Second to none: why Porto is my number one for a city break in Portugal

Second cities can be more welcoming and fun than capitals, perhaps nowhere more so than Porto, with its less manicured charmIf 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?). A little further back are the showcase port houses: Sandeman, Fonseca, Taylor’s – we&r