City in Northern Portugal, Portugal
Porto for solo travelers
Is Porto good for solo travel?
Walkable, affordable riverside city with a growing nomad scene, great food, port cellars and beaches by metro. Hills and cold, wet winters are the trade-offs; rents are rising.
Solo travel at a glance
| Solo travel | 5/5 · Excellent for solo travel |
|---|---|
| Locals | Very friendly |
| English | Widely spoken |
| Safety | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Solo women | Comfortable for solo women, day and night. Normal care around nightlife streets and with drinks. |
How to meet people in Porto
Hostels with family dinners and pub crawls, free walking tours, coworking and Meetup events, language exchanges in Cedofeita and surf lessons at Matosinhos.
Good things to do alone
- Cross the Dom Luís I bridge at sunset
- Sample port in a Vila Nova de Gaia cellar
- Try a francesinha at a local tasca
- Walk the Foz seafront to Matosinhos
- Take the train to Pinhão for a Douro day
Where to stay in Porto
| Area | Good for |
|---|---|
| Baixa–Cedofeita | Central, walkable, galleries, cafés and Rua Santa Catarina shops |
| Ribeira–Miragaia | Postcard riverside; touristy, noisy and steep |
| Bonfim | Cheaper rents, local cafés and an emerging scene |
| Foz do Douro | Seaside promenade, calm, upscale; further from nightlife |
Solo travel across Portugal
| Place | Solo | English |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | 5/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Porto | 5/5 | Widely spoken |
| Lagos | 5/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Algarve | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Madeira | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Sintra | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Cascais | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Azores | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Faro | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Ericeira | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Coimbra | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Douro Valley | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Évora | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Braga | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Aveiro | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Silver Coast | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Albufeira | 3/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Nazaré | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Tavira | 3/5 | Widely spoken |
Quick answers
Is Porto good for solo travelers?
Excellent for solo travel (5/5). Walkable, affordable riverside city with a growing nomad scene, great food, port cellars and beaches by metro.
How do you meet people in Porto?
Hostels with family dinners and pub crawls, free walking tours, coworking and Meetup events, language exchanges in Cedofeita and surf lessons at Matosinhos. On SoloSquare you can also join small plans with other travelers who are there now.
Do people speak English in Porto?
Widely spoken.
Is Porto safe for solo female travelers?
Comfortable for solo women, day and night. Normal care around nightlife streets and with drinks.
More about Porto
Going to Porto solo?
SoloSquare is where travelers, nomads and locals in Porto meet up for small plans: coffee, dinners, walks and day trips. Join one, or start your own in a minute.
Sources
Ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.