Why go? Porto, in northern Portugal, is enjoying a golden moment. In 2026, Delta will launch direct flights from New York starting in May, the city will host a new edition of Primavera Sound in June, and it will continue to charm visitors with its unique blend of history, wine, contemporary art, and an evocative maritime atmosphere.
“O Porto não é um lugar. É um sentimento.” (“Porto is not a place. It’s a feeling.”) It won’t take you long strolling the streets of this city on the Douro River before you’ll find yourself agreeing with the Portuguese writer Agustina Bessa-Luís who wrote those sentences. With the melancholic light of its cobbled streets, the echo of toasts from its bars and taverns, and a cuisine that honors its heritage, Porto will effortlessly win you over and those who come to know the city often find themselves coming back again and again.
La Ribeira, with its tiled houses and balconies overlooking the river, remains the soul of the city, but it is only a starting point to then explore Porto’s highlights. Recent openings including the Forte de Gaia, Autograph Collection, The Social Hub Porto, The Rebello, and the Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia have elevated the hotel scene, joining established favorites such as The Yeatman, the Torel Avantgarde, and the Vila Foz Hotel & Spa.
Amid its monuments, wine bars, and scenic viewpoints, the invicta, or “undefeated,” city moves into the future without ever losing its authenticity. In its old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, each dish served in its restaurants recounts part of the region’s history from cod confit to tripe à moda do Porto. The classic francesinha, a warm sandwich drenched in a tomato and beer sauce, never disappoints. And, of course, there’s the legendary port wine that is practically synonymous with the city. It’s the star of the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia which invite port novices and experts alike on a journey exploring the wine, glass in hand. Art galleries, designer boutiques, and inviting cafés complete the offerings in this city where the traditional and the contemporary coexist naturally.
In 2026, Porto will further find its voice—musical, gastronomic, and cultural. Primavera Sound Porto will return from June 11 to 14, with a lineup that includes international superstars such as Gorillaz and Massive Attack alongside local Portuguese groups. Through April 19, the Serralves Foundation will host the exhibition Beleza Apesar de Tudo (“Beauty Despite Everything”) which includes 91 models and drawings by architects and brothers Manuel and Francisco Aires Mateus. Starting in May, Delta will launch its direct New York to Porto flight, bringing the Douro even closer to the world. Gastronomy will also shine: After becoming the first Portuguese chef (alongside Marlene Vieira) in three decades to earn a Michelin star in 2025, Rita Magro will celebrate the honor at Blind, one of the city’s top culinary destinations.
All signs confirm that Porto is currently experiencing a moment of buzz, but the city always remains true to its essence. It doesn’t show off or boast; it has no need to. Its narrow streets, its bridges, the reflections on the river, and the welcome extended by its residents are more effective than any marketing campaigns.
If this is your first visit to Porto, you’ll want to lose yourself in the Gardens of the Crystal Palace; enjoy the Atlantic breezes in Matosinhos, just to the northwest of the city center; take a swim in the seawater pools, the Piscinas das Marés; climb the 250-foot-tall Clérigos Tower for 360º views of the city, and stop by the much-photographed Livraria Lello bookstore—yes, it’s worth the wait—before toasting the sun as it sets over the Douro.
A visit to Porto promises an intoxicating combination of history, modernity, culture and, above all, good taste, in every sense of that phrase. Saúde! –María Casbas
