Second cities can be more welcoming and fun than capitals, perhaps nowhere more so than Porto, with its less manicured charm. I f you walk along the south banks of the Douro River in Vila Nova de Gaia, opposite Porto city, towards the sea, the scene will be classic Portugal for a while: a lot of waterside restaurants, a lot of grilled chicken, some stalls selling unlikely items made of cork aprons?
Or do we just call that a race? You will reach Praia do Cabedelo do Douro, a sweet beach in a half-moon shape with water sports. Some recommendations really have to be word of mouth. How many times in Lisbon โ or Berlin, Paris or London โ have you had a sense that, welcome as you are, people have had enough of your tourist nonsense? But Porto has a less excitable property market, which means fewer chains, a more idiosyncratic atmosphere in the bars and restaurants, and a lot more chatting.
Lara Salt, who runs Porto Feio , a bar right by the river, is the one who saw the white flamingo. She also has a passion for 90s grunge, despite being not yet born in its heyday, and I know that because so do I, and I hung out in Porto Feio quite a bit.
There is space for difference, architecturally, in the second city. In places, Porto is beautiful, geared up for leisure, everything angled towards a view of the waterfront, and none of these areas are further away from each other than a quarter of an hour stroll.
Milan has fashion, Hamburg has its nightlife, Porto has port. The big houses loom spectacularly over Vila Nova de Gaia, so grand they look as if they might have their own militias. You can turn white port into more of a session drink by adding tonic.
