Whether you’re a religious person or not, visiting the churches of Porto is an excellent way of getting to know not only the most important moments of Portuguese history, but also the evolution of architectural styles. Therefore, I made this Top 7 most beautiful churches in Porto – I hope you like them all! 🙂
By the way, on our Private half day tour of Porto, our brilliant guide Rodrigo will take you on a guided tour inside the most beautiful church of Porto. It is truly a unique experience to have in our beautiful city!
The most beautiful churches of Porto are:
The Clérigos church
Everyone who reads my blog knows that I LOVE the Clérigos church, as it is, in fact, the most beautiful church in Porto. Its location, on an uneven street, lead the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni to create a rather unusual church, with a single tower. This architectural eccentricity is the reason why Clérigos church and tower became so famous! Therefore, I was very happy when I discovered that a multimedia show is taking place at the Clérigos Church! 🙂
It’s a lights & sounds show that plays with some of Fernando Pessoa’s most famous poems, and I must say that seeing the succession of images reflected in the Clérigos Church is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen recently in Porto.
The show lasts half an hour, and there are several times available: 6pm, 6:45pm, 7:30pm, 8:15pm, 9pm and 9:45pm.
Ticket for the multimedia show at the Clérigos Church (2024)
Both the Clérigos Church and Tower are always full of tourists, so I highly recommend you to buy your online ticket for the multimedia show at the Clérigos Church.
These are the prices:
- Young people and adults [11 years old and above]: 10€
- Children [0 – 10]: free ticket
Smart tip: arrive early to sit in the last rows of the Clérigos Church, so you don’t have to constantly look everywhere to try not to miss something great!
São Francisco Church
Rua do Infante D. Henrique | Porto
What I truly admire in St Francis church in Porto is that it combines two architectural styles: Gothic (for instance, on the rose window on the main facade) and Baroque (for example, on the altarpiece).
During the eighteenth century the interior of the St Francis church in Porto was decorated with golden gilt wood work, making this not only one of the most beautiful churches in Porto but also one of the greatest examples of Baroque decoration in Portugal. Moreover, inside the St Francis church is a truly exquisite tree of Jesse, which makes this church even more unique.
Tickets: The ticket to visit the St Francis church in Porto costs 7,5€ and you can only buy it on the spot. You can book a guided tour by sending an email to museu@ordemsaofrancisco.pt and I HIGHLY recommend you to do it, as this church is covered in intricate details that are difficult to decipher on your own.
Schedules: November to February: 09h – 17h30. March to October it closes at 19h.
How to get there: It’s extremely hard to park close by, so I recommend you to walk from the São Bento train station. It is just a 5 / 10 minutes walk.
Cathedral of Porto
Terreiro da Sé | Porto
The cathedral is one of the oldest churches in Porto, dating from the twelfth century, and it harmoniously combines both Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque style. The church has an outstanding altarpiece, entirely made of silver, on the left hand side, as well as stunning cloisters, entirely covered in Portuguese azulejos’ tiles.
Moreover, the cathedral of Porto is not only one of the best viewpoints of the city (the view from the top is spectacular), but also a great starting point for your day, as it has a tourist center right in front of it. It is, therefore, where we usually start our Half day private tours of Porto.
Tickets: The entrance to the cathedral of Porto used to be free but these days you pay 3€ (which is still very cheap!). You can buy the online ticket to the cathedral of Porto.
Schedules: everyday from 09h to 18h30.
How to get there: the cathedral of Porto is a 5 minutes walking distance from the São Bento train station, as well as from Aliados subway station.
Church of Lapa
Largo da Lapa, 1 | Porto
Probably you already noticed that what drives me to monuments is not only its architectural value but the hidden stories behind them. Therefore, the church of Lapa is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful churches in Porto because on its inside you can find the heart of our honourable King Pedro IV.
You may never heard of him but he was the man who fought, during the Portuguese civil war, against his own brother Miguel, in order to implement a Constitutional monarchy in Portugal.
Because of the civil war, Porto was surrounded by a siege for almost two years without ever surrendering – which is why, among other things, Pedro IV decided to donate his heart to the city. Tourists rarely visit this church but they should, as it holds an important part of our history 🙂
The cemetery next door is really worth visiting, since it has plenty of there are a lot of symbols of Freemasonry hidden in the graves.
Tickets: this church if free of charge.
Schedules: the schedule depends on the day of the week, but in general you’re safe to go between 8h30 – 12h and then from 15h to 20h. The church is closed on Mondays.
How to get there: the church of Lapa is a 10 minutes walking distance from Lapa subway station.
Church of Santa Clara
Largo 1º de Dezembro, 3 | Porto
The church of Santa Clara is one of those places that you feel extremely fortunate to stumble upon. Its discrete Gothic facade hides an interior extensively decorated in golden gilded wood work.
The church of Santa Clara is truly breathtaking and it surely deserves to be on this list of the most beautiful churches in Porto.
Since you’re there, take the opportunity to also visit the cathedral of Porto, because it is 5 minutes walking distant.
Tickets: 4€.
Schedule: every day from 9h to 13h and then from 14h to 18h. Every Tuesday and Saturday, Mass is celebrated at 18h. On these days, the visits close at 17h.
How to get there: the church of Santa Clara is a 10 minutes walking distance from the São Bento train station and 2 minutes away from the cathedral of Porto.
Church of the Carmelites and Carmo Church
Rua do Carmo | Porto
It’s impossible to talk about the church of the Carmelites and the church of Carmo separately, as these two churches are side by side.
They are both rather unique in style though: the Church of the Carmelites dates from the seventeenth century and has a magnificent rococo altarpiece, whereas the Church of the Carmelites, from the eighteenth century, is a great example of Baroque architecture. Around a hundred years of time separate these churches, as well as the narrowest building of Porto (if you want to hear the full story join our Private half day tour of Porto!).
Something else that is great about these two churches is its premium location, in between the nightlife district of Porto and the trendy neighborhood of Cedofeita.
Prices and Schedules: Church of the Carmelites: free. It is possible to visit this church of Porto from Monday to Saturday, from 10h to 12 and, although it is not announced at the entrance, also from 16h to 17h20 (closing time is at 18h).
Carmo Church: 5€. It is open every day, from April to October from 9h30 to 18h, and from November to March from 9h30 to 17h.
The visit includes the Church, Hidden House, Sacristy, Catacombs, Relics, Gallery of Crucifixes, Noble Hall, Hall of Paraments, Hall of Kings, Library and panoramic views of the city.
How to get there: these churches are a 10 minutes walking distance from the Aliados and São Bento subway stations. There are also several buses that stop right in front of it.
Chapel of the Souls
Rua de Santa Catarina, 428 | Porto
The Chapel of Santa Catarina, better known as the Chapel of the Souls (“Capela das Almas”, in Portuguese), is one of the most photographed churches in Porto due to its magnificent façade, covered with tiles.
In fact this church, that dates back to the end of the eighteenth century, only began to attract the attention of passers-by when, in 1929, its facades were covered by 15947 tiles that represent the steps in the life of St Francis and St Catherine of Alexandria, who are worshiped in the chapel.
The interior of the chapel is nothing worthy of mention, but it is worth going there just to see the magnificent façades of the Chapel of the Souls in Porto.
Tickets: this church of Porto is free of charge.
Schedules: during weekdays, the Chapel of the Souls opens from 7h30 to 18h. During the weekends, it is open from 7h30 to 12h30 and then from 18h30 to 19h30.
How to get there: the subway station Bolhão is right across the street.
Capela do Senhor da Pedra
There is a chapel that, although not right in the city, deserves to be mentioned in this article on the best churches in Porto because, although the building itself is nothing special, it is located in the middle of a… beach. That’s right!
The Chapel of Senhor da Pedra was erected in 1763, it is believed, on the site of an ancient pagan cult, of a naturalistic nature, of the pre-Christian peoples, whose deities were venerated in the midst of nature, having later been converted to Christianity.
Nothing much goes on there (you can’t even go inside, since it is always closed), but it is worth it to go there to take nice photos, especially if you have a drone. You can also take the opportunity to sunbath at the beach, if the weather allows it 🙂
Tickets: unfortunately, this chapel is always closed.
How to get there: you need to take a train at São Bento train station, heading to Aveiro, and drop off at the station Miramar. The chapel is a 10 minutes walking distance.
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