Supermarkets in Porto are fairly easy to find, especially since the city is small. If your accommodation is located downtown or in the city/central area, chances are high that your nearest supermarket or grocery store is only a short walk away.

 

Since I've lived here for over 4 years, I thought I would put together a little guide detailing the types of supermarkets in the Porto downtown/central area that might serve you. I’ve also included a a few that are out of the city, if organic/health-food is what you need. 

 

Whenever I travel to any new city, I like to check out a local supermarket to see the kind of food they have and how different the choices are compared to what I’m used to. For example, in Porto it’s common to see big pieces of ‘bacalhau’ (salted/dried cod fish - a national staple) being sold, especially in (but not limited to) larger stores. 

 

Obviously, shopping at a supermarket is also a great way to save money if you’re on a budget and can’t afford to pay for a restaurant meal every time you need to eat. Many travellers or tourists I know like to stock up on basic items such as milk, yoghurt, cereals, and/or fruit, which can help with breakfast in the morning. A lot of Airbnb apartments also come with a kitchen so it’s possible to buy meat/vegetables etc to cook a hot meal for lunch or dinner. 

 

Of course, now that I live in Porto, I do a lot of my grocery shopping at my local supermarket. By that, I mean I often send Ricardo down to the shop.

A useful thing to note is that ’supermarket’ in Portuguese is ’supermercado’, and ‘grocery store’ is ‘mercearia’. 

Jump to USEFUL PORTUGUESE WORDS & PHRASES.

 

If you're looking for specialty shops for traditional food to bring home, jump to SUPERMARKETS IN PORTO FOR TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS. I recommend paying a visit to one of these if only just to look around!

 

Important info:
You can buy local wine and/or beer in pretty much all of these supermarkets for a fair price.

 

GUIDE TO SUPERMARKETS IN PORTO

GENERAL/CHAIN SUPERMARKETS IN PORTO

These are in Porto (or Portugal) what Tesco and Sainsbury’s are in London or the UK. They offer a good variety of popular, local name-brand products at affordable or low prices. 

 

Some of these stores may be very small compared to what you’re used to (especially if you come from the USA!). This is normal in Porto as the downtown area has very old infrastructure with narrow buildings that don’t really allow for anything much larger. The larger supermarkets or hypermarkets are mostly found in the suburban areas surrounding the city (rather than the central/downtown area). We go to these once every fortnight, with our car! 

 

Here is a quick rundown of the main supermarket chain names that you can find in/around Porto:

Pingo Doce

This is one of the most popular chain supermarkets in Porto. It’s really your average supermarket for common everyday items. There are about 4 or 5 in the city but note that none are in the historic centre of Porto, which constitutes the areas closer to the river.

 

These Pingo Doce supermarkets generally close by around 9pm, give or take 30 minutes. The easiest way to find one closest to you is to search for ‘Pingo Doce’ on Google Maps!

Minipreço / Dia

Another popular chain; may sometimes be referred to as ‘Dia’ by locals. 

 

They’re generally smaller than Pingo Doce stores and some are ‘Minipreço Express’ which can mean they’re even smaller. But on the upside, some stay open until 11pm. This is great if you like midnight snacking or if you simply enjoy shopping at night like a weirdo.

 

There are six Minipreco supermarkets in the city, three of which (the most central ones) close at 11pm. Click here for Google Maps 'Minipreço' search results in Porto.

 

In fact, one is located within the historic centre of Porto (see next heading) and this will be the one I’m guessing will be the most convenient to you if you are a visitor/tourist in the city. It’s close to the Clérigos Tower/ Torre dos Clérigos.

 

Largo dos Lóios 46

4050-338 Porto

 

Opening hours: 9am - 11pm daily

Supermercados Froiz

Froiz is a Spanish supermarket chain and it is one of our favourite supermarkets in Porto. It has only one branch and I would call it medium sized.  You can find it inside a small shopping arcade (Galeria Trindade Domus), not far from Aliados (the big main square in Porto), and the Trindade metro station which is 150m away.

 

They have a good meat selection with an in-house butcher, alongside a fish counter. We like to get our ground/minced meat here as they do it on-demand here (rather than pre-packaged ground meat). It also has a small organic/health food section with a few gluten-free items. The bread is said to be pretty good, too!

 

This is where we go whenever we’re looking for something a bit more specific or uncommon, that might not be found in other stores. For example, bottled anchovies and Spanish nougat (only during Christmas season though). They also sometimes have mangosteens (but for a premium price).

 

Galeria Trindade Domus

R. dos Heróis e dos Mártires de Angola Loja 11

4000-285 Porto

 

Opening hours: 9am - 10pm daily (except Sundays from 10am)

Continente

Continente is a larger supermarket brand with many bigger branches (that are more like hypermarkets) located outside the city in suburban neighbourhoods, catering to families and more long-term shopping. 

 

BUT there is one in the city and you can find it in basement level of Via Catarina Shopping Centre, which is on the main shopping street (Rua de Santa Catarina) in town. This is useful if you’re staying in this area (outside the historic centre) and want more variety especially in terms of fresh produce/ingredients for cooking.

 

Rua de Santa Catarina 312-350

4000-433 Porto

 

Opening hours: 10am - 9pm daily

GROCERY STORES IN THE HISTORIC CENTRE OF PORTO

A handy little section with a list of convenience stores ( to their small size) located in the most central area of the Porto, where most tourist attractions are.

SPAR Ribeira

’Tiny’ would be the more appropriate word to describe this shop. More of a convenience store or mini-market which tourists frequent due to its close proximity to the riverside (Ribeira). Good for picking up essential items if you happen to be staying in this busy area. Although SPAR supermarkets are known for their low prices, this is not the case here. You pay for the convenience :)

 

Rua de São João 44
4150-678 Porto

Opening hours: 8am - 8pm daily

SPAR Passeio das Virtudes

This is a well-known area where locals and visitors alike come to watch the sun set. You’ll likely have this on your ’to-do’ or ‘must-see’ lis if you're visiting. This SPAR serves as a convenient place to pick up a cold drink and/or a snack before settling on a nice spot with a view.

 

Passeio das Virtudes 78

4050-629 Porto

 

Opening hours: 9.30am - 10pm Mon-Fri; 10.30am - 10pm Sat-Sun

Minipreço Express

As described above (under 'General/Chain Supermarkets), this is one branch that is located in the historic centre of Porto. It's close to the Clérigos Tower.

 

Largo dos Lóios 46
4050-338 Porto

Opening hours: 9am - 11pm daily

Mercado São Joao

Another small shop on the same street as SPAR Ribeira with fair prices for fresh fruit and vegetables, plus other essential items.

 

R. de São João 11
4050-199 Porto

Opening hours: To be confirmed!

Mercearia BeloSabor

"Your neighbourhood grocery store".

Not far from the bottom of the popular 'Rua das Flores'.

 

R. de Belomonte 44
4050-093 Porto

Opening hours: 9am - 8pm daily (except Sundays 7pm)

Mercearia Frutaria Misangala

Small shop for essential items close to Passeio das Virtudes.

 

Rua das Taipas 49
Porto, Portugal

Opening hours: 7am - 8pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sundays.

 

SUPERMARKETS IN PORTO FOR TRADITIONAL/LOCAL PRODUCTS

These supermarkets/shops are perfect if you are looking for locally produced groceries and other Portuguese delicacies. When I say this I mean items such as cheese, bread, wine, olive oil, jams, preserved meats (sausages and ham), as well as canned/tinned fish and seafood, which are popular in Portugal.  OH and not forgetting 'bacalhau' (dried/salted coffish).

