distance.
Casa da Música
Avenida da Boavista, 604-610 | Porto
Casa da Música is a great instagram spot in Porto whatever angle you photograph it from BUT I particularly like to photograph it from its rooftop – doesn’t the floor look amazing?!
How to get there: the subway station Casa da Música is a 5 minutes walking distance.
The stairs at the bottom of Rua 31 de Janeiro
Another great Instagram spot in Porto is the magnificent (and highly underrated) staircase right next to São Bento train station. To get there, you can either use the secondary exit of the train station (right next to the lockers) or simply get down Rua 31 de Janeiro – the staircase is on your left hand side.
How to get there: the train station São Bento is across the street.
São Bento train station
Praça de Almeida Garrett | Porto
It is particularly hard to take a decent picture of São Bento train station because it is always, well, packed.
Therefore my recommendation is to enter the station itself (don’t simply stay in the atrium, because that is where everyone else is!) and go all the way to the end of the trains’ platforms. From there you can take a shot like this amazing picture!
How to get there: this is literally INSIDE the train station 🙂
Cathedral of Porto
Terreiro da Sé | Porto
The cathedral is of itself one of the best Instagram spots in Porto but there is an angle that I particularly love: the perfect framing that you get when taking the picture from Calçada Dom Pedro Pitões. It is right in front of the cathedral of Porto, it is impossible to miss it!
How to get there: the subway station São Bento is a 5 minutes walking distance.
Miradouro da Rua das Aldas
If you continue down Calçada Dom Pedro Pitões you will reach a viewpoint called Miradouro da Rua das Aldas, one of the best viewpoints in the city.
It is one of the best Instagram spots in Porto because from there you can photograph the last Jewish neighbourhood of Porto (which you can see on the picture above) as well as the beautiful Igreja dos Grilos.
How to get there: the subway station São Bento is a 5 minutes walking distance.
The façade of Igreja do Carmo
Rua do Carmo | Porto
You cannot possibly visit Porto without taking a decent picture of our famous azulejo tiles. That picture cannot be taken inside São Bento train station, #Iamsorrytobreakthenews (ok, maybe I am not so bad at this social media stuff!).
The best way to photograph azulejo tiles in Porto is to choose the façade of a church. I highly recommend you to try the façade of Igreja do Carmo or Capela das Almas because they are both stunning.
How to get there: the train station São Bento is a 5 minutes walking distance.
Luiz I bridge (upper deck)
I don’t think even I could mess up a photo taken at the upper deck of Luiz I bridge. The effect is particularly stunning when you take the picture during sunset hours.
How to get there: the train station São Bento is a 10 minutes walking distance.
Jardim do Morro
Avenida da República | Vila Nova de Gaia
We say that the only good thing from Gaia, the city across the Douro river, is the view towards Porto. This photo might explain better than words why we say that!
How to get there: the subway station Jardim do Morro is across the street.
Clérigos Tower
Rua de São Filipe de Nery | Porto
There are a gazzilion ways of photographing the famous Clérigos tower but my favourite framing is the one you can see on the picture above.
To take it, just go to Lello bookstore. Face its façade, then turn around et voilà! You’re at one of the best Instagram spots in Porto.
Another great option is to go to the front of the Clérigos tower and take this picture:
How to get there: the train station São Bento is a 5 minutes walking distance.
Capela do Senhor da Pedra
Alameda do Sr. da Pedra | Vila Nova de Gaia
Another great spot in Gaia (ok, maybe they have a couple of things worth visiting :P) is the famous Capela do Senhor da Pedra. It is a tiny chapel built in the middle of the beach. It is simply stunning.
How to get there: take the train to Miramar – you should get it at São Bento train station.
Ribeira
Ribeira is the most popular neighbourhood in the city so even though it is one of the best Instagram spots in Porto, it is also extremely hard to get a decent picture there (as in, not packed with total strangers).
The trick is to get close enough to the water so that you can frame Luiz I bridge and one or two traditional rabelo boats without massive cruises. But please be careful, we don’t want any of those strange stories of people who put themselves in danger for the sake of Instagram!
How to get there: the train station São Bento is a 10 minutes walking distance.
Farol de Felgueiras
Jardim do Passeio Alegre | Porto
My all time favourite Instagram spot in Foz neighborhood in Porto is the famous Felgueiras’ lighthouse, which has been featured on National Geographic.
Now, a word of caution. Don’t go all nuts trying to photograph this place during a storm or when the weather is unstable. Plenty of people have already fallen from here and trust me, if you make it alive from that foolishness you will regret it the rest of your life.
How to get there: take the #tram 1 or the bus 500.
Viaduct Cais das Pedras
A really underrated place that I absolutely adore is the viaduct of Cais das Pedras, a discreet viaduct that helps to relieve the traffic at Ribeira area. From there you get a decent picture of Serra do Pilar, the white monastery that you see on the picture above.
How to get there: take the #tram 1 or the bus 500.
Port wine cellars
Cais de Gaia | Vila Nova de Gaia
Maybe it is my passion for wine speaking here but coming to Porto and not having an Instagram picture of the Port wine lodges is like going to the Vatican and not photographing the Pope (hmm thinking about it, I have been to the Vatican twice and never got to photograph him. This is a stupid analogy. Nevermind!).
All of them are magical but Cockburn’s is particularly impressive.
How to get there: I like to take Gaia’s cable car from Jardim do Morro to Cais de Gaia. You can also walk from Ribeira.
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