Got 24 hours to spend in Porto? Here’s how to make every one of them count.

We round off our 24-hour travel series by sending  Allan Edward Hinton to Portugal’s historic Porto. Although perhaps best known for its port wine, Porto’s also a major player in the textile industry, so it made sense to have Allan put his iTravel suit’s performance fabric through its paces around its medieval cobbled streets.

This is how he made the most of just 24 hours in Porto:

WHAT TO SEE

“I had never been to Porto as, like many others when thinking about Portugal, I’d been drawn to and then captivated by Lisbon and its charm, however, I’d always been curious to explore Portugal’s second largest city and to see what it had on offer.

“The variety of colourful tiles on buildings in Portugal seem to make everything photogenic but the intricate design in just blue and white on Porto’s main church (Igreja do Carmo) is simply stunning and Porto’s best example of Rococo architecture. Its side facade’s tiles take up a huge space which adds to the wow factor. When the bi-hourly vintage yellow tram passes by the front it feels like you’ve taken a step back in time.

“Next up, I’d recommend heading to the Ponto Luis Bridge. It’s huge (564 ft high) and industrial metal arch bridge that is designed by the same chap that made the Eiffel tower in Paris— so you can just imagine how grand it is too. There’s a path going across the top where you can get stunning views across down the city river valley and there’s a path lower down that leads to many restaurants and markets and musicians entertaining everyone that passes.”

WHERE TO EAT

Brunch

“With just 24 hours to experience Porto, I made sure I found time to try lots of popular local foods including the heavy and filling Francesinha (a Portuguese sandwich originally from Porto, made with bread, wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage like chipolata, steak or roast meat and covered with melted cheese and a hot, thick tomato and beer sauce) and of course Pastel de Nata’s — £1 from most bakeries.

“I chose to eat brunch at Zenith. It was Easter weekend so there was a long queue to eat here but it was certainly worth it. It’s most certainly the ‘in’ place right now. I had the Açai bowl to start and shared a stack of peanut butter pancakes with my travel buddy. This set us up nicely for a day of exploring.”

Dinner

“Cantina 32 had been on my radar for quite some time. I’d seen it listed as the place to dine in Porto across a number of articles online. The interior photos alone sold it to me but also the descriptions of the dishes. It’s a super stylistic, rustic and classy set on the picturesque Rua das Flores. The food is inventive and there are a number of tapas-style dishes so if you go with someone else you can share and indulge in different servings. We finished with the banana cheesecake on the recommendation of the waitress — I’m not sure I want to ruin the surprise but its served in a unique way with the filling in a flower pot with the chocolate crumble on the top to represent soil.

“I didn’t book but was super lucky to get a place on the sharing table. I highly recommend you plan in advance and reserve a table though so that you don’t miss out.”

WHERE TO DRINK

“You simply cannot come to Porto without trying the Port. I mean, the name of the city did influence the name of the drink after all. And what better way to experience it than hopping between breweries and taking a tour into one of the huge port cellars? That way you not only get to taste a variety of ports, but you get to delve into the history and learn all about the brewing processes too.

“The five cellars that you shouldn’t miss are Caves Ferreira, Cave’s Calem, Esapaço Porto Cruz, Caves Churchill and Caves Taylor. Some of these cellars are over 300 years old but renovated to incorporate museums, shops and other modern facilities, so you feel comfortable but at the same time get the sense of how the port was made all those years ago. Calem is one of the most popular and one of my favourites. We were lucky that the sun came out as we left so we got to sit in the sun on its terrace right on the waterfront.

“If later in the evening you’d like to check out the best cocktail bar in town head to the Cocktail Club and treat yourself to one of their fancy cocktails. I say ‘treat’, but it’s very reasonably priced if you’re used to London prices!”

WHERE TO STAY

“Hotel Teatro is Porto’s finest budget boutique hotel. Set in a theatre-filled patch of Porto, this hotel was made for the stage. Showy spotlights, an opulent use of black and gold, and cabinets of costumes make this is an exciting hotel fit for its location.

“My favourite part was the fact that it’s placed right in the middle of the three main districts so you’re never more than a 15-20 minute walk away from anything — Porto was actually a lot smaller than I imagined. It’s also very near the São Bento train station, so if you wanted to extend your stay in Portugal you’ve got the option to do some accessible out-of-town day trips.”

