A historic cathedral befitting of beautiful Porto. Porto Cathedral was the first historic landmark we visited in the city's downtown. It's located on a hilltop with stunning view across the city's bright orange rooftops. Built in the 12th century, the imposing facade once doubled as a fortress church. €3 provided us entry to the free main nave as well as the picturesque monastery cloisters, terrace and courtyard. Gothic cloister walls showcase biblical art made from elegant azulejo blue tiles. We encountered many tourists posing for photos. From there we explored the interior rooms as well as the above terrace which revealed another view of the city with Clérigos Tower and Douro River in the distance. There is also an opulent treasure house with pink Portuguese marble decor. The central nave is flanked with thick Romanesque columns that led us to a main altarpiece richly adorned with gold leaf Baroque wood carvings surrounded by more pink marble walls and steps. Looking up on the opposite end was a massive rose portal window with intricate stained glass. To the left is a silver altar behind a hanging lamp in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament that was saved from the Napoleonic French invasion. Skip it or hit it? It's worth setting aside an hour to explore this important local landmark. read more

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- - - Review of the Porto Cathedral (Se do Porto) located in Porto, Portugal on Weds., October 1st, 2025 - 3pm, Visiting from Austin, Texas USA - - - The Porto Cathedral really is something SPECIAL that I highly recommend as a MUST-SEE when in Porto, Portugal! This historical gem, situated on the highest point in Porto, is a Catholic Cathedral known for its beautiful blue azulejo tiles and stunning architectural structure. I took soooo many pics & videos trying to capture just how stunning it is but despite my best efforts, they really don't do this beauty justice (included w/ this review are those pics & videos). Here are a few additional tidbits I wanted to pass along: - - budget friendly entry fee : see pic included w/ this review of the entry fee(s) on 10/01/2025. We didn't purchase our tickets in advance & instead bought our tickets on the day that we visited. - - very cool blue glowing light in the chapel only captured in pics & videos but no glowing light to the naked eye (see pics & videos included in this review) - - reminder to bring some money to leave an offering in the chapel & please be respectful this is a historic place of worship - - multi- level w/ so much to see so give yourself plenty of time to enjoy your visit - - adjacent to the Porto Cathedral is the Cathedral Square (Terreiro da Se') where you can take in the views of the entire Barredo area, the river Douro, and Vila Nova de Gaia Hope this info helps! Till next time, Rebecca visiting Porto, Portugal from Austin, Texas (USA) , October 2025 in celebration of my 22nd wedding anniversary read more

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If you're trying to decide which cathedral to visit in Porto, Sé do Porto (Porto Cathedral) is the one. For less than $5, you get access to explore at your own pace. Sure, you can book a tour guide from a third party vendor, but you'll be restricted on time--and this is a place that absolutely deserves all of your attention. The cathedral is truly a work of art, and it's worth taking the time to absorb every detail. For me? It's the classic blue and white tile murals and the ones here are especially stunning, was they depict scenes from the Song of Songs from the Bible. read more

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Porto Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church that was built from the 1100s into the 1700s. The architecture is Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque. It is still an active parish today. Visitors may tour the interior for a small fee or attend a mass for free, but my husband and I viewed only the exterior with our tour guide. The cathedral looks like a very fortified granite building with small windows, and it has beautiful features such as a rose window above the front entrance and two tall towers. We also saw the exterior of the nearby Episcopal Palace, which is where the bishops reside. This palace was originally built in the 1100s, but it had to be restored in the 1800s due to damage from war. read more

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Worth the 3 euro a person to go in and explore. Took us about an hour to visit. We went mid morning but by the time we left, the ticket line was very long. Plenty of azulejos opportunities throughout the place. Definitely go all the way to the top - the stairs are worth it for the view. Not a lot of English translated or generally shown descriptors, so most of the time we had no idea what we were looking at. Still a good experience. read more

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"Napoleon, give me some of your tots." (Napoleon Dynamite) Lording over Porto at the highest point of the city center, the imposing Porto Cathedral is a must see as the city's most important religious monument. The cathedral's colorful history includes being raided by Napoleon in 1809 as part of the First Battle of Porto. If it was part of his trip itinerary, shouldn't it be on yours too? The cathedral took from 1110 to 1737 to complete, which is approximately the same amount of time needed to climb its steep steps. To reach the cathedral, you'll have to scale a mini Mt. Everest (Pena Ventosa Hill), but with no base camp for acclimatization, rest, or reduction of altitude sickness. The courtyard is not to be missed for live musical performances along with impressive panoramic views of the city and Douro River. An ornate stone pillory was built in the square in the 1800's, but information online conflicts as to whether it was only ever symbolic in nature, or if criminals were indeed executed here in the days of yore. We intended to tour the interior of the cathedral, arriving over an hour before closing time, but were brusquely denied entrance along with many others. With that, just like Napoleon, our plans to smuggle out the silver altar were foiled. Overall Porto Cathedral is worth a visit for the history, views, and people watching. I give it 5 votes for Pedro and a bonus instructional dance videotape, "D-Qwon's Dance Grooves". *Discount code for tickets: JOAQUIN read more

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Porto Cathedral, known locally in Portuguese as Sé do Porto, is one of my favourite buildings in the city and one of the city's most famous attractions. It is a Roman Catholic church with a history dating back to the groundbreaking in 1110 and completion in 1737. The building is truly impressive. The square outside the Cathedral always seems lively and to have something going on, from locals playing loud music to stunning views of the rest of the city, it's such a chilled-out and cool place to sit back and relax and spend some time admiring the beauty of both the city and the cathedral. It is free to enter part of the Cathedral, although you must pay to enter the cloister and the Casa do Cabildo (chapter room + treasure room). I did find the ticketing and opening times to be confusing and poorly set out, and many others seemed confused and did not know what to do or where to go, so this could use some work. The bells chime every hour to this day, a tradition that dates back centuries. You can hear them from afar, with the Sé do Porto remaining a striking landmark of great significance across the city. 4* read more

Sé do Porto - Churches Near Me - Porto, 13

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The Porto Cathedral (Portuguese: Sé do Porto) is a by all means a jewel of a cathedral! This is a Roman Catholic church located in the historical centre of the of Porto. It is one of the city's oldest monuments and one of the most important local Romanesque monuments. The tour offers one of the best view of the city but you have to walk many high steps. The Romanesque nave is narrow and is covered by barrel vaulting. It is flanked by two aisles with a lower vault. The stone roof of the central aisle is supported by flying buttresses, making the building one of the first in Portugal to use this architectonic feature. It is a must see if you come to visit Oporto! read more

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There are so many important and impressive architectual masterpieces in Porto. And this Roman Catholic church is surely one of them. Sitting on top of the city, not far from the equally impressive Ponte Dom Luis I. The building