 This article contains affiliate links. Our travel journalism is written and edited by independent experts to inform, inspire and advise our readers about the best choices for your holidays. We also feature properties and itineraries from a specially selected list of trusted operators. These buttons and adverts are clearly signposted, and provide direct links through to external sites. If you click and buy a product, we may earn revenue. Show more Show less Winner Porto Foz do Douro in Porto (Alamy) Porto edges ahead with the buzzy urban beach vibes of Foz do Douro, the city's western suburb that sits right on the Atlantic, just a scenic 20-minute ride away from the city centre on tram line 1. A promenade runs along a series of sandy coves interspersed with granite outcrops, there are lighthouses and forts to wander past, a picturesque 1930s pergola that just pleads to be posed in, and a host of west-facing, ocean-view bars and restaurants serving port and tonic and petiscos ( Portugal 's equivalent of tapas) while you watch the sunsets. Carcavelos beach in Porto (Alamy) Lisbon also has some lovely stretches of sand, though they're a little less atmospheric and further from the city centre. The closest — half an hour away by train — are Santo Amaro){kind=link}
Joanna Booth
Wednesday July 5 2023, 16:35pm
Lisbon and Porto are less strangers than siblings – two port cities built on hills on the banks of a river, strung with fabulous bridges and famous trams, and packed with historic azulejo tiles and modern, eye-catching street art. But they’re hardly twins. Big sister Lisbon is twice the size, more cosmopolitan, faster paced and 200 miles further south, so in summer it can be sweltering. Compact, walkable Porto has a more traditional feel and is cooled by Atlantic breezes through summer, though fog and rain can roll in via the same route during the winter. Still can’t choose? Here’s the good news: it’s only three hours by direct train between the two.
Main photo: wines of Porto; streets and rooftops of Lisbon (Getty Images)
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