 

If you’re only visiting, you might like to visit these shops buy something to bring home. When I used to come to Porto on holiday, I would buy sardine paté, canned ‘bacalhau’, and even canned octopus/sardines as a gift or souvenir, either for my friends or for myself (the latter is mostly the case).

 

Marmalade and pumpkin jam are good items to consider bringing home - the Portuguese enjoy eating cheese topped with either marmalade or pumpkin jam. I personally love the pumpkin jam ('doce de abóbora')!

 

The grocery stores listed below generally pride themselves on selling gourmet, high-quality, fine foods from Portugal. They are old-world shops (some over 100 years old!) that are packed with traditional and regional Portuguese foodstuff including a variety of natural products such as of nuts, grains, spices, loose tea leaves, olives, and dried fruit, which you can purchase by weight. Also sweets and chocolates!

 

Some walking tours in the city will include at least one of these shops as part of their itinerary as many tourists enjoy having the opportunity to visit a traditional supermarket in Porto

 

Note: Many of these are in the close vicinty of the iconic Bolhão Market (Mercado do Bolhão - which at the time of writing (August 2019) is still closed for refurbishment). You'll notice that a few of them are on the same street.

 

Casa Chinesa  

Lots of teas and dried fruit! Even has dried octopus.

Rua de Sá da Bandeira 343
4000-435 Porto

Opening hours: 9am - 7pm Mondays to Fridays / 9am - 1pm Saturdays. Closed Sundays.

 

NOTE: There used to be a very similar store right next to Casa Chinesa called Casa Ramos, but they have unfortunately closed and relocated elsewhere.

A Favorita do Bolhão

 

 

 

Personally my favourite place for buying Portuguese food as gifts for my friends whenever I'm making a trip back to London or Malaysia.

Rua Fernandes Tomás, 783
4000-218 Porto

Opening hours: 9am - 7.30pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sundays.

A Pérola do Bolhão

 

 

 

This shop dates back to 1917, meaning it's over 100 years old! Its name translates to 'The Pearl of Bolhão'.

Rua Formosa 279
4000-252 Porto

Opening hours: 9.30am - 7.30pm Mon-Fri; 9am - 1pm Sat; Closed Sundays

Mercearia do Bolhão

 

 

 

Not to be confused with 'MERCADO do Bolhão' which is the MARKET (that is currently closed for refurbishment). This shop used to be called 'Confeitaria do Bolhão'.

Rua Formosa 305
4000-252 Porto

Opening hours: 9am - 1pm & 2pm - 7pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sundays.

Casa Natal

 

 

Claims to have the best 'bacalhau' in Porto. The name translates literally to 'Christmas House'! It is a family-run business which dates back to 1900.

Rua de Fernandes Tomás 833
4000-219 Porto

Opening hours: 9am - 7.30pm Mon-Fri; 9am - 1pm & 230pm - 7pm Saturdays. Closed Sundays.

*Special hours in December: Open every day inclusing Sundays & holidays.

Comer e Chorar Por Mais

 

 

Another centenary traditional grocery store, opened in 1916. They also serve some 'tapas' (small plates of food) which you can enjoy with a glass of good Portuguese wine.

Rua Formosa 300
4000-248 Porto

Opening hours: 9am - 7.30pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sundays.

BONUS: Casa Diogo

This is in the Cedofeita/Arts District area. Casa Diogo is a charming family-owned shop + restaurant business set in on the ground floor with rooms with decor that mimic an old Portuguese house. 

 

Opened in 2014, the shop sells locally produced groceries such as olive oil, biscuits, fruits, jams, and even wine. Bread and biscuits are baked by the family in their own rustic oven in a village north of Porto.

 

Traditional dishes are served (lunch only), with limited but cosy seating areas spread across two rooms and the general shop area.

 

The tiny restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and serves some traditional dishes.

 

Rua de Miguel Bombarda 416
4050-342 Porto

Opening hours: 11am - 7.30pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sundays.

ORGANIC & HEALTH FOOD SUPERMARKETS IN PORTO

If you are looking for health-food items or organic grocery products in porto, you may have to venture a little farther as there aren’t many options downtown/in the central area. Bear in mind also that you may have to pay a higher price than ’normal’ groceries as demand for these items isn’t as high in Porto as in some other bigger cities you may be used to. Plus, many items have to be imported.

 

I’ll start the list with a little shop/cafe that is more accessible from downtown Porto:

Quintal Bioshop

This is a combined cafe and shop with English-speaking staff. The shop offers a fair selection of organic groceries including vegetarian and vegan products. I’m pretty sure I have seen vegan cheese and faux meat in the fridge. 

 

If you’re not keen to cook, there is a cafe at the back that serves wholesome vegetarian/vegan meals. In addition to freshly pressed juices, they serve organic, gluten-free beer.

 

The space extends into a pretty little outdoor terrace/patio at the back, which is also enjoyed by a few resident cats.

 

Quintal Bishop is located in the Arts District of Porto (Cedofeita) which is fairly easy to get to from the centre of town on foot.

 

Rua do Rosário 177
4050-124 Porto

 

Opening hours: 10.30am - 8pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sundays.

IdealBio

This is a proper grocery store/supermarket and it is located in the Boavista area near Casa da Musica, which is about a 30-40 minute walk from downtown (depending on where you start), or a quick uber/taxi ride away. This is the closest organic supermarket to the city of its size. It has a good variety of organic and ‘biological’ groceries, as well as personal care items (like face creams).

 

R. de 5 de Outubro 352

4050 Porto

 

Opening hours: 9am - 8pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sundays.

Go Natural

Lots of vegan and vegetarian groceries as well as organic products. Has a cafe attached to it. Kind of like a 'Whole Foods'. You'll have to take a bus, taxi, or cycle as this supermarket is located in Foz, by the river. If you're determined enough you could also go on foot but it will take you more than an hour.

 

Rua da Senhora da Luz
4150-058 Porto

 

Opening hours: 8.30am - 9pm daily except Fri & Sat until 10pm.

Maçaroca

This organic grocery store is just slightly farther than IdealBio (about a 20 min walk from Casa da Música). Also has a small cafe attached to it.

 

Rua São João Bosco 244
4100-247 Porto

 

Opening hours: 9am - 8pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sundays.

ASIAN SUPERMARKETS IN PORTO

VERY IMPORTANT SECTION especially if you are Asian like me and the ability to source Asian ingredients is an absolute necessity in life.

 

There are two Asian supermarkets in Porto. IMPORTANT: On Google Maps they are BOTH referred to as 'Supermercado Chen', but as of now, one of them is called 'Supermercado Asiático'. 

 

Our preferred option is Supermercado Chen on Rua do Bolhão, which is the newer and bigger store. We find the staff more friendly and the store more organised. Both stores have a good selection of essential food items from Japanese, Korean, and other South-East Asian cuisine. 

 

Thanks to these stores, we have been able to stock up on basic Asian cooking items such as sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and rice vinegar/wine. If you like Japanese food, miso paste, mirin, dried seaweed, and tamari soy sauce are available here.

 

One thing I wish they had was refrigerated or fresh kimchi. At the moment you can only get canned or bottled kimchi, which isn’t ideal but does the job in desperate situations!

 

NOTE: They do not accept card payments unless you have a local/Portuguese bank card.

陳氏超市 Supermercado Chen

Rua do Bolhão 105

4000-121 Porto

 

Opening hours:
9.30am - 8.30pm Mon-Fri
10am - 8.30pm Sat
10am - 8pm Sun.