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Proving a short trip can also be a good one, here’s how to make the most of a flying visit to Stockholm.

Next stop on our travel series, blogger Allan Edward Hinton took on 24 hours in  Stockholm. He might have been short on time but thanks to his Lanificio F.lli Cerruti Dal 1881 iTravel suit he certainly wasn’t short on style. Made in Italy from pure wool with high-twisted yarns, it offers both natural stretch as well as a constant resistance to creases, while a technical finish means it’s also waterproof and stain resistant. In short? It’s perfectly suited to life on the go.

Here’s what he did in Stockholm:

WHAT TO SEE

“If you don’t know Stockholm, trust me when I say it will be one of the most beautiful and calm cities in Europe you’ll ever visit. The city itself is comprised of 14 islands, 50 bridges and is therefore surrounded by endless amounts of water and the air feels cold, crisp and fresh.

“When you’re short of time in Stockholm but have an appetite to get to know the city I recommend focussing on the islands of Södermalm and Gamla Stan. The former is the up-and-coming part of town where you will find the best coffee, bakeries and gift shops around.

“Gamla Stan, though, is top of my list of places to see. You should make this a priority, for sure. This part of own dates back to the 13th century and consists of medieval alleyways, cobblestone streets, and colourful, archaic architecture mostly in that Stockholm-yellow that you might be familiar with. There is a ton of Viking-based history to this small island and it was the locations of the infamous 1520s Stockholm Bloodbath

“My top tip is to get lost in the maze of streets but make sure you swing by Prästgaten, a beautiful and narrow yellow street. It’s so close to the more central and touristy streets yet somehow it’s always completely quiet.”

WHERE TO EAT

Lunch

“The Greasy Spoon is a vibrant all day breakfast-slash-American-diner-style cafe that helped introduce a whole new brunch movement into Stockholm’s restaurant scene. They’ve got the classic all-day breakfast, which I shamefully have to admit I went for (but really enjoyed and couldn’t resist as they had HP sauce in stock!). However, what’s great is that they offer an extensive choice of dishes and weekly specials that allow them to get creative and add themed and fusion dishes. I followed up my breakfast with the incredibly indulgent chocolate french toast with thick peppermint cream topping.”

Dinner

“Hobo is technically a hotel but a bit of research told me it was a hotspot to head to for dinner in Stockholm too. It’s described as low-key but with a cool vibe and attracts a young crowd. They have a pop-up shop rotating products from local creators and start-ups and it appears that they want to be seen as green and eco-friendly as you see a huge array of hanging plants as you enter. For the food on offer, they also only use local and organic ingredients, so bonus points there. I had the pork belly with fermented cabbage – delish.”

WHERE TO DRINK

“Just above the Hobo is another one-year-old venue (highlighting how quickly Stockholm’s bar and restaurant is improving so swiftly) called Tak bar. It’s got stunning rooftop views and we were lucky enough to get shed-loads of sun up here. Its outdoor space is actually huge and very spacious and I can imagine its vibe in summer is trebled.

“The cocktail list is inventive and exciting. I am a huge Negroni fan so went for this classic but with a Tak twist. The gin was replaced with Mezcal, which gave off an instant and enjoyable smokey taste, and the Campari was infused with chocolate, its sweet taste hitting you after you swallow. Stockholm can be quite pricey but the cocktails here were priced in line with what you’d normally expect to pay here. It was worth it for the view and feeling that we were experiencing something unique and new on the Stockholm scene.”

WHERE TO STAY

“I recommend the new Scandic hotel called Downtown Camper – just over the road from the dinner and drinks options above, in the heart of Stockholm. The entrance is wooden and has curves that give it the appearance of an urban skate park. In fact, there are longboards right in the middle of reception that guests can pick up and use at their own will. There’s also the option to get around town on bikes if you’re not feeling so brave.

“This hotel is great as it has a lot to offer all under one roof. Not just a great bar, out-of-office working spaces and a top restaurant, but there’s a huge noticeboard sharing what activities are on offer each day, like special DJ appearances, craft workshops, yoga sessions, film nights and motivational speaker spots. The bedrooms are filled with framed art, dark walls and tweed and checkered cushions, giving the rooms a modern masculine vibe. Stay here for sure if you can!”

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