With all those hills, a walk around Porto will certainly keep you fit. And it’s best not to bring a car for all kinds of reasons. Luckily it has a brilliant public transport system.

Porto isn’t on every tourist’s itinerary but in some ways that can make it more attractive. Perhaps the best place to start exploring is the Ribeira, the area next to the river, and from there go on through the historic city centre, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

But before you set out, make sure you have visited www.stcp.pt . This is the online home of the STCP — the company that runs the public transport — and it has all the information you’ll need to get around: maps, tariffs, timetables, points of sale, and up-to-the-minute news of any alterations to services regarding their buses, trams, and splendid ultra-modern Metro. It’s what the locals use and has mobile applications to keep you constantly informed wherever you are.

When you are feeling more adventurous there are ferry boats to take you to the neighbouring city of Gaia, funiculars to help you to the top of the hills, and even a heliport near the river to take off from for a bird’s-eye view.

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