I‘ve been to the vibrant city of Porto several times, each visit always a new experience; the city expanding and evolving with time and change of cultures. But the first time I experience and took part in the iconic São João celebrations was in 2018, before the Covid pandemic and before the climate crisis was an extremity burning the thermostats. Take it as your well intended warning, that in these recent years European countries, Portugal included, are seeing extreme temperatures reaching high 90’s as early as May and June — so if you’re planning for trips this time in the future, be prepared with knowledge that the heat might be too much to take part in certain activities, especially the simple ones of walking the historical city streets. This historical cities and sights are simply not prepared for the immense heat they are having much sooner in the season but also for a much longer time; nor is it comfortable or safe to be exerting yourself to unhealthy levels for the sake of seeing a tourist attraction — this coming from someone you does enjoy the heat. So despite the intense heatwave that took over the São João weekend in Porto this year, we made the very best we could with what we could handle physically, and we still had such a fun time …..
If you have yet to hear about the iconic São João Festa, it’s one the quintessential elements of Porto — a festival that has been celebrated over 700 years which originated with pagan nods of celebration and gratitude to the sun god for a good harvest and abundance. The ideals of using wild leeks, basil and food cooked over open flames is still very much an integral part of this festival. The main event happens every year on June 23rd, when the entire city shuts down and all fill the streets for eating, drinking and dancing … yes the entire city is practically shut down, so if you’re driving in aim to come earlier in the day or afternoon because the later you come the harder it will be to drive to your location do the road closures, but also the shear amount of people walking the streets. Bring a pair of great walking shoes, wear some comfortable and lightweight clothes that isn’t necesarily your best, and bring an open stomach for Broa {Portuguese Cornbread} and plenty of Sardinhas Assadas before you make your away around the cities dancing and nicely hitting strangers with plastic toy hammers. Don’t worry it’s all part of the tradition!
The closer you are to the Ribeira riverside, the more congested it will be especially to eat or find an uncrowded corner as the firework show is down by the river between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. And when I say crowded, be forewarned that these city festivities bring in thousands of people, and with the rise of tourists even more so than locals — so if you find a spot you’re comfortable at and enjoying yourself, you might be better off staying there and enjoying it until the morning hours!
Since we weren’t there for the fireworks we started the night with a reserved dinner at Easy at Selina, knowing it would be almost impossible to get a table that night. And it was the best thing we could do!! Selina is best described as a nomadic hotel nestled within Porto, and its restaurant Easy was offering an inclusive Portuguese dinner with all the staples :: Bread and Broa Basket, Marinated Olives, Chouriça Assada and bowls of Caldo Verde as starters. The main dinner included of course Sardinhas {Sardines} Assadas, as well as Febras {Pork Cutlets} for the meat eaters that were paired with Batatas a Murro and Pimentos Assados {Roasted Smashed Potatoes and Grilled Pepper Salad}. and Fruit Salad to finish it off. Easy was THE best choice we could’ve made we started dinner before sunset enjoyed amongst the others in our own little corner away from the mass crowds filling the streets, while listening to traditional Portuguese music sipping a delicious pitcher of Cucumber Sangria, all within a really cool and laidback environment!
If you’re willing to roam the night away for experience that if completely your choice, but having been to Sao Joao and Porto a few times, we knew our next and final destination would be the Rua de Galeria de Paris. This and Rua de Candido Dos Reis is quintessential Porto nightlife, to small streets lined up with bars and dance lounges — and during São João they bring the party onto the street setting up bars and DJ stations. Knowing it could get packed quickly and what we wanted to do was dance the night away we made our way there, found a slightly comfortable and open corner {and one of the few DJs spinning Portuguese music} and had ourselves a really fun night!! Our place was near the São Bento station, and as 3 am then 4am rolled on, watching from the tiny veranda party revelers we’re still making the most of night still very warm and full of life.
Don’t expect to make your post-São João morning an early one, no need to do that to yourself. But do have a plan for breakfast or lunch, depending on your wake up time. This year with the influx of tourists we found it harder to seat somewhere quickly, even at small local cafés since most local places are closed for the holiday weekend. And the same goes for many locations and shops you might have intended to visit. It is a holiday so many art shops, galleries and historical places and museums like the Palacio da Bolsa will be closed. Even our plan to walk around Porto’s vibrant art and design district to simply admire through the window was nixed but the heat was just too unbearable to walk around.
In this case, DO NOT miss the opportunity to go to Serralves, especially if you appreciate Art. This is one of the few places I had yet to visit in Porto, and still there is so much left for me to explore. Serralves is a vast location which includes the Modern Art Museum, the Casa de Serralves known for its Art Deco architecture, the Cinema House, and the vast 18 acre park and gardens which now includes a wooden treetop walk … yes wooden walkways {known as Passadiços} amongst the height of the tree canopy.
With it being later in the day and early dinner reservations, and of course the heat too much for us to walk the gardens, we sought a refreshing retreat within the Musuem of Modern Art where exhibits are continuously changing with artists, themes and stories. A feast for the eyes it was; exhibits that spoke through color and shapes, our shared inner turmoils depicted in thought provoking movements, and the evolution of a country, culture and politics that serve as a reminder how cyclical all things in life are, no matter the time period.
Serralves is a must when visiting Porto, and it’s best to make a day out of it because there’s plenty to see and do all in one place, and yes restaurants and a tea house to savor as well.
With a lovely experience at Jose Avillez’s Bairro restaurant in Lisboa we knew we’d be in for another delight in his Porto location Cantinho do Avillez. With its quaint simple facade and it being earlier in the evening, we lucked out and had ourselves and a nice long and quiet dinner. We started with classic margaritas and I the mojito, various breads with olives and yummy flavored butters, and the marinated scallops served over a creme of avocado that was topped with, I believe were picked radishes. It was flavorful while still being extremely light and simplistic, a great way to start off. My cousin ordered the Veal Risotto robust with deep earthy scents, and I the Shrimp and Fish Moqueca, a stew like dish made within a coconut tomato broth. Another light yet flavorful dish paired with the yummiest Basmati rice. We couldn’t pass up on dessert with our espressos, and opted for the perfectly portioned tiny pot of Toucinho-do-Céu with Raspberry Sorbet. A traditional Portuguese dessert known as an eggy almond cake that veers closer to a pudim like consistency and can often be too sweet, was perfectly paired with the refreshing sweet bitterness of the raspberry.
Our evening ended with a walk down to the Ribeira, feeling the breeze of the Douro River as we watched the people and local street performers before sitting for some yummy gelato while the sun said its goodbye for the day.
We had every intention of making it a full Sunday in Porto but the heat had other plans and we opted for a lovely morning walk within the beautiful tiled São Bento Train Station, because it is always a gorgeous sight. And then decided well, if it’s too hot to walk, at least there’s always a Tuk Tuk to get us around while feeling the very warm breeze in our hair. Despite the intense heat and weather dampening a few things, we still made the very best of a fun São João weekend in Porto!
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