Porto

Boavista & Massarelos

Porto's modern half, west and uphill from everything old. A 45-metre granite column on a roundabout with Koolhaas's concrete meteorite parked beside it, an Art Deco count's villa in forty-four acres of park with a walkway through the treetops, and — down the hill in Massarelos — public gardens full of peacocks with the best river view in the city. No cobbles, no queues, no postcards. This is where Porto goes to concerts and to lunch.

Who it's for: Architecture and contemporary art people, without qualification — Serralves and Casa da Música are the two best modern buildings in Portugal outside Lisbon and they are ten minutes apart. Anyone who needs a break from the historic centre. Families, because Serralves park is enormous and the treetop walk is genuinely fun. Serious eaters: two of Porto's starred kitchens are here.

Things to know

  • Serralves is not one thing. The €24 all-access ticket covers the contemporary art museum, the Siza wing, the Art Deco villa, the 44-acre park, the Treetop Walk and the Manoel de Oliveira cinema house; a park-only ticket is around €15. Under-12s free, 12–17 half price. Budget half a day, not two hours.
  • If you only want the park and the Treetop Walk — which is a legitimate choice, especially with children — the cheaper park ticket is the right buy and saves you nine euros.
  • Casa da Música runs guided tours at about €12 adult, €5 for 13–18s, free under 12 with an adult, €9 with a Porto Card. English tours are typically at 16:00; other languages need booking ahead. Open tours run roughly 10:00–17:30 subject to availability.
  • Better still: go to a concert. Casa da Música programmes constantly and tickets for the resident orchestras are often cheaper than a lodge tour across the river.
  • The Jardins do Palácio de Cristal are FREE, full of peacocks, and have the best river-to-Atlantic view in the city. Late afternoon on a clear day is the moment.
  • The Museu do Carro Eléctrico (tram museum) in Massarelos has had its exhibition closed for an extended period of building works — check its current status before making the trip rather than turning up.
  • This district is spread out. Metro to Casa da Música for the Rotunda and Bom Sucesso; bus 201/502 or a taxi out to Serralves, which is a further 3km west. Do not plan to walk between them.
  • Mercado Bom Sucesso is a food hall rather than a market — open Sunday to Thursday 8:00–23:00 and to midnight Friday and Saturday, which makes it one of the few reliable late kitchens in this part of the city.
  • Two of Porto's starred restaurants are here: Antiqvvm holds two Michelin stars in the 2026 guide, in a garden above the Douro by the Museu Romântico. It closes Sunday and Monday.
  • There is no old Porto in this district and that is the point — come here when the calçada and the crowds have worn you down.