Why Oporto?

Porto, Portugal best destination Europe.  It’s undoubtedly been Portugal’s year in 2017 after visitor numbers soared nearly 13 per cent in 2016.With Porto being named European Best Destination 2017 and picking up the gong for Europe’s Leading Tourism Destination at the World Travel Awards, the spotlight is squarely on Portugal’s second-largest city, and for good reason. It’s impossible not to feel enamoured with the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city’s ramshackle layout, tiled facades and Douro Valley wine, accessed by both river and ocean cruises. Whether you’re visiting on an organised day tour or in town for a night or two, here are five essential experiences to add to your hit-list.

HELLO, HARRY POTTER

There’s a reason you’ll always find a queue outside Majestic Cafe, and its beautiful art deco interior is not always it. Rumoured to have been the cafe of choice for J.K. Rowling while she lived in Porto in the ’90s, tour guides like to pontificate that Harry Potter was born in this very spot.Fan or not, it’s worth the wait to sip a deliciously thick hot chocolate and enjoy the cafe’s signature rabanadas (French toast). You’ll score bonus points with staff if you’re not wielding a selfie stick.Brave enough for another queue? The interior of the Livraria Lello bookstore, dating to 1906, is spellbinding in more ways than one – its elaborate forked staircase is said to have inspired Hogwarts.Due to its popularity, an entry fee was introduced in 2015 but is redeemable on books.