As Portas do Porto - The Doors of Porto

Let’s explore the doors of Porto!

I love to travel and my door photography provides structure and context to any city break. This is the first in a series of posts that will explore where to find the best doors in Portugal based on my personal experience.

Whether you are looking for an armchair adventure or planning your own trip to Portugal, this post is sure to make you smile.

See the full collection of Porto doors in the image slider below. Peruse the gallery, discover your favorites, and then read more about the neighborhoods in which they can be found.

Shall we jump in and discover the best doors of Porto or as portas do Porto in Portuguese?

Close-up of an orange door. The transom is covered with ornate metal grilles in a color that matches the door. Each side of the door is framed by a single column of tiles in different patterns. There is a Hand of Fatima knocker on the door — Cordoaria

Brown door on a wall of colorful patchwork tiles. — Matosinhos

Bright blue door surrounded by 3D yellow and white tiles. — Cordoaria

Pair of doors in Porto. The door on the left is dark blue and has a rounded transom window covered in white metal grilles. The right door is a light brown and is set against a wall of bright green tiles. The square transom window is covered with a circular pattern of ornate grilles. — Bonfim

Top half of a bright red door set on a yellow tiled facade. The square transom window is covered in ornate white metal grilles. — Bonfim

Very tall black door. The square transom window is covered with ornate grilles. The door is surrounded by tiles that are green and navy blue. — Bonfim

Distressed green metal door. The door is framed by white and green tiles and the facade is painted with peach and yellow stripes. There are two containers of artificial flowers, and a glass box representing religious iconography above the door — Fontaínhas

Double-paneled door with large glass panels. The frame is painted an olive green. There is a neon sign above the door that reads Livraria LATINA — Rua de Santa Catarina

Slightly distressed green door on a stone wall. There is a display of paintings of doors and windows in Porto to the right of the door — Rua das Flores

Blue door with intricate grilles on a white stone wall in Matosinhos — Matosinhos

Brown door set against a wall of yellow tiles. Each tile has a black diamond in the centre. — Between Foz & Matosinhos

Top half of a green door with a floral tiled transom. The door is set on a pale yellow tiled wall. — Between Foz & Matosinhos

Distressed mauve door surrounded by matching Portuguese tiles in Vila Nova de Gaia near Porto — Vila Nova de Gaia

Four doors behind a stone wall. The doors on the left are a pale mauve. Each of those doors has two small diamond shaped windows. The two doors on the right are simple and painted black. — Ribeira

Red door on a yellow facade in Porto — Sé District

Row of colorful doors attached to 4 storey facades in the Ribeira district of Porto — Ribeira (viewed from the ferry)

Blue door set in a stone frame. There is a small blue pot filled with artificial flowers attached to the upper right corner. The door is painted with 2 heart frames that depict historic scenes from Porto. The upper half of the door is painted with red flowers. The transom window is covered with yellow metal grilles. The frame of the transom is painted bright pink. — Miragaia

Top half of a wooden door with ornate grilles. The door has a square transom window. The door is part of an Art Nouveau (Arte Nova) mansion in Foz Portugal — Foz do Douro

3 bright blue doors set in an ornate white, yellow, and blue frame. A Economica is written above the center door. — Matosinhos

Art Nouveau facade of Cafe Majestic in Porto. There are two large white umbrellas framing the door. — Rua de Santa Catarina

Where to Find the Best Porto Doors

My strategy when I visit any new city is to let the doors decide. I point myself at an interesting looking neighborhood but allow myself to take an unexpected turn or drift off course if the doors look more interesting in that new direction.

On one of my trips to Porto this year, I stayed in Matosinhos along the coast. On the other, I stayed in Ribeira in the tourist heart of Porto. Over a week in total between the two trips these are the places where I discovered the best doors.

Love these doors as much as I do? You should see next week’s…

Every week I share three standout doors from my travels and readers vote for their favorite. Join in and help pick the next winner.

Climb into the Sé District

From my hotel in Ribeira, I could see small winding streets leading up to the Porto Cathedral (Sé).

My hunch was that this was just the type of neighborhood where I could expect to find some amazing doors. I was right!

Be ready for a climb up cobbled alleys. The uphill walk was a bit punishing, but the doors that I found along the way made the hike completely worth it!

Check Out Bonfim

Bonfim is a less touristy part of Porto to the east of Bolhão. I went to this neighborhood in search of speciality coffee to fuel my walk.

From Fontaínhas, the part of the neighborhood overlooking the Douro to the area alongside Cemetery of Prado do Repouso, I was very, very impressed with the doors of Bonfim!

Rua das Flores (at dawn or on Sunday)

Rua das Flores is one of the most popular pedestrian streets among tourists in Porto.

Go at dawn or on a Sunday to photograph doors with less crowds and distractions.

You’ll find more doors to photograph when shops are closed.

Make the Most of a Walk in Miragaia

I really enjoyed walking in Miragaia, especially around the Parque das Virtudes.

This is a hilly area, but you’ll be rewarded for your effort with some spectacular doors hiding down narrow winding streets.

Contemplate Cordoaria

Cordoaria is the neighborhood around Torre dos Clérigos.

Start where Campo dos Mártires da Pátria meets Rua de Trás and follow the backroads that catch your fancy.

You’ll find a wide array of amazing doors as you walk up and down the narrow alleyways of this part of town.

Shop for Doors in Santa Catarina

The historic commercial doors around Rua de Santa Catarina starting close to Igreja Paroquial de Santo Ildefonso will definitely catch your eye.

There are some fantastic Art Nouveau doors in this neighborhood.

Go before the shops open in the morning to photograph the widest selection of doors.

Once the stores open, the doors open and they are less picturesque to photograph.

Take the Ferry to Vila Nova de Gaia

The doors of Ribeira along the Douro are definitely pretty. The main challenge here is that the area is overrun by tourists.

I recommend catching the ferry to Vila Nova de Gaia and taking time to photograph the doors along the historic waterfront from the peace and calm of the water.

You’ll also find great views of Ribeira from Ponte Luís I (Luis I Bridge), but it’s not possible to get a shot of the doors straight on from there.

Peer at the Doors of Vila Nova de Gaia

Vila Nova de Gaia is home to the majority of the port houses in Porto so you’re bound to find yourself on this side of the river at some point.

Climb up from the water toward WoW (World of Wine) and The Yeatman hotel and you’ll be sure to find some classic Portuguese doors (some a little worse for wear) along the way.

Walk from Foz to Matosinhos

Most people go to Foz for the coastal views. I detoured away from the Atlantic into the elegant residential streets close by and was so glad that I did.

I was very impressed by the amazing colors and spectacular tiled facades.

Wind your way through the quiet streets between Foz and Matosinhos where you can enjoy both architecture and sea breezes.

Explore Matosinhos

Matosinhos is a major port and fishing town located within the Porto metro area. Many people come here for the fresh seafood.

I was impressed with the variety of doors on the quiet self-contained streets.

Matosinhos definitely feels grittier than Foz, but the doors have amazing character.

Map of the Best Doors of Porto

Click on the image of the map below to open up an interactive version in Google My Maps and get a better sense of where you can find the doors in this post along with others I may have missed. There is a great density of spectacular doors in and around Porto!