Food, Fado, and Football in Porto, Portugal

I love being able to spend several days visiting a city, it gives me the chance to explore the local culture. My stay in Porto, Portugal gave me exactly that opportunity, and here are some of the things I was able to enjoy.

Mercado do Bolhão

At the heart of the Bolhão neighborhood is a shopping district that is centered around the Mercado do Bolhão (Bolhão Market). Many of the streets have been pedestrianized, and they are lined with stores selling everything from tourist goods to high-end fashions.

There are also street musicians, playing for donations, providing a musical background as you walk along.

The Mercado do Bolhão has been on this spot since 1839. Originally an outdoor food market, its structure was constructed in the early 1900’s. The building now climbs 4 stories, housing shops and restaurants on it upper levels, with a large open food market on its main floor. Because it is built into a hillside, there are entrances on several levels.

On the main level of the market there are stalls selling prepared food along the outer walls. The center aisles the market are filled with vendors hawking produce, fish, meat, and sweets. It is a great place to visit. You can try small plates of local specialties and desserts, and even try some reasonably priced glasses of port.

Casa da Guitarra

The Casa da Guitarra (House of the Guitar) is a museum and performance space dedicated to the history of Portuguese stringed instruments and the musical style called fado. Established in 2012, Casa da Guitarra maintains a permanent display of classic guitars.

Most evenings, they put on a performance of fado. Musicians and singers perform the music and explain its history and cultural significance.

The Casa da Guitarra is on Av. Vimara Peres, which comes to an end nearby at the Ponte Dom Luis I. This is a double decked metal arched bridge was built in the 1880’s, with a lower level for motor traffic, and an upper deck that carries trains from Porto’s Metro. You can walk along the upper level, but there is no barrier between the trains and the pedestrians. Walkers and bicyclists spread out across the deck, but move quickly out of the way when the trains come by.

Boavista Football Club

Football, or what Americans call soccer, is the king of sports in Portugal, and in this part of the country Porto is the team to follow. It is one of the “big three” teams in La Liga, always in the mix to win the league title. But Porto is not the only team in town. Boavista Football Club is an oft forgotten team in Portugal’s second city. It was founded in 1910, and for its first sixty years, Boavista bounced between the Primera and Segundo divisions. Since the 1970’s the team has been an almost constant feature in the top division.

Unfortunately, it is a team that seems to be struggling, both on the field and financially. Its stadium, which was renovated for the 2004 European Championships, is in dire need of a fix-up, and when I attended a Sunday night game, they drew a sparse crowd, filling less than half of the capacity of 28,000 people. Still, the game was enjoyable, even though the home team lost 1-0.

When I travel, I really love getting away from the big name tourist attractions. I always try to find places and events that celebrate local culture. Sometimes its, food, sometimes music, and sometimes sports. Its a great way to learn about the people who live there.

Nuts and Bolts

Mercado do Bolhão is free to enter, and offers food and drink at many different prices.

Casa da Guitarra is free during the day to explore its collection of instruments, The Fado show is every evening at 6 PM at a cost of €19. That price includes a free glass port, and lasts about and hour.

Boavista FC has tickets that range from €17 to €70 depending on the stadium section you choose.