Supermercado Asiático

Praça da República 103
4050-122 Porto

 

Opening hours: 10am - 8pm daily
May sometimes close for lunch

OTHER INTERNATIONAL SUPERMARKETS IN PORTO

Glood

Glood is a supermarket in Porto offering international/imported groceries from all over the world. It’s located slightly outside the city next to Carolina Michaelis metro station, and this is where you can find a lot of British and American (even Australian) products especially snack food such as Pop-Tarts, lots of different crisps/potato chips, and proper butter shortbread biscuits.

 

I like going there to get fluffy pancake mix, Horlicks, and Vegemite. Expect to pay higher prices for the convenience of having your favourite snacks from home! 

 

Rua de Oliveira Monteiro 198
4050-438 Porto

 

Opening hours:
10am - 8pm Mon-Sat
10am - 7pm Sundays & holidays
Closed for lunch 3pm - 3.30pm during all opening days

Ali Indian Groceries

The only Indian supermarket in Porto! It’s located close to São Bento train station at the back of it. Can be a little difficult to find.

 

This is the place to go if you’re looking for grains and spices (and curry leaves!) for basic Indian cooking. It has a fresh meat counter that provides halal beef and chicken.

 

They sell some ready food as well, e.g. samosas (called 'chamuças' in Portuguese).

 

Rua de Cimo de Vila 105
4000-171 Porto

 

Opening hours: 9am - 9pm daily except Sundays 11am - 9pm

USEFUL PORTUGUESE WORDS & PHRASES

The post Guide to Supermarkets in Porto, Portugal – Everything You Need to Know + Handy Tips! appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

The app I talk about is the new Ribena Doodle Your World app – it lets you add still or animated doodles (made out of fruits and other Ribena characters) to your photos or videos.

Did you grow up with Ribena? Because I did. Ribena was a big part of my childhood. I loved seeing those cartoon blackcurrants (happy purple round things) talking on TV. Our kitchen always had a big glass bottle of Ribena syrup. Mixed with water and ice, it was the best thing to have on a hot day. Since it is hot every day in Malaysia (where I grew up), it was the best drink to have every day.

I haven’t actually had any Ribena for a while and I’m so happy to see it reappear in my world again, this time in digital form/as an app. It brings back so many memories and I’ve had such a fun time creating these Ribenary photos.. which were, of course, taken in my two preferred green havens in Porto (on hot days, no less):

JARDIM BOTÂNICO / BOTANICAL GARDEN

The Botanical Garden is located just slightly out of the city centre and it is a little bit of paradise. It’s not huge. In fact it’s probably one of the smallest botanical gardens I’ve ever been to. But that’s great because I can see every part of it in a short time.

The way it’s laid out is on par with many other things in Portugal that don’t make sense. There are some random wild and unmanicured areas. Suddenly there is a big red house. Then a mini bamboo forest. Near some fallen tree trunks. Next to a beautiful row of hydrangeas. Somewhere there is what looks like a cactus farm. A giant hedge.

Like my Ribenary creations? Don’t worry – there’s more!

Here are some photos of the Botanical Garden taken last year:

Some of my friends were impressed that I dyed my hair to match the hydrangeas, but the truth is that I did not even know that those flowers were called hydrangeas before the photo was taken and I couldn’t care less about them.

I did, however, care to take advantage of the happy coincidence (by making Ricardo snap multiple of me and the hydrangeas in the same position).

I added the little Ribena rabbit there because its nose matches my hair.

Since Ricardo always looks so boring and me already fruity (inside and out), I decided to award him three Doodles and me none.

“What’s the time?”

RIBENA O’Clock

But alas! For Ribena O’Clock to occur in Portugal two conditions must be met:
– Availability of Ribena in stores
– A good understanding of the concept of time & timekeeping

Only one of these has any probability of happening.

^Top left: Tiles! / Top right: Flowers! / Bottom: Me with eyes closed, probably walking into banister.

There were a lot of bees around the yellow flowers. Ricardo hates bees. He either screams like a girl or shouts profanities at the poor bees. Therefore I really enjoyed us being around those yellow flowers.

Porto isn’t as green as London. You won’t be spoilt for choice when looking for a large grassy area to play or picnic in, that’s for sure. But it does have a few little gems, especially if you venture out a little. Which brings me to my next favourite:

PARQUE DE SÃO ROQUE

This park ROCKS.

There is an abandoned old yellow house decorated with peeling paint and faded tiles, to greet you when you first enter.

Do you like my exploding pineapple, funky pigeon, and grumpy fox (the one playing golf)?

As health & safety is less of an issue here, there are bit of building debris and shards of glass you can step on (and enjoy their crunchy sounds) if you go to the right spots around the house. Tip: one such spot is on the balcony by the stairs.

THIS PARK HAS A HEDGE MAZE.

This park has a hedge maze. That’s awesome!

It’s slightly short but still fun. I’m not so tall anyway. And if I wear my fox mask I’m as blind as not-a-bat-but-almost. That’s fun too!

The other parts of the park include some fairytale-like features and also open spaces for families or groups to have picnics etc.

Another bonus is the existence of stray cats on the grounds. Since I don’t have a cat of my own to touch, I resort to touching whatever cats I can find in the public domain.

PS I really like that I’m pointing at a GIANT FLAMINGO!

^My pink boat shoes are by Quvel

We were taking a series of ten photos of us. Ricardo got bored halfway and decided to pick up a loose tile to show me. I’m rolling my eyes under my sunglasses.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did creating it!

PARK INFO:

Jardim Botânico do Porto
Rua do Campo Alegre 1191
4150-173 Porto
Portugal
>> Map

Parque de São Roque
R. São Roque da Lameira 2040
4350-307 Porto
Portugal
>> Map

RIBENA APP:

Add colourful, animated characters and objects to your photos and videos using augmented reality!
Click here to download 🙂

This post has been supported by Ribena® but all thoughts and doodles are my own.
Images used in this post are not actual app production.

The post Two Green Spaces I Love in Porto appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

It’s got a great location – near the centre, and most importantly, within short walking distance of the ‘baixa’ (downtown) where all the bars and clubs are. Ok fine, not MOST importantly.. but that IS rather important, right?

I love the building it lives in – one of those old ‘rich with history’ buildings. Big doors, high ceilings,  wooden floors, wide staircases. It’s great!

^The hallway as you enter from the main door.

It’s only got a little reception area at the front. It is a city hostel and so it is generally on the small side, but charming. Like me, I guess. Haha!

The rooms are all upstairs; while the ground and lower ground floors contain the facilities such as the kitchen, lounge areas, and 24-HOUR BAR.

^Steps leading down at the back. It’s all in the little details! Imagine this at night with all the candles lit 😉

I would prefer if one of the pillows said ‘GO MAD’ instead.

^The birds face the seat so you can talk to them. But you’ll have to know how to speak bird.

If I remember correctly, they also offer port wine tastings for about €6-8, for a selection of three.

If they’d asked me to choose the colours for the pillows I think people would have to wear their sunglasses whenever they came down here.

^A cozinha (the kitchen). There are more tables and seating on the other side (unseen).

Honey

The morning after a really drunk night.. I came down here to get breakfast. There weren’t many people, – only a group of four or five plus a Portuguese woman who was working at the back. She didn’t speak much English and at the time, I only knew very rudimentary Portuguese (I have since much improved).

I couldn’t find anything. I asked her where the bowls were. They were on the table next to me. I asked where the cutlery was. Next to the bowls of course. Where’s the milk? Duh, on the next tray, in a bottle.

I wanted honey.

‘Do you have honey?’

She looked puzzled.

‘Tem (‘you have’ in PT).. err.. honey?’

