Each week, I’ll bring you a few things worth doing, a useful expat tip, someone from the community to meet and a Portuguese word – all without having to search yourself.
01 – WHAT’S ON
🛠️ Maker Faire Porto
📍18 Sep – 20 Sep • 10:30 • Alfândega do Porto
Maker Faire is the original, worldwide maker event that brings together creators, innovators and DIY enthusiasts to showcase their projects and share ideas.
🎨 Inaugurações Simultâneas Bombarda – free
📍Saturday, 19 Sep • 16:00 • Quarteirão Cultural Miguel Bombarda
Inaugurações Simultâneas is Porto’s monthly gallery night, when art spaces across the city open new exhibitions at the same time. It’s a great opportunity to explore contemporary art, discover local creative venues, and enjoy a cultural evening while hopping between exhibitions.
🚢 Dia do Porto de Leixões – free
📍Sunday, 20 Sep • 10:00 • Leixões
Dia do Porto de Leixões is a rare chance to explore one of Portugal’s most important ports through open days, guided visits, exhibitions, and family-friendly activities.
♫ Porto Sounds Secret – Collado – free
📍Sunday, 20 Sep • 18:00 • Galeria da Biodiversidade
Porto Sounds Secret brings acclaimed electronic artist Collado to an intimate, carefully curated venue in Porto. Expect an immersive evening of underground electronic music in a unique setting designed for true music lovers.
🏊♂️ Douro Bridges – Porto & Gaia – Open Water
📍Sunday, 20 Sep • 9:30 • Cais da Ribeira
Douro Bridges – Porto & Gaia is one of Porto’s most scenic open-water swimming events, taking participants on a unique route along the Douro River between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
02 – TIP OF THE WEEK
Discover Gerês Series #1: A Day Trip to Soajo
When people think about nature in Portugal, the beaches often steal the spotlight. But tucked away in the north of the country lies Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal’s only national park and one of its most beautiful natural treasures. In this new series, we’ll explore some of the best places to visit in and around Gerês. For our first trip, we’re heading to Soajo, a charming stone village known for its iconic granite granaries, stunning scenery, and delicious local cuisine.
👉 See the full day-trip itinerary
03 – MEET THE COMMUNITY
Aleksandra Yarushyna
Aleksandra is originally from Belarus and has been living in Porto since the end of 2022. She is a tattoo artist and painter specializing in custom fine-line tattoos and working with clients from all over the world and often traveling around Europe as a guest tattoo artist. I asked her a few questions to help us get to know her better:
What brought you here? I was looking for a place where I could build a home while still having the freedom to travel for work. Porto felt like a good balance – the ocean, nature, beautiful architecture, a slower pace of life, but still a lot happening.
How can you help others? If someone is looking for a very personal tattoo rather than choosing something from a catalogue, that’s probably where I can help most.
Your Porto favorite? The Botanical Garden.
Your best expat tip? Don’t try to recreate exactly the same life you had before moving. Learn how things work locally, find your own places and routines, and give yourself some time to actually feel at home here.
What do you wish you knew before coming to Porto? Porto is much colder and wetter in winter than the beautiful sunny photos of Portugal might suggest 🙂
04 – TRY THIS
Bacalhau | Codfish
Portugal is one of the world’s great cod-loving nations. Although bacalhau is a cornerstone of Portuguese cuisine, most of the cod eaten in Portugal is actually imported, particularly from Norway and Iceland. There are said to be more than 1,000 ways to prepare it. In Porto, the city’s signature codfish dish is Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá, a 19th century creation attributed to Porto cod merchant José Luís Gomes de Sá.
👉 Discover where to eat bacalhau in Porto
05 – PORTUGUESE WORD
🇵🇹 ALFÂNDEGA
🇬🇧 CUSTOMS
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