One Week, No Itinerary: A Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto, Portugal Vacation

I’ll be the first to admit: when I travel, I try to see and do as much as possible. I don’t usually visit the same place twice (the world is wide), so the FOMO is real, especially when I’m abroad. However, during our recent trip to Portugal, we flipped the script and came home feeling surprisingly fulfilled.

What prompted this slow travel experience was my in-laws. They are retired and decided to spend a month in Vila Nova de Gaia, home of Port wine and just across the river from Porto. They arrived a week before us, so when we got there, we settled into their travel style.

It was eye-opening for someone like me who usually has an itinerary starting at 7 A.M. every day and a packed schedule. We’d usually make loose plans the night before, but ultimately, we made decisions on the fly and based on how we felt each day.

Below I’ll share five long-winded tips on how to vacation in Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto, Portugal without an itinerary – the slow, local way.

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Spending a month in a hotel is not only expensive, but it’s also uncomfortable. So, our in-laws opted for a two-bedroom apartment through VRBO. They chose to stay in a residential area of Vila Nova de Gaia, rather than right in the middle of busy Porto.

Having just arrived from a visit to Gothenburg, Sweden, where we stayed in hotels for a week, this was truly a change of pace and scenery. As we walked up to the apartment, we observed clotheslines being used, stray cats roaming, locals chatting over a Super Bock at the café across the street, and kids enjoying themselves outside.

The apartment itself had everything we needed: a full kitchen, air conditioning, a washer (although no dryer, which we’ll discuss later), a living area, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an expansive patio with seating and a grill. I wouldn’t call the apartment large, but it was certainly cozy and efficient.

While we enjoyed eating at restaurants, we didn’t dine out for every meal. Several times during our stay, we strapped on our backpacks and walked to the grocery store in Vila Nova de Gaia, Auchan. Wandering around in a place where you don’t fully understand the language and can’t read the labels is an experience in itself.

If you’ve never visited a local grocery store while abroad, I highly recommend it. Whenever we’re staying in one place for at least a week, my husband and I always make a grocery run as soon as we arrive. I find it incredibly interesting to see what people in other parts of the world prefer when it comes to vegetables, fruits, seafood, and meats, as the local climate and geography often shape their options.

In Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto, both coastal destinations, seafood was a big deal. We saw tons of dried salted cod and, of course, the local delicacy, the sardine! Being so close to Spain, whole legs of Jamón Ibérico were also plentiful, along with a wide selection of cheeses and olives. Needless to say, we treated ourselves to charcuterie quite often.

Another delightful surprise was how flavorful the oranges were. Oranges are an important part of the diet in Portugal, and even a simple orange seemed to have twenty times more flavor than we were used to. We enjoyed them most mornings as freshly squeezed orange juice.

Don’t skip the bakery, either! We thoroughly enjoyed pastel de nata, a popular Portuguese tart with a flaky shell, creamy egg custard filling, and a caramelized top. There were also a few unexpected sights at the store, like jarred hot dogs and even an entire frozen suckling pig.

Lastly, we ventured to a local butcher shop called Carnes Casal, where we bought the largest cut of steak we’d ever seen. We took it back to our apartment, fired up the grill, and enjoyed a delicious homemade meal made with local ingredients.

During our week in Portugal, we used the Bolt rideshare service only once, and that was for a day trip to Guimarães. We’d planned to take the train, but an ongoing strike limited routes, and tickets were sold out when we checked two days earlier.

Our apartment was in the middle of a residential neighborhood, so getting to the waterfront on foot meant navigating through local communities, which gave us a glimpse into how people lived there.

One thing we noticed was that Portuguese men often gathered at local bars or cafés during the day to enjoy an ice-cold Super Bock, a Portuguese beer you’ll find almost anywhere you go.

Walking to the waterfront wasn’t bad at all. There were a few hilly areas, but overall it took us about 20-30 minutes at a leisurely pace. Being on the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the Douro River, we were treated to gorgeous views of Porto.

Vila Nova de Gaia is the birthplace of Port wine, so naturally, there are tons of wine cellars, known locally as ‘caves,’ where you can taste and learn about this iconic drink, crafted from grapes grown in the Douro River Valley.

There were a few touristy spots, such as The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine, as well as street vendors selling cork-made items like purses, shoes, and other souvenirs, along the waterfront. Cork is an integral part of Portugal’s economy, as the country is the world’s largest producer and exporter of cork, used not only for wine stoppers but also in fashion, décor, and sustainable products.

There were also opportunities to take a ride on a traditional rabelo boat along the Douro River. These boats were once used to transport barrels of Port wine from the vineyards of the Douro Valley down to the wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia.

You could also ride the Gaia Cable Car, a gondola lift with, what I imagined to have, incredible views over the Douro River, Porto’s rooftops, and the famous Dom Luís I Bridge. The bridge was designed by Théophile Seyrig, who was both a student and later a business partner of Gustave Eiffel.

