Portugal - Day 5

September 12, 2025: Day Trip! Today our first stop was McDonald’s Imperial. I am sure you are wondering why on earth we would go to McDonald’s in Porto, but it was built in what used to be Café Imperial, a historic 1930s café, in a prime location in Porto. The renovation kept many Art Deco features including stained glass windows, ornate ceiling friezes, crystal chandeliers, decorative facades, and a large bronze eagle above the entrance. The whole ambiance is very different from a typical McDonald’s. It feels more like a historical café or an elegant heritage space than a fast-food joint, so we had to try it!

Then we headed to Foz do Douro which is at the western tip of Porto where the Douro River meets the Atlantic Ocean. It stretches from the river mouth along the Atlantic coastline up toward Castelo do Queijo. It was formerly a fishing village, but now it is considered one of Porto’s most upscale and relaxed neighborhoods. One of the historical sites is the Fort São João Baptista da Foz, originally built in the 16th century, to defend the mouth of the Douro. We took the famous Tram #1 to get there. Tram #1 is the city’s most scenic historic tram line, running along the Douro River between Infante (near Ribeira) and Passeio Alegre in Foz. The restored vintage trams date back to the early 20th century, with polished wood interiors and brass fittings, offering a nostalgic ride of days gone by. The journey takes about 25–30 minutes, passing riverfront promenades, gardens, and views of the Atlantic. We highly recommend at least taking it one way, which is what we did and then took Bus 500 back to Porto.

Once in Foz, there is a promenade you can walk along the coast. We took it to Praia da Luz, a beach area and ocean front restaurant. It was a beautiful sunny day. We relaxed and had lunch while sipping Vinho Verde and playing cards. It was the first opportunity we had since leaving Florida to actually get some sun! We had brought swimsuits in case we wanted to take a dip in the water but it is a very rocky area and so we decided to skip it. We finally decided it was time to do some exploring, so we headed up to a place called Brasão Foz Brewery. Jimm has found very few craft beers so far in Portugal, so this was an attempt to see if we could find one. They did have their own beer and he thought it was pretty good. Next we were going to walk up to a market on the hill, but in my relaxed state after our beautiful beach time, I wasn’t up for the climb. We decided instead to head back to Porto. When we got back we did some street shopping and just walked a little around the city. It was a wonderful afternoon.

For dinner, we opted for Italian. I had the lasagna and Jimm had carbonara. It was a small little restaurant called SpaccaNapoli. The pasta was good, not great, but we are in Portugal and not Italy! I had a bit of a stomach ache as we headed back to our flat, so it was an early night for me. Tomorrow is another transition day. We will leave this beautiful city that we have come to love and head to Lisbon. We have high hopes for Lisbon. It is a city that has been on our bucket list for a while. We shall see!