Travel

Porto’s 5 Hidden Gems Locals Want to Keep Hidden

Porto Portugal

Porto is an incredibly picturesque city that is visited by millions of tourists every single year. It is easy to understand why when we look at the top attractions that the city offers. However, although the top attractions of Porto are definitely great, you might want to experience more private tours in Porto in order to see some of the hidden gems, those locations that locals want to keep to themselves. With this in mind, here are some of the top hidden gems in Porto you should consider visiting.

Antigo Velodromo Rainha D. Amelia

The former Maria Amelia Velodrome is definitely the top hidden place in the city of Porto. It is perfectly hidden behind a pretty large gate and you rarely see it listed on a traveler tour. The velodrome’s history can be traced to 1862. This is when King D. Pedro V bought the Palace of Carrancas with the purpose of turning it into the royal family’s official residence.

King D. Carlos I then offers land in 1894 to the Porto Association of the Velo Club so that a velodrome can be built there. The name Maria Amelia was obvious as at that point in time since it was normal to offer the name of the consort queen.

After being built, the velodrome became the largest sports venue in Porto, with 2 tennis courts and a track covering 333.33 meters. Countless sports events and races were held there along the years. In 1910 the velodrome was closed and slowly forgotten.

If you want to find the velodrome, go to the Soares dos Reins National Museum. It is located right behind it.

Capela do Sr. de Alem

This chapel was built in the year 1877 and should be visited by all people that are inspired by ruined monuments. The original one was actually built in 1140 due to a picture of the Lord found during the building of a St. Nicholas dedicated convent. Then, conflicts appeared due to this image. Gaia’s inhabitants basically lent the image to Porto but Porto never returned it. The stolen image was practically stolen and Gaia ended up with an incredible hidden place that all tourists should consider visiting. If you decide to visit, knock on the door. The guardian will actually welcome you.

The Oldest Porto Café

Café Porta do Olival does not stand out when you walk by it but it is actually the oldest one in the city. It was opened in the year 1853 and is older than Majestic and Guarany, which are better-known among tourists.

The small café is located close to the Clerigos tower and hides an even more interesting hidden gem, a small arch that is a very important door when looking at the city’s medieval walls.

Medieval walls in Porto were built in 1336 to 1376 and the door we mentioned, Porto do Olival, is the one used by Philippa of Lancaster to enter Porto when getting married to King D. Joao I. It was this marriage that established a really important alliance between England and Portugal.

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Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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