Location
The apartment has an excellent position, right by Praca de Gomes Fernandes, around which are shops, restaurants, tapas bars and bakeries - in particular, Padaria Ribeira, the oldest bakery in Porto which is open seven days a week until 20.00hrs, has a constant supply of fresh, warm bread and pastries and could severely test your will power! It’s also just around the corner from the bookshop that is said to have inspired JK Rowling, who lived in the city whilst writing one of the Harry Potter books.
Arriving by Metro
When arriving by public transport at Trinidade metro station from the airport, the easiest/least hilly route, we found, was straight out of the station (it’s level - the metro platform is right by the exit door) across the paved apron, cross the roads at the junction ahead of you and walk to the left, down the R. dos Herois e dos Martires de Angola (the big Catholic Church will be on your left). Just as you get to the small open square in front of the church, walk right, up R. do Dr Ricardo Jorge. Follow that straight up (this is the worst hill you’ll have to go up on this route) and it meets the Rua da Conceicao, which kind of goes straight on too, so follow that. The next road to the left is Rua e Jose Falcao, and that will take you down all the way to the junction of Praca de Gomes Fernandes and the left turn in to Rua de Santa Teresa: the apartment building is literally the second building on the left.
Apartment
It is a bit of a climb up to the second floor, but worth it (especially if you’ve just been to the bakery), well furnished and cleverly laid out to make the best use of the space, with big windows and a small balcony. Though at the back of the building, this is not a drawback since the light streams in every morning and makes eating breakfast here a delight. A comfortable and welcoming place to return to after a day out up and down the hills of Porto.
Shopping
If you want to prepare food at home, or buy general provisions, the best place to go is undoubtedly the Pingo Doce supermarket on the far end of Rua de Cedofeita - a nearby interesting shopping street (pedestrianised most of the way), a bit of a walk (10 mins), but not much less distance than the smaller outlets and with a far better produce selection. To get to this, you turn right out of the apartment building and head straight up for 130m, along the side of Praca de Gomes Fernandes and straight on to the bottom corner of Praca de Carlos Alberto, where there is an excellent craft and bric-a-brac market every Saturday. Take the road along the left side and you’re on Cedofeita. Keep going until the paved section ends, then another 100m and it’s just past the car park on the right.
Access to public transport
In addition to the Metro, there are good bus connections and there are 12 different routes that stop on Praca de Gomes Fernandes - ideal if you’ve been walking all day, finished up in a bar down by the Douro and just don’t have the energy for the uphill climb home. Easy. Just get the 500! Did we? Oh, yes....