Top 3 Free Porto Viewpoints!

Porto is a fun and vibrant city in Northern Portugal. Its location along the banks of the Douro river makes for an impressive and very scenic setting. We absolutely love Porto!

These are our Top 3 Free Viewpoints in Porto:

1. Miradouro da Serra do Pilar

For us, the best view of Porto has got to be from the Miradouro da Serra do Pilar which is actually located in the Gaia area. It is at the top of a steep hill, in front of the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar - what a view!

miradouro da serra do pilar

As you can see from the photos, you get a great view of Porto and many of its important landmarks, of course including the famous and must see/impossible to miss Dom Luís I bridge.

miradouro da serra do pilar

Underneath the viewpoint is the wonderful Jardim do Morro:

miradouro da serra do pilar

And the red arrow below is point to the WOW Porto - The World of Wine:

miradouro da serra do pilar

The red arrow below is pointing to the Ponte da Arrábida and you can walk/run/cycle all the way there following a riverside walkway, definitely worth checking out if you have enough time.

miradouro da serra do pilar

Below, the red arrow is pointing to the Muralha Fernandina, the Walls of Dom Fernando which are of medieval origin:

miradouro da serra do pilar

miradouro da serra do pilar

Of course there are lots more landmarks that I have not specifically mentioned that are visible from this viewpoint, you will need to go there yourself and see how many you can find! But now it’s time for viewpoint number two and the red arrow below is showing you exactly where it is - time to see Porto from the opposite side of the Douro river!

miradouro da serra do pilar


2. Miradouro da Vitória

As the name suggests, this viewpoint is located in the Vitória area of Porto, one of the oldest areas of the city. Miradouro da Vitória is located on private property but it is open to the public. Here is what you can expect to see:

miradouro da vitoria

The red arrow below is pointing to Sé do Porto/Porto Cathedral. The green arrow is pointing to the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar where viewpoint number one is located. The pink arrow is of course pointing to the Dom Luís I bridge. Lastly, the blue arrow is pointing to the river front area of Gaia where you can enjoy a nice drink or some food or visit some port wine caves and relax when you are finished checking out these three great viewpoints.

miradouro da vitoria

I love seeing all the terracotta tiled roofs:

miradouro da vitoria

miradouro da vitoria


3. Miradouro da Rua das Aldas

Miradouro da Rua das Aldas is located very close to Sé do Porto and offers a different perspective to that of the previous two viewpoints. Now you can see the Gaia river front area more closely. The traditional rabelo cargo boats that were once used to transport barrels of port wine along the Douro river are moored in this area. These boats are now mostly used for sightseeing cruises along the Douro river. If you want to visit one of Porto’s famous port caves/cellars and do some port wine tasting then you will find the most famous “big name” port wine cellars/producers such as Burmester, Ferreira, Sandemans and Taylors along the Gaia river front.

miradouro da rua das aldas

miradouro da rua das aldas

So that is it - we hope you enjoy these viewpoints as much as we did.


If you've any questions, suggestions or just want to say hello, contact me via the Contact Form, Instagram (@noroadlongenough) or By Email noroadlongenough1@gmail.com