The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Porto

Story and photos by Rose-Anne Turner

You’ll find many tours of Porto that guide you to experience the wonders that Porto has to offer, from scenic boat rides to vineyard wine tours and gastronomic affairs. But if you’re a traveler who craves a deeper understanding of a destination, then a walking tour with The Worst Tours will satisfy your curiosity. If the name doesn’t catch your attention, the 5-star reviews surely will. There’s nothing usual about this tour. It doesn’t follow a set route. It doesn’t have a fixed price. (You pay what you feel it’s been worth at the end of the tour.) It’s not run by professional tour guides. And it doesn’t take you to the usual must-see sites of Porto. So why take a walk on the wild side with The Worst Tours? It all started in 2013, when three out-of-work architects refused to let the flaying economy get the better of them. Their deep love for not only architecture, but also the city of Porto, led to the creation of a most unlikely themed tour. Pedro, Gui, and Isabel each add their twist to the tour—which has no designated route. You’ll be sent the coordinates to a meeting point and a time to gather—and they’ll take it from there, depending on the mood of the day. Put on your walking shoes, pack a rain jacket (they’ll walk in any weather conditions), and be prepared to walk for between three to four hours to see a side of Porto that no tourism brochure will show. I was lucky enough to join Pedro on one of his Worst Tours in October 2021 and had no idea what to expect on arrival. I met a small group of tourists, as well as a few Porto locals keen to delve deeper into their city’s history. Our meeting point was the fountain at Marquês Square—a frequent starting point to the tour. Pedro arrived with an armful of maps, building plans, news clippings, and endless enthusiasm to share his love for Portugal’s second-largest city. I can’t honestly say where we walked … just that it was off the proverbial beaten track, for the most part. We did not pass charming shops and fancy cafés. Instead, we wound our way through tiny cobbled side streets and back alleys, passing abandoned buildings and “not-on-plan” housing complexes, as Pedro explained the evolution of Porto’s urban layout. There’s no doubt that he is passionate about both history and politics, and these subjects take center stage as he stops to explain along the way. Be warned: Pedro is a habitual jaywalker—so, don’t blindly follow

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him! He’ll get purposefully lost … but then he’ll remember something of importance in the street and whip out his folder full of news clippings, satirical cartoons, house plans, and maps and with much enthusiasm, explain about Brazillian fat-cat merchants who traded their people as slaves, or the “problem” of poor people and where they should be placed in the city through the decades. On a Worst Walking Tour, you’ll not hear about Porto’s wine history, or how it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I’ll not give the game away, as Porto’s stories are best heard from guides as passionate as Pedro. Instead, you’ll learn about Portugal’s dubious political past and dictatorship rule. You will hear animated stories of uprisings and social issues. You’ll discover the history of dilapidated buildings, the evolution of the neighborhoods, and the city’s socio-economic development. You’ll learn about the Salazar regime’s heavy-handed approach to urban renewal and disastrous housing policies of the dictatorship, poor communities’ “island” housing established a century ago, as well as the role of the Catholic Church as a landlord, and more recently, the role of foreign investment in the shortterm rental market and how that is once again affecting accommodation for poor and middle-class locals.

At times you may feel uncomfortable as the truth of Porto’s past becomes clear, while you enjoy your privileged stay in your glamorous Airbnb–knowing how the city has developed, with politics, power struggles, military interventions, and private investment all defining the urbanism of the city. During your walk, you’ll debate with your guide and fellow walkers whether the gentrification of the Historical Centre is indeed the best way money can be spent on Porto—as it pushes property prices beyond the reach of locals on an average or minimum wage. But, with tourism comes work opportunities. What is the right answer? Can the same not be said for all city centers, where locals live on the city’s outskirts and travel in for work. Is the answer, then, affordable public transport and services? Porto does have that. While we can’t change history, we can learn from it. So, healthy debates such as those you’ll have while exploring Porto’s not-so-pretty side are encouraged.

Fact Box:

Cost: free of charge—based on a tipping system. Group size: up to 8 people Duration: 3 to 4 hours www.theworsttours.weebly.com theworsttours@gmail.com

Politics aside, if you’re interested in architecture, a Worst Tour is fascinating. Architects by trade, your guides are knowledgeable of Porto’s architecture as it evolved through the centuries. You’ll learn about the tiled townhouses that Porto is so famous for and how the Brazilian mansions came about, the art deco movement (Porto has some classic examples), as well as modern architecture. You’ll experience the beauty of the decorative tiled exteriors, intricate metalwork, and the craftsmanship of the stonemasons while, at the same time, appreciating the significance of graffiti and gaining a deeper understanding of the dilapidated buildings. If you’re a cat lover, a Worst Tour won’t disappoint. Somehow, the city’s cats come out of the woodwork on every tour, as is evident in all their Facebook posts. In fact, some say it should be renamed “The Cat Tour of Porto.” Whether it’s architecture, politics, history, cats, or just a curiosity of Porto that you’re after, booking a walking Worst Tour should be added to your must-do list when visiting the city. Understanding Porto’s past does not mean that you shouldn’t enjoy Porto’s beautiful side … as that, too, forms part of the city’s history. If anything, you’ll appreciate it even more.

Originally from South Africa, Rose-Anne Turner works remotely as a copywriter in Porto–that is, when she’s not getting lost exploring Porto’s alleyways.  Rose-Anne Turner