The Dom Luís I Bridge has both a lower and an upper level, connecting Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, and we crossed both during our visit. The lower level has sidewalks and carries car traffic, while the upper level is reserved for pedestrians and the tram. We especially loved the views from the top, which overlooked both cities.

Once we crossed the bridge into Porto, we faced a decision: take the Porto Funicular up the steep hill toward our lunch destination in the Batalha area, or climb the 225 steps. We opted for the Funicular dos Guindais, which cost only a few euros and offered lovely views as it ascended the hillside, though it was pretty cramped. I even remarked to my husband that I felt like a canned sardine!

Speaking of sardines, it would have been a shame not to try freshly caught and grilled sardines while in Portugal. We initially planned to go to the same restaurant that Chef Jamie Oliver had visited and recommended in Vila Nova de Gaia.

But with all the hype surrounding the restaurant since his visit, we decided to support the restaurant right next door, Abrigo do Pescador. We did follow the technique Jamie Oliver learned by using grilled bread to soak up some of the excess oil. The experience? Fantastic!

Earlier, I mentioned that our VRBO apartment didn’t have a dryer. In the area where we stayed, that seemed common, as many people used clotheslines. Since we’d been in Sweden the week before, we were in desperate need of clean laundry. So one day, we washed our clothes at the apartment, packed them into a laundry bag, and walked to the local laundromat.

While we were struggling to figure out how to use the machines, the owners came over to help us. Naturally, that sparked a conversation about our visit, which ultimately led to fantastic recommendations on the best places to eat, what dishes to try, and things not to miss from a local’s perspective.

Even after the owners had to leave, we started chatting with another local who was also drying her laundry. That led to even more suggestions, along with answers to questions we’d been itching to ask someone. While the woman’s English was a bit broken, it was fun trying to bridge the gap between English and Portuguese.

For food recommendations, we were advised to visit Café Santiago in Porto and try the francesinha, a hearty Portuguese sandwich made with layers of bread, ham, sausages, and steak, all covered in melted cheese and smothered in a rich, spicy tomato and beer sauce.

For things to do, it was suggested that we visit the World of Wine (WOW) cultural district in Vila Nova de Gaia. There, you can explore seven different museums, enjoy tastings and workshops, shop for unique souvenirs, and relax in cafés. We also visited Taylor’s Port, one of the oldest and most famous Port wine producers in Vila Nova de Gaia, where my husband and his dad enjoyed a tasting.

Another recommendation was to grab e-bikes and head to the coast and beaches. This was an activity that my husband and father-in-law enjoyed together. The most interesting part of their ride was discovering the Capela do Senhor da Pedra, an old chapel perched dramatically on a rocky outcrop right at the edge of the shoreline, where waves crash against its base. They also enjoyed a meal along the water.

We didn’t exhaust ourselves trying to see every landmark, museum, or attraction in Porto or Vila Nova de Gaia, and I’m perfectly okay with that. Instead, we spent time relaxing on the apartment’s lovely patio, cooked many of our own meals, and made sure we were well-rested, which meant we didn’t rush out at the crack of dawn each day. We simply went with the flow and enjoyed our trip at a comfortable pace.

The only planned outing we had for our visit was attending the F.C. Porto vs Boavista game, which we got tickets for in advance. It was our first European futbol expereince, and it definitely lived up to the hype.

During the match, F.C. Porto fans grew angry over a Boavista goal and began firing flares onto the field. After the final whistle, Boavista supporters revealed a banner showing the Chuckie doll decapitating Porto’s dragon mascot. Check out the Wander Worthy instagram for the video. Let’s just say fans are deeply passionate about there teams and were quite entertaining.

We visited Graham’s Port Lodge several times during our stay. Perched high on a hillside, Graham’s offers an outdoor dining area with incredible views of both cities. While we didn’t have a full meal there, we enjoyed small plates, wine, and the beautiful sights of the lively cities and boats gliding along the Douro River.

As I mentioned earlier, we took a day trip to Guimarães, the birthplace of Portugal and a UNESCO World Heritage site. While we were given other suggestions, such as visiting Aveiro or taking a Douro Valley cruise, we opted for a more historical destination, and we’re glad we did.

If you venture out to Guimarães, I highly recommend taking a guided walking tour with InsighTours. The owner, Rui Rodriguez, is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about his hometown, and provided us with a wonderful experience that ended with wine and sweet treats from a local café. It’s a bit pricey, but we wanted a private tour instead of joining a group, and it was absolutely worth every penny.

All in all, I’m very happy with how our week in Portugal turned out. Although we arrived without a set plan or itinerary, we immersed ourselves in the local culture and returned home feeling both fulfilled and enriched.

If you ever spend at least a week in one place while abroad, I highly recommend trying this approach at least once. It’s a fantastic way to connect more deeply with a place and its people.