Travelers and the city of Porto!

After almost two years guiding clients from the most different countries in the world through the city of Porto, I had several surprises.

Recognizing the beauty of a city, which in certain streets or neighbourhoods seems to have stopped in time, most of our clients said that they appreciate more the city of Porto, than the city of Lisbon.

This comparison surprises me…Why? Lisbon is a beautiful, bright, monumental and cosmopolitan city.

The city of Porto in my client’s words is a surprising city: small, welcoming, typical, ancient and opulent…Even if it’s a grey city because of all the granite that surrounds her, this is a different city from all the others.

Foreigners who visit us feel comfortable, they don´t get lost, they are able to visit all the Historic city centre by foot.

They get surprised by the churches architecture and opulent interiors, by our rich history, by our gastronomy and by the connection the city Merchants had with all the world.

They are completely seduced by Porto, because the majority arrives with low expectations. Some of my clients think we are a very small, poor, lost city in the confines of Europe, without much to show…

Specially the Americans and the Australians, that do not know much about our rich History, the glorious Portuguese Discoveries or the Portuguese influence in the world, are astonished that Porto is so small but so Global! The achievements of our hero Infante D.Henrique, (one unknown Portuguese figure to them) never stops to surprise them!

Porto pleases by the great quantity old beautiful buildings that are already restored or in the process of restauration. “So many joyful colours!”, “Very beautiful tiles!”, “Exquisite iron balconies!”, “So many different details to look at”. This are phrases that I hear every day.

By my client’s opinions I can also understand, that besides this positive transformation, exists a darker side. The tourists that look for authenticity don´t like the kitch, and “Disneyworld” looks of some shops. They don´t like restaurant and bars that look the same all over the world or the hundreds of bad souvenirs shops “made in china”. They don´t want to go to ” Tourist Traps”, that try to cheat and deceive, by selling bad “traditional food” or “Portuguese tapas” for a high cost.

The experience travellers really look for authenticity, they make questions about our history, about our culture, they want to look beyond the ordinary, they want to taste our gastronomy and our wines, and really want to know who are we, what do we think, what do we feel, and want to understand our identity.

This authenticity and “innocence” that travellers still find in our city, will make them come back again, stay more time, and spread the name of Porto to their friends and family. If we lose this qualities, we will be just another small city, with mass tourism and without identity. Let´s hope we will be able to maintain this qualities for ever!