It’s official, spring is almost here. With the most beautiful season of the year also comes longer days and the desire to get out of the house, spend afternoons outside and make the most of the best outdoor activities. At this time of year, Invicta becomes even more beautiful. But do you want to know what to do in spring in Porto?
Walks in gardens and green spaces, picnics, candlelit concerts and themed tours to see the most beautiful flowers – these are just some of the activities you can do in Porto. So before you choose your next terrace, take a look at the plans our team has selected for you. Let’s go? Write it all down!
Table Of Contents
- Watch a Candlelight Spring
- Contemplating Magnolias in Bloom
- Enjoying tulips
- Discover the secret places
- Spend afternoons on rooftops
- Stroll through the Botanical Garden
- Enjoy the best views of Porto
- Visit Casa São Roque and its gardens
- Back to the most beautiful viewpoints
- Exercising outdoors
- Stroll around Serralves
- Relax on the terraces overlooking the Douro
- Enjoy a good brunch
- Stroll through the Crystal Palace Gardens
- Having a spring picnic in Porto
- Taking a boat trip on the Douro
- Lunch and dinner away from home
- Climb up to the Super Bock Arena viewpoint
- Watch the sunset
Watch a Candlelight Spring
Have you ever been to a Candlelight concert? Or haven’t you, but want to experience it for the first time? Then here’s a good reason: the Candlelight Spring series.
In celebration of spring, Fever, responsible for organizing the Candlelight concerts, wanted to bring some very special shows to Greater Porto. So get ready to feel the magic of music in a sea of candles and flowers.
And this is the schedule of shows for the near future:
- Candlelight Spring: The Best of Coldplay, at the Pestana Palácio do Freixo
- Candlelight Spring: Rings, Thrones and Dragons, at the Pestana Palácio do Freixo
- Candlelight Spring: The Best of Zeca Afonso, at the Pestana Palácio do Freixo
Contemplating Magnolias in Bloom
In Porto, the magnolias in bloom are a spectacle of colors and perfumes, with shades of white, pink and purple/lilac. Magnolias are one of the first signs of the arrival of spring, blooming before their leaves appear.
To appreciate the beauty of these plants, visit places like the Arca de Água Garden, the Marques de Oliveira Garden, the Palácio de Cristal Gardens, the Botanical Garden, among others.
Enjoying tulips
In Porto, more than 106,000 tulips transform the gardens and green spaces into a natural spectacle, like an early celebration of spring.
From the choice of varieties to their flowering, each stage is carefully monitored to ensure that the city blooms at the right time.
Tulips can be found in places such as the Palácio de Cristal Gardens, Passeio Alegre Garden, Praça da Trindade, among others.
Discover the secret places
Take advantage of spring to ‘dive’ into one of Porto’s most ‘secret’ itineraries, (re)discovering places that, despite not being on the list of well-known tourist attractions, are worth a visit.
Gardens, museums and ‘hidden’ viewpoints are just some of the options!
Spend afternoons on rooftops
The high season for rooftops doesn’t arrive until summer or thereabouts. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t go to a rooftop right now to celebrate the first rays of sunshine on the longest days.
In Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia there are cozy and trendy spaces, perfect for an afternoon with friends, between cocktails and some of the best views of the Douro River.
Stroll through the Botanical Garden
Porto’s Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful and romantic gardens in the city.
Filled with exotic and rare plants, it’s the perfect place for a springtime st roll at any time of the week.
Enjoy the best views of Porto
Porto is full of places where you can go to admire the city, enjoy the sunset or have a beer with friends.
Although there are plenty of options, there are some places that are really perfect and offer spectacular views over Invicta . Some places are already a classic, others not so much. That’s why we advise you to check out our itinerary.
Visit Casa São Roque and its gardens
Since it was restored, Casa São Roque has become an art center, with exhibitions and themed tours.
It is a space that has been ‘reborn’, where you can contemplate the art and beauty of its centuries-old camellias.
Back to the most beautiful viewpoints
Porto has a number of viewpoints that are (almost) a must-see . After all, these are places that offer a different perspective on the city.
From Miradouro da Vitória to Virtudes, not forgetting Fontainhas or Torre dos Clérigos, there’s no shortage of places to fall in love (over and over again) with our Invicta.
Exercising outdoors
How about taking advantage of spring to exercise outside? Invicta has been gaining new spaces for outdoor activities, whether for simple walks or long runs.
So take a look at our list of suggestions with various places where you can run and burn calories while breathing in the fresh air.
Stroll around Serralves
To make the most of spring in Porto, it’s (almost) obligatory to take advantage of the most beautiful season of the year to stroll around the various nooks and crannies of Serralves Park.
This is one of Porto’s cultural hubs, but it’s also one of the most beautiful green spaces. So take advantage of spring to breathe in the fresh air, or go for a walk on the Treetop Walk.
Relax on the terraces overlooking the Douro
How about going out for a meal or simply having a drink, but with the Douro as a backdrop?
We have a selection of some terraces with the best views of the river. So choose your favorite and go enjoy the sunny days in the company of your loved ones.
Enjoy a good brunch
Brunch is an elegant mix between breakfast and lunch and there are plenty of places to enjoy a good meal in Porto. Some places look like authentic gardens, others have a very cozy interior; you just have to choose.
Or you could try some of the more recent places that have opened in the city: LM Art Kitchen and Say Cheesecake & Co., among others.
Stroll through the Crystal Palace Gardens
Located in the city center, the Palácio de Cristal has eight hectares of beautiful gardens where you can breathe fresh air and enjoy the views over the Douro River.
So strolling through the Palácio de Cristal Gardens is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in spring in Porto.
Having a spring picnic in Porto
With the arrival of spring, one of the best plans for enjoying the sun, nature and fresh air is to have a picnic, whether with friends, your partner or the family.
From Parque da Cidade to Quinta do Covelo, not forgetting Parque de São Roque, there are several places where you can have a picnic without leaving the city.
Taking a boat trip on the Douro
This is certainly an idea you’ll love. In fact, taking a boat trip on the Douro River is one of the most enjoyable activities to do in Porto in spring.
Here are some ideas:
Lunch and dinner away from home
With the days getting longer, it’s time to go out for lunch or dinner, right? In Porto, there is no shortage of restaurants to suit all tastes: Italian food, Mexican dishes, vegetarian food and the francesinhas.
Climb up to the Super Bock Arena viewpoint
Another activity you can do during springtime in Porto is to go up to the Super Bock Arena. From the top of its dome, you can enjoy an incredible 360º view!
Watch the sunset
At sunset, the city of Porto is even more luminous and beautiful. This is one of the best times to relax, contemplate the colors of the sky and take some great photos.
From Parque da Cidade to Jardim das Virtudes, not forgetting Jardim do Morro or Castelo do Queijo, there are many places where you can (and should) watch the sunset, especially in spring!