She still looked puzzled. ‘Não percebo..’ (‘I don’t understand)

I start making buzzing sounds and flying hand gestures to indicate ‘bee’.

‘O que é??’ (‘What is it??’)

I get even more animated and poured imaginary honey into a bowl with my hand.

‘AI! MEL!!! Está aqui!’ (‘Oh! Honey! It’s here!’)

She points to it. It was on the counter. Not so far from right in front of my face. …

I apologise for my blindness. She smiles and tells me to relax.

And then it occurred to me –> ‘NOW I UNDERSTAND THOSE ‘RELAX’ PILLOWS OUTSIDE!‘, wishing I knew enough Portuguese to articulate this thought this to her.

Anyway

Here are a couple of pics from the room I stayed in. I stayed in a girls-only 6-bed dorm with ensuite bathroom. Look how high the ceiling is! It was super comfortable and clean – beds were made, and sheets were smooth and of good quality.

I shared with an Austrian girl and.. sorry, I can’t remember the other one but she had been staying at the hostel long-term whilst studying something. There were only us three in the room 🙂

The Sunning Area

The exit at the back of the building brings you to a little walkway towards some stairs at the end.

On the left are windows of some of the private rooms you can book.

It’s only a little area once you get to the top of the stairs, but it’s good enough! Porto has lots of sunshine during the warmer months. I could just sit here soaking it all up, surrounded by Portuguese architecture, which I love and find very interesting. I would say ‘and make time-lapse videos of clouds’, but the sky is often a spotless blue in Porto 😉

^I came across some stray kittens under the roof. Meow!

There’s a room behind the 24-HOUR BAR downstairs that has a giant chess set! There are also guitars for you to play with.. movies to watch, art on the wall..

^Travel books, amongst others, in which you could indulge.

^A page from their guestbook. I see someone loved the fish? (‘Peixes’ = ‘Fish’)

Hey look, it’s Jasmin and José at the 24-HOUR BAR!!!

Jasmin is from Switzerland. She came to Porto some time ago, fell in love with it, and decided to stay. José  is local and does African drumming. I learnt that apparently, African drumming is pretty popular in the city.

All the staff were so friendly and I wish I could’ve spent more time making friends there. Thank you so much guys… I had the most fantastic time albeit it was short. But I’ll be back in June!

The Gallery Hostel
222 Rua Miguel Bombarda
4050-377 Porto
Email: info@gallery-hostel.com 

You can book beds/rooms via their website or via Hostelbookers, by whom this post is brought to you!

Happy Travels 🙂

The post Porto – The Gallery Hostel! appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

But Cristina appeared before me just as I was about to resign to a couple of hours of me-time and chirped, ‘I’m going to the beach, wanna come?’

OF COURSE I said YES. And it dawned on me – WHY did I not think of going to the beach? WHY? WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME? I had just arrived in Sagres AKA BEACH TOWN and I wanted to SIT DOWN on a sofa and what? Just sit there?? I was so stupid! Like DUH.. what kind of sun worshipper was I? A shit one!

So off I went and packed my bags – in something like ten seconds.

^Sunset and moonrise at Praia do Tonel

Once I was ready, the both of us sauntered off.. into the wild.. nah just into hot, dry Sagres.

^The street where the surf school was near

The walk to the beach was really fun. The whole place was so EMPTY.. so barren. The landscape encouraged us to walk slowly and because there were hardly any trees, the sun was upon us like a giant blanket of joy!

There was this part where we had to walk through a narrow dirt path outlined with long tall grass.
I felt like I was a part of Spirited Away, about to walk into some sort of weird screwed up fantasy world (a good thing).

But instead I got this ^

Imagination is key here.

About two minutes from this point, we got a bit lost. There was no one in sight except for two old non-English-speaking men and we had to use our very broken Portuguese – onde? praia? a praia? 

At least I know now that it’s ‘onde é que a praia?’… I think so anyway. Haha!

Well, whatever it was, it worked. Eventually, we arrived at Praia da Mareta, one of the many beaches in Sagres.

^just before the steps down to the beach.

What a gorgeous day it was! In mid-September, I was feeling like the luckiest person (from London who had managed to escape the onset of autumn)!

Obviously, I bragged about it to my friends. This is why we go on holiday, right? :p

We found ourselves a nice spot in the sun and… shared a spliff (ok for the Nth time, this is an honest and open blog). I swear all my closest friends are made this way.. !

We had a most lovely time talking about.. rubbish, of course. Rubbish I don’t really remember.

^Goliath came along too.

^Beautiful golden sand!

I wish I had tiny people to place on the little mounds, to create an exciting scene! Tell a story!

^Sorry, it’s just me again..

Once started to get cold and we could no longer keep moving along the beach following the rays.. we picked up our stuff and left. But look what greeted us when we got back onto the street:

We looked at each other for a few minutes, confident in our mutual desire to chase the sunset.

We RAN. RAN LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW. 
(Or as my crazy little sister would say – RAN LIKE COWS – no it doesn’t make sense, but it’s not supposed to).

We ended up on a cliff slide overlooking one of the more scenic beaches in Sagres – Praia do Tonel – JUST as the egg yolk sun was about to touch the line separating the sky from the sea.

Mission accomplished, I say.

We sat on a ledge, sharing my beach towel, and smoked a little more.

It was THE MOST beautiful sunset. Magic! Magnificent!

The sky was clear as clear could be. The air smelt and tasted good.

We were really happy!

^So happy that we didn’t care that we looked like crap.

I can’t really fully describe how truly a special moment that was. Just us two girls, who had only met a couple of hours before, perched on a ledge, witnessing a stunning sunset together. We promised each other that we would visit each other soon, after surf camp was (inevitably going to be) over.

Cristina comes from Bucharest, Romania.

Guess where I’m going this Friday? YEP 🙂

^In the distance you can see Sagres Point, a kind of fortress-like building (it’s actually a promontory) I never got to visit.

Cristina and I then had a most serene walk back to surf camp under the night sky.

Editing the photos for this post made me MISS THE SUN so much. When I got back to London from Portugal, I was so brown. Super tanned. So tanned that even I thought it was a bit much. But two months have passed and so I’m a bit more normal now, though I do want to keep a bit of my tan still on.

Which brings me to THIS below – some really handy tips to help you keep your tan for longer than ever! I’m not just saying.. I’ve read through and they actually are pretty good tips. Some of which I already practise, and not to be a brag, but I do have pretty good smooth skin that’s erm.. not pale!


I always have a wax before any holiday. But I never exfoliate – this is because I’m lazy.
Because I have asian skin (and generally I’m kind of a mutant), I pretty much never burn.. it would take a LOT of sun exposure to sizzle my skin!

Saying that, I am a firm believer in sunscreen and these days I apply SPF50 before going to the beach. Protect your skin!

ALWAYS MOISTURISE. EVERYWHERE. EVERY INCH.


Right now, I’m using Dove summer glow + soft shimmer moisturiser, which contains self-tanner and.. my favourite bit – it has tiny little sparkly bits in it! Literally makes my skin shimmer. It’s fab.

This post was brought to you in collaboration with Hayes and Jarvis.
You’ve got them to thank for these useful tan-keeping tips!

The post Beautiful Sagres – Praia da Mareta/Tonel & Chasing the Sunset appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

At this point I was really starting to enjoy hostelling! It was kind of my first time properly staying at hostels while travelling so it was kind of novel.. and amazing. Thanks again Hostelbookers for the opportunity!

The lovely people from surf camp in Sagres gave me a lift straight to the property in Lagos. But Bura provides free pickups from the bus or train stations anyhow, if you need.

The location is slightly out of the city centre but close enough that you can walk.. for 20 minutes or so.. this of course was ‘very long’ to me but I managed and I survived! It’s not so bad when you’re walking in such a beautiful place and in good weather 🙂

Also, there’s a large supermarket just five minutes down.. which I visited not long after I arrived to satisfy my Portuguese snack cravings.

^View towards the front of the house.

Not unlike my previous accommodation, this hostel was like a big house shared by friends. It’s on a street lined with other houses (where I presume normal people live).

Heather and Matt, who are originally from the UK, loved Lagos so much that they decided to buy this house and set it up as a hostel. And it’s fab!

^Looking towards the back entrance.

One of the highlights of the place, I had read, was the stand up paddling course you could do with Heather, who had recently qualified as an instructor. So I asked if she could kindly take me one day.. I had never tried it and well you know me.. I like to try everything and anything. Especially if it involves water!

Of course, you can also sign up for surfing lessons if you preferred.

^The window you see is from the room I was placed in! That orange thing is my bikini hanging to dry.. haha

^The rooftop!

I found this dude who had spent the whole night sleeping on the roof until the blazing sun came up. Clearly he was roasting but refused to leave..

…Until I appeared and started taking pictures, that is. Sorry to have made you feel uncomfortable, random guy!

I was given a bed in a six-bed dorm.. but I must say the room was huge. There was so much space! I stayed with a few boys.. and I was so lucky that none of them snored. Seriously.. NONE of them. Either that or I had somehow gone deaf while sleeping.

What you see there on the bottom bunk was all my luggage for my 2+ weeks away. I placed an image of the Bura fridge because I thought the colours went with the colours of my bags….

^The resident dog – sorry dog, I forgot your name..

^Comfy living area for all your lazing needs

STAND UP PADDLE BOARDING

As I was blessed with such perfect weather…and as the sun loves me so much, the conditions were good enough for Heather to take me out for a lesson the next day. We took the van down to Porto do Mos beach.

I have to say the hardest part about the whole experience was carrying these gigantic boards down from the parking lot. They were SO BIG! Or perhaps my arms were just too short but whatever.. they were heavy and large. I guess that was my warm up.

We went through the basics in theory – how to hold the paddle the correct way, for example – on the sand for a bit before going into the water. I couldn’t wait cos it looked so, so inviting.

Most of the time, I paddled whilst on my knees. I did stand up to do it a few times.. and fortunately I didn’t fall once (I was worried about my pink hair, which had just survived a battering few days at surf camp prior).

I enjoyed just sitting on the board and cruising along with the paddle.. perhaps because I was lazy. But it was so relaxing and serene. We chatted about random stuff and travel stuff.. and before I knew it, an hour (or two?) had passed and it was time to go back.

Here’s a little Instavideo I took in an attempt to take you swimming with me
(btw, follow me on Instagram please!):

I have to say that stand up paddling was a lot harder than I anticipated. I mean, it LOOKS so easy! I think I did well, but it was definitely a challenge staying upright and keeping balanced. My legs were wobbling a lot of the time….. forcing me to use my never-really-used muscles. Haha.

THANKS Heather for the wonderful introduction to SUP.. I genuinely enjoyed it!


Nights at the house involved mostly drinking and lounging about. One night, I brought my light up toys, kaleidoscope glasses, and glow sticks down to the pool so everyone could play with them. Toys are for sharing!

Everyone at the house, staff and other guests alike, were really friendly. I noted that there were quite a number of Australians.. (I love them!).

I’ve got so much more to share about my time in Lagos but that’ll have to come in another post.

Nights at Bura Surfhouse can be booked via Hostelbookers, and prices start at about £15pppn. Yes, there is free wifi internet!

You can follow Bura Surfhouse on Facebook and on Twitter.

The post Lagos – Bura Surfhouse & Attempting SUP appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

After spending a couple of nights in Albufeira, I took a bus to Lagos. As Albufeira train station is actually located 7km away in another area called Figueiras, it proved more convenient to catch the bus. The journey time was about an hour and only cost a few Euros.

Penny, one of the surf school staff, picked me up from Lagos station. You can arrange pickups with the school in advance for €15. She had no trouble spotting me at all.. I only had to say ‘I have pink hair..’. It was about another half-hour to Sagres.

It was SO HOT that day (as was every other day there haha).. by the time I arrived at the house (Algarve Surf Camp), I felt rather like a wilted petal. A PINK wilted petal!

I WAS IN LOVE WITH THE PLACE THE MOMENT I WAS INSIDE.

^Kind of a lame Instavideo I took hehe

It was just so cool and all I felt like doing was sitting down and having a full on chill-out.

I was shown my room/bed and everything I needed to know around the house, which was pretty empty since everyone was out surfing and won’t be back until the evening.

^The surf house!

^The driveway leading to the house

The ‘Residencial’ is a disused/abandoned hotel which some people enjoy describing as haunted. I heard that it’s possible to enter it and climb up to the roof to watch a magnificent sunset, but sadly I somehow missed out on doing this!

Here are more pics of the house:

^Seashell ashtray!

^The bar has an open policy whereby you’re free to help yourself to drinks from the fridge, and if you’re not an asshole you then write down your name and what you’ve had in a book on the counter.

There was a social event that evening – BBQ + sangria. I have to say I didn’t expect too much of it.. but the food turned out freakin’ delish. There was lamb, chicken, pork, beef, sausages, potato salad.. everything!

^Just inside the main entrance of the house.  Very surfy.

^My room! The I took the top bunk.. and my stuff took the bottom. Yes I was definitely quite glad that no one occupied the bottom one because having that extra space was toooo convenient.

The room wasn’t that big and I shared with four other girls. But not for a moment did I feel suffocated or that I needed more ‘space’. I felt like I was sharing a room with my sisters or friends, in a house as part of a big family!

Everything was very relaxed and often you would find doors left open. No one felt like they needed to guard their belongings like a hawk.

The room had a balcony and a large, ensuite bathroom and toilet. I know this is quite important to some, so I must say it: yes, there is free wifi internet access!

^View from the balcony connected to our room.

Sagres was not what I expected at all. It was a lot more deserted than I pictured.. and very flat! In fact in some ways it had the look and feel of one of those tiny, barely populated towns you would see as part of a zombie apocalypse movie or something (think the ‘Residencial’ building might have contributed to forming this part of my imagination).

I LOVED IT. I loved that it was so quiet. I loved that there was nothing much else to do other than feel the heat of the sun from an empty sky and listen to the leaves and tall grass whispering to each other with every gust of wind. I loved the abundance of beaches. They were like temples – everyone was drawn to them, staying for hours each day. And of course I loved that pretty much everyone was there for one main (and VERY FUN) activity – surfing.

A TYPICAL DAY AT ALGARVE SURF CAMP

Everyone wakes up at about the same time – between 8.30 and 9.00am. I assume no one would wanna be up earlier than that.. unless they’re a real nerd. Anyway. After washing up, getting dressed, and packing our bags, we go down to stuff ourselves with some brekkie!

The lovely staff a.k.a. the house elves puts all the food on display and you can have your pick of the usual cereal stuff, yoghurt, fruits, toast, hot drinks, etc. There’s also a selection of ham, tuna, and cheese plus a variety of bread. Most people used these to make a packed lunch for later.

Sometimes the elves make pancakes or brownies and other treats.. they’re all delicious.

My packed lunch always consisted of a ham/tuna roll, and a giant sandwich stuffed full with Nutella and peanut butter (of course).

At approximately 10am, everyone’s fed and ready to go (except the slow ones.. although I didn’t know of anyone who was so slow that they got left behind). We all pile into the lemons – by this I mean the vans/jeeps – and off we go to the beach!

It’s all very exciting and made me feel somewhat like I was at some sort of boarding school. It was a great sense of community.

After a bumpy 25-30 minutes, we arrive at Praia do Amado. It’s beautiful and has neat lines of manageable waves – perfect for beginners.

^It’s set against a backdrop of cute little midget mountains. I guess I should say ‘hills’.

IT’S REALLY A MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH.

Please watch this rubbish compilation of rubbish videos I recorded that day.

SURF SCHOOL

We linger around and enjoy the sunshine for a bit until everyone gets allocated to their groups/instructors and given wetsuits.

Cristina, a girl who bunked with me, was learning with me. We’d spent the previous evening enjoying a cliffside view of a spectacular setting sun together – so we were pretty much best friends by then.

[In fact, I’m off to Romania to visit her next month!]

^Cristina, Me, GermangirlwhosenameIforgot

This was the last photo of my brilliant neon pink hair before the sun + sea sucked the life out of it. I tried spraying SPF50 sunscreen into my hair, but I don’t think it had any effect.

Once suited, we carried our boards down to the beach, to our little segment – the beach is shared with other surf schools.

We do a little warm up before going into the water – running and some stretches. Lemme tell you that running in a rubbery wetsuit with the sun blazin’ down.. was a bit.. blah. Especially after carrying those heavy boards all that way, while firewalking (the sand was SO HOT).

I’d tried surfing a couple of times before (read about my surf experience in Matosinhos, Porto) and I have good balance and coordination, so I didn’t find it too difficult.

In fact it was SO immensely FUN! I didn’t care about my hair. The sea could eat it all up if it wanted.

The biggest challenge for me was lugging about that huge board – an eight foot one (for beginners) – which kept banging against my legs and ankles, and around which my short arm simply couldn’t fit.

Luckily, they let me switch to a smaller, 6ft one the next day when I asked. Best thing ever! I had EVEN MORE FUN. Every time I fell off I just wanted to go back and try even more. I’m happy to say that I caught some good waves.

I LOVE SURFING!!!!!!

The lessons are split into two sessions with a lunch break in between.

The only shit thing is carrying those boards back up, and then back down again for the second session. Haha!

^Isn’t this the perfect way to spend a lazy hour by the beach?

I spent my breaks down by the beach, playing in the water 🙂

^Me and my stupid hair.

At the end of the afternoon, it’s time to rinse off and hang up your wetsuits etc. And what a lovely setting in which to do so!

There were yoga classes on the beach once or twice a week, and I got to participate in it one evening. It was just MAGICAL (just ignore the part where you lay down and sand keeps blowing onto your every crevice). I loved the view of the green upside-down hills every time I bent over.

Yoga on the beach was so good that I completely fell asleep at the end of it.. vivid dreams and everything.

THE BROKEN JEEP

Yeah, one day, our jeep broke down just as we were leaving to go back.

I think everyone was so high on surfing that no one really cared. To me, it meant more time by the beach and more time in the sunshine!

In the end, the boys had to push the jeep up the road and out of the way while we waited for another vehicle to pick us up.

While waiting, we enjoyed this:

The ocean was glistening like a smooth, shiny tarp.

Eventually, our rescue jeep came and we were back at the house in no time. Everyone has a shower and then you can either stay in for dinner or take a walk to the buzzing, two-street metropolis of Sagres to find food.

As mentioned above, I stayed for a BBQ one night which was superb, and on another evening Cristina and I went out for some traditional Portuguese food instead.

^Dinner at the house

^Me, Sara, Cristina

Sara was our surf instructor. She’s Welsh and she’s so lovely. This pic was taken in Lagos, when it was one of the staff members’ birthdays and everyone went down to celebrate (the nightlife in Sagres was just too much for us to handle).

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ALGARVE SURF SCHOOL! 

When I was reading the reviews on Tripadvisor I noticed a common theme of people suggesting being flexible with your dates ‘because you’ll want to stay longer’. I thought it was just one of those things that people wrote about places they enjoyed… but you know what, at the end of my three nights there, I REALLY WISHED I COULD STAY LONGER. I wanted to stay so bad! Maybe next summer..

Prices per night at the surf school start at €20 per person. More info on their website, including packages, lessons, board hire, and other things. You can also stalk their Facebook page here.

The post I Love Algarve Surf School Sagres! appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

If you know me personally or have followed my travels.. you’ll know that I don’t normally stay at hostels. In fact, the first time I used a hostel was two years ago in 2011, when I was kind of forced to after I got kicked out of that farm in France (read about how that changed my life). Yes it was kind of cheating since I got a private room in one of the ‘best hostels in Europe’ (Villa St Exupéry Gardens in Nice) but it opened my eyes to and destroyed all the silly stereotypes I had about hostelling.

With the help of Hostelbookers, I designed my solo Portugal trip around some carefully handpicked hostels. I was really excited (I HAD THE MOST AMAZING TIME).

Ale-Hop Albufeira Hostel

In Albufeira where I spent two nights, I picked a really new hostel called Ale-Hop – it only opened this year in July! The name is actually that of a shop that sells ‘bits n bobs’ and other souvenirs, and the hostel is located above it. They’re so new that they haven’t got a proper website yet, but you can check out their Facebook page.

The owner, João, welcomed me at the shop. In fact, the Reception = Till = Reception. He showed me around the building and I was placed in a 6-bed female dorm with ensuite bathroom.. except that, there were no other guests in that room so it was rather a treat for meeeee 🙂

I was really impressed the moment I stepped in. Not only was everything shiny and new – the beds were all made and it all looked super cosy.

I introduced the room to Goliath (my pet mouse), freshened up (read: replaced my face) and went down to find dinner. João recommended a good restaurant called ‘O Alentejano’ just down the road that served traditional Portuguese food.

I love dining alone! It gives you so much time to concentrate on eating and to fully enjoy your meal. I think it’s one of the best forms of ‘me time’ ever.

For my first meal in Portugal I had bacalhau (salt cod) – of course, I love it.. almost to an obsessional degree.

  
^left: fish soup (soap de peixe) / right: almond tart (tarte de amêndoa)

EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD. So good that I went back again the following night. I know.. how unadventurous of me 🙁

But the upside was that the owner was so happy to see me again! We spoke a little. He opened the restaurant about five years ago and lives in a nearby village, where he grew up. I think his name was José. You can actually see him in the photo above – he’s the dude standing on the right side near the seated woman!

Restaurante O Alentejano
129 Rua da Liberdade
Albufeira 8200-151
Portugal

I had a wander around the town and quickly realised that Albufeira was ‘very touristy’. Dominated by British tourists, even the streets were occupied by things like pubs screening English football and I spotted many groups of erm, British people. Haha! I guess it is in Algarve what Magaluf is in Mallorca.
I decided to go back to the hostel and spend the rest of my night on their roof terrace:

It was quiet. Possibly because it was a Monday night. I had the whole place to myself. It was fab.
Look at the view!

^The thing about being alone is that you end up with some quite lousy self-timer shots of yourself

I put on some music, watched my light-up toy bunny, and had a naughty little joint… (again – this is an honest blog)

It was a warm night. It as a happy night!

The Next Day

I took my time getting up – hey, I was on holiday! Used the free wifi to look at maps and plan my route a little bit. I even painted my nails 🙂

^Me in the ensuite bathroom, which had two toilets and two showers. All were super clean and nice and new. I especially enjoyed the large mirrors..

^I bought these sunnies from Topshop before my trip.. I thought they were cool but now looking back at them, I’m not so sure… I guess I needed to see photographs of me using them first?

I’m a lucky girl though – the lovely people at VisionDirect had a pair of sunglasses of my choice shipped to me in Portugal. I picked something rather classic – a pair of RayBan Clubmasters. Initially they wanted to send me some contact lenses to try.. but I have perfect eyesight. I did experiment with coloured contacts – FreshLook contacts to be precise -when I was younger but I never got over the whole ‘putting something foreign in my eye’ thing..

ANYWAY, I was really pleased! The Raybans arrived at a friend’s address in Porto, where I would visit later on in my trip.

As you can see, I made good use of the extra space available to me 🙂

I loved the colours in the room. I felt like I was in some sort of school dorm!

I thought the place looked much better with daylight, so I took some photos before I waltzed away to the beach.

^The hostel can be accessed via a small lane next to the shop. Guests are given a personalised security pin which can be entered onto a keypad at the door!

I think ultimately the best thing about the hostel is its location. You can’t beat it really. It’s right in the centre of everything. It’s not what you would call a ‘party hostel’ and there are no organised social activities etc. It’s a place you can go to unwind and have a quiet time after a long day out – which was perfect for me.

I know it was helped by the fact that I had a six-bed room all to myself, but I genuinely enjoyed staying here!

Special thanks to Daniela, one of the staff, who was ever so helpful and patient with me. She was allllways smiling. I can’t wait to go back to visit againnnnn 🙂

Nights here can be booked via Hostelbookers. They have private double/triple rooms too. Rates start from £15pppn in an eight-bed dorm.

Ale-Hop Albufeira Hostel
Rua 05 de Outubro 23
Albufeira 8200-109
Portugal
Email: alehopalbufeirahostel@gmail.com 

The post Albufeira – My First Stop & Where I Stayed appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

This is the second instalment of my second trip to Porto (March 2013), and a continuation to this post, which told the story of the Saturday morning after an all-nighter on Friday.The Ribeira district/riverfront (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is one of my favourite parts of Porto, not only because it’s simply picturesque but because I have such fond memories of goofing about with my friends by the Douro River on our first trip, during which we also stayed at an apartment in Ribeira itself.In this area you can see ancient houses, cafes, restaurants, shops, and some cool (or perhaps dodgy-looking) laneways..  and on the river you’ll find colourful traditional boats and cruise boats floating around, as if placed there just to be in your photographs.

^Ponte Dom Luís I (Dom Luís I Bridge) – my favourite of the six main bridges in Porto.

On the left side is Porto and on the right is Vila Nova De Gaia (or just Gaia), where you’ll find the ever-so-popular port wine houses.

Combined with those that I took last October, I must have a bazillion of photos of the SAME PLACE stored on my laptop..

^It’s not a great pic (out of focus/awkward pose), but I’m wearing:

Jumper & Dress – Topshop

Boots – Urban Outfitters

 
My spiky bangle, which my fashion friend Kristabel loves, is in fact from Primark!


More Goofing Around

^ Me with Flo, who’s from Valencia. I call her my little Spanish uva (grape).

The temperature that day was about 12-14 but with the sunshine, it was warm enough for us to lay down on the concrete and stare into the sky for a while.

^Izan & Flo

Reena was missing because she was too hungover/dead and so she stayed in the apartment.

^My ring is by H&M. The hand on the right is Flo’s.

^I love this group photo of us!

I used the timer on my camera and this was the first shot. Naturally, we tried to do a second take, but this is what happened..

^AN OLD DUDE taking a picture of our bums?? Hahaha!

Adega São Nicolau

 
If you’ve been to Portugal, you’ll identify that one of their staple dishes is salt cod – known locally as ‘bacalhau’.

Adega São Nicolau is a family run restaurant set up in one of the lanes of the Ribeira that serves traditional Portuguese food..  we went there in October and decided we would go again this time!

Izan is absolutely in love with the Bacalhau à Lagareiro, which is salt cod with onions, potatoes, peppers, and lots of olive oil. Understandably, because it’s freaking delicious.

 
^My mama says I should smile with my teeth more.. I think I’ve done her proud 😀

^Credit to Izan for the above two food pics (edited by me) – see, she’s so in love with it that she made sure to photograph it well!

Adega São Nicolau
Rua de São Nicolau 1 
 4050 Oporto, Portugal
+351 222 008 232

Dinner & Saturday Night

  
^This was us for a good few hours after returning from Ribeira.

We were so knackered from lack of sleep the night before (up till 6am). We just laid around the apartment surrounded by food and music. Kind of like pigs, really.

We had a late dinner at Adega do Carregal, which was a recommendation by our awesome Airbnb host, Tomás. It was literally around the corner from our apartment, in the downtown/historic centre of Porto.

This must be a place frequented by locals as I could barely find any info on it on Google and we were probably the only non-Portuguese people in the restaurant. The prices were low and the food was really good!

^The girls with sweet Paulo, a new friend we made on this trip.

He had hung out with us at our apartment as we lazed around and caught up on some rest before dinner.

^My little uva and I

^Upon Paulo’s suggestion, Flo and I ordered Frango de Cabidela / Arroz the Cabidela (frango = chicken / arroz = rice).

Arroz de Cabidela is a Portuguese dish made with poultry or rabbit, along with its blood. This is what gives the sauce a greyish/brown hue. It had a bit of a sour taste to it but I LOVED IT.

It was EVEN BETTER after I ordered a side of fried egg (with runny yellow) to have with it – to Paulo’s disgust and disapproval..  😉

Adega do Carregal
Travessa do Carregal 102
Oporto 4050
Portugal

After filling our tummies, it was time to PARTY! We love partying at the Baixa (downtown), which was a mere five-minute walk from the restaurant.

I don’t have many pics from the night.. but here’s what I could find:

^Reena in our overused ‘paradise glasses’. I don’t remember what this bar was called.. there are too many in the area!

^This I do know was from Plano B, one of the bigger and better known bars/clubs.

It has an art-gallery feel and really high ceilings. I was mesmerised by the colourful lights and giant mirrorball in the upstairs area. There’s also a downstairs where they have DJs and live bands.

^Reena, Me, & Luis

Luis is a friend we made on our first trip in October, as a result of wandering around aimlessly on a Monday night. We had gone to ask for recommendations from the nearest bar, where he happened to be working. He gave us some really good ideas and we ended up partying with him and his friends.

So of course.. we did it again! This time he took us (Reena & I) away from the Baixa to a club called Pitch.

I don’t remember how it began, but my nickname for him is Frog. Or Sapo (frog in Portuguese).

It was a large part thanks to him that our trip was so awesome (heaps of fun) even though we missed The Color Run. So THANKS LUIS!

Here is a video – the start is us being idiots at our apartment, and then standing outside Pitch.. also being idiots.

Reena came up with ‘O fuckin’ Lá’ – her version of ‘Olá (‘hello’ in Portuguese) and we were TOO AMUSED by it. Luckily, most people who heard it from us felt the same 😉

The post Returning to Porto – Ribeira, Food, & Partytime appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

Again, I booked us into a charming little apartment via Airbnb. The photos above were taken from the balcony on the Saturday morning, after we had partied till 6am in the Baixa (downtown – where the streets are lined with bars and clubs etc), having arrived on the Friday evening.

Last trip, we stayed at the Ribeira right by the Douro river and so this time I decided to place us much closer to party central since we’d already seen most of the main sights and done the ‘touristy’ stuff.

We were located on Rua de Cedofeita, supposedly one of Porto’s most characterisic streets and which boasts traditional Portuguese cobblestones. It’s just off Praça Carlos Alberto, a pretty square surrounded by old buildings. I think our favourite part of the street was the bakery downstairs.. 😉

Before leaving London we had been looking at the poorly weather forecast with disdain.. so when we saw that it was actually SUNNY that Saturday, we were all happily awake even after having had only a measly amount of sleep.

I stood on the balcony (clearly.. as I was taking pictures.. haha) and thought to myself, “I’m so LUCKY to have today – I’m so lucky to be here on this BEAUTIFUL DAY!”

Izan and Flo went out to buy some food back.. like dutiful ants.

^The whole place was a bit of a mess as we’d had our Portuguese friends over the night before.

I LOVE FRUITS and was grateful to Flo for picking some up for me 🙂

Izan came up with lots of goodies from the bakery, including croquetes de carne (minced meat croquettes?), which she became obsessed about..

^Panda joined us too. And so did our loo roll, I notice now..

^Reena & I

^Me, Flo, Izan (please pardon her face, which didn’t stop me from publishing the photo)

^The entrance to our apartment is the graffiti-covered door on the left side of this store! You’d think it was a dump.. but you’d be surprised once you clambered up the stairs to discover the lovely apartment that was hidden inside.

^ Rua de Cedofeita

^ One of the views from Praça Carlos Alberto

I LOVE TRAMS.

It always reminds me of my first ‘home away from home’, which is Melbourne *nostalgic sigh*

^Above two pics taken outside the University of Porto, which is about a two-minute walk from our apartment. I think this square is called Praça dos Leões.

^Looking down Rua das Carmelitas.

The streets to the left of it  – Galeria de Paris, Rua Candida dos Reis etc – are where all nightlife is located. I always remember the Marc Jacobs store on the corner of one ;p

Rua das Carmelitas is also where the famous Lello Bookstore (Livraria Lello em Português) is located. It’s meant to be one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and boasts and amazing interior complete with stained glass, winding stairways, and carved wood over two levels. It’s so amazing that you’re not allowed to take any photos inside…. :p

^Passed a small street market on the way down to the Ribeira/river

^This is Rua Clérigos, which leads to São Bento Station.

^Right before the station is beautiful Liberdade Square.

^Not sure what the name of this church is (I’m not particularly interested in churches.. at all) but you can see the azulejos on the walls.

I’ll have to storytell about the rest of the day in another post, as I have a plane to catch in a couple of hours and I have yet to pack! I’m off to Andorra for a week of snowboarding and dancing as part of snowboxx festival. Follow me on twitter or instagram (@smallcrazy) for real-time updates 😉

In the meantime, I also want to share with you a fun project run by eight students at Porto University. They’ve started a blog called HiOporto to share with us all things fun, happy, cool, and quirky in their beautiful city. In their latest post they talk about a restaurant/tea house with a rather exotic atmosphere called Rota do Chá –  too bad I didn’t know about it when I was there!

Click on the banner to go to the blog, or alternatively you can follow them on Facebook.

The post Returning to Porto – Sunny Saturday Snaps appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

I felt SO incredibly HAPPY I think I must’ve flashed the sky my biggest smile before screaming to the girls, “LOOK!!!”

And then naturally I went to grab my camera so I could try and capture it.

We were so lucky to find this apartment – the location was absolutely perfect. It was literally a two-minute stroll to the river and the bustling Ribeira strip, and about a ten-minute walk to the city centre. There were shops and cafes and restaurants just downstairs too. The apartment was so modern (phew what a change from old London flats) and CLEAN, too.

I booked four nights there via Airbnb. The host, Miguel, was really friendly and helpful and marked all the cool spots on a map for us. The best part though was that the room came with a bottle of port.. 😉

The excitement level for the day was so high that we didn’t really bother with breakfast. Instead, we packed up our bags really quickly and the next minute, we were in a cab to Matosinhos Beach! Even the ride there was beautiful as we passed along the river. The fare comes up to about €10 and takes approximately 25 minutes from Porto (read: CHEAP).

I don’t even know how to describe.. how BIG my heart FELT when I saw the beach! I was bursting! (it had been a long time.. erm since June since I saw a beach). Most times when I find myself in such a situation, I just RUN, arms flailing, straight towards the sand and the water.. Sometimes I make a few weird sounds in addition.

Before my eyes popped out, though, I spotted this happy group of people doing some sort of Tai Chi class.. and I couldn’t help but laugh. Haha!

We met Alberto at the Onda Pura surf school, who couldn’t wait for us girls in the morning and headed out himself to catch the early waves. We met Marcelo, the founder of the school.

Reena and I promptly booked ourselves into a class to start in an hour or so. I was so super excited I was just dying to go STRAIGHTAWAY, but Reena wanted to go for a jog first.

So meanwhile, I did my favourite thing – play at the beach!

Izan set herself up with a parasol that the surf school so kindly offered to her.

I put on my most colourful (vintage) shirt 😀

I practise safe sunning.

As usual, I wanted to get some jump-shots, so I approached a stranger on the beach and gave him instructions.. and omg he just could NOT get the timing right! I think we must’ve jumped at least five times unproductively. Resulting in a string of funny pics of us looking like we’re about to take a dump.

This was the closest successful shot, which doesn’t even have our feet in it..

After our failed attempts, we decided to just do it ourselves..

Yes, my body is like a boy’s… >.<

After playtime, Reena was back from her run and it was time for our (very anticipated) surf lesson!!

We got suited up outside. I never liked putting on wetsuits.. and mine was so tight that it felt like a workout in itself! I’m still amazed that my body fit into that tiny thing.. it was like, the size of a condom, pretty much.

Our surf instructor was a nice guy called Zé who was super patient with us.

And guess what! I managed to stand on the board at least five times! It was soooo much FUN!!! I felt so achieved when I could stand and ride the wave till the end (even though it was just in a straight line).. sort of the same feeling I got when I managed to waterski for a good distance on my first try two summers ago in France.

It was so exhilarating that even though the water was cold and the waves were so rough they kept knocking me upside down, I was completely numb to it and kept lugging the (heavy) surfboard back into the sea for more more MORE.

I can’t believe I didn’t learn this and become a pro when I was studying/living in Australia!

After the class, Reena and I promised ourselves that when the weather gets warmer again we’ll book ourselves into an intensive surf course/holiday.

Unfortunately, there are no pics of us in action (maybe a good thing)..

Two hours later.. we had to endure a difficult walk back to the school. Because I’m so small, I can’t carry the board with one hand and had to painstakingly drag it through the sand. And after the lesson, my arms felt like MUSH. God that was a long walk..

But SO worth it! I was feeling amazingly happy and being there amongst all those surfy people was such a great atmosphere. Oh and they were also playing Jack Johnson all day. So cliche but it was just the perfect setting and I was just. so. happy.

It was warm enough to use the outdoor showers and get changed outside <3

Ok.. I thought for a long time about posting this video, because I look like CRAP after coming out of the sea.. but whatever. Here it is!

  

Reena, Alberto, Izan, and Me! The guy at the back is one of the managers of Onda Pura Surf School.

If you’re ever in Matosinhos and want to try out surfing, it’s THE place to go. Everyone’s so friendly and encouraging.

Tarp Surfing

Have you heard of tarp surfing (click through for more info)?

I hadn’t, but got to witness these cool surfer kids doing it first-hand!

And finally, success! (I caught it on camera, of course)

YAY!

And that concludes part one of Sunday.

Next up: Port wine cellar tour and more gorgeous pics of Porto!

The post Porto: Surfing at Matosinhos Beach appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.