Emily’s Top International Shopping Destinations – Porto, Portugal

Emily’s Top International Shopping Destinations – Porto, Portugal
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Hi, everyone! You know how much I like traveling. Another passion of mine is shopping for locally handmade art and treasures in the places I visit. With its unique qualities and the soul behind each piece, art is the absolute best thing to bring back home.

To celebrate great art, shopping and travel experiences, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite destinations and how to get there on miles and points.

Shopping in Porto, Portugal

Shopping for Artisan Chocolate in Porto

Shopping for Artisan Chocolate in Porto

Million Mile Secrets

I love going to Europe for clothes, as it’s easy to find one-of-a-kind items at good prices.

Portugal is much cheaper than countries such as France and Italy, and you can find similar brands. The city of Porto has been experiencing a design and food boom. Rua de Santa Catarina is the main shopping street in Porto, filled with different shops with great clothes at even better prices! I was there this past May, and had a great time enjoying the city with my friends.

You can find locally made trinkets, chocolate and so much more. There are even vintage clothing stores; I really enjoyed Mon Père Vintage on Rua da Conceição.

Money-saving tip: Save even more money on shopping and earn valuable rewards by using a cash-back or points-earning credit card with no foreign transaction fees.

Explore Cultural Events in Cities You Visit

While in Porto, we took a kizomba dance class offered by local dance instructors at Afro-Latin Connection. I’ve written about kizomba before, and what an amazing, beautiful dance it is. The class was mostly in Portuguese, but the instructors regularly translated the content into English to help us understand.

Enjoy Port Wine and Explore the Streets at Night

Views of the Rio Douro in Porto, Portugal

Views of the Rio Douro in Porto, Portugal

Million Mile Secrets

Walking around Porto at night was a gorgeous experience. The lights reflecting off the water gave the city such a warm, romantic vibe.

Porto is famous for its port wine, which is a slightly sweet, red dessert wine with a higher alcohol content than other wines. The Romans arrived in Porto in the 2nd Century BC, grew grape vines and made wine on the banks of the Douro River. Port wine came into existence in the 17th century. To me, it’s fascinating to be in a place with so much history.

There are many wine tastings you can try in Porto. And, a small bottle of locally-made wine you can’t get in the US makes a thoughtful and special gift. Just be sure to put it in your checked luggage!

Try an Airbnb for a More Local Experience

My friends and I stayed in an Airbnb called City Silhouette in Porto. The location was perfect, and it was clean, comfortable and modern. We wanted to stay a lot longer…It was $80 per night, split between the 4 of us. So we only paid $20 per person per night!

Airbnb is the way to go for families and larger groups, in my opinion. You’ll get more of an authentic feel of the area you’re visiting and more amenities for the price.

You Can Do It Too!

It can be easy to get to Portugal using airline miles. For example, I spent 30,000 miles and $5 in taxes for a one-way ticket to Lisbon, Portugal, from Austin, Texas. To put that number into perspective, most credit cards offer a 40,000 to 50,000-mile bonus just for signing up and completing a minimum spending requirement!

If you don’t have enough miles, consider signing-up for a credit card to help earn them (between the sign-up bonus and meeting the minimum purchase requirement).

Bottom Line

Porto, Portugal makes a fantastic trip to experience Europe at a cheaper price. I loved taking a dance class, trying port wine and shopping for gifts for friends and family back home.

You can use airline miles for nearly free flights to Europe, and try staying at an Airbnb to have a more local experience – and, to get more for your money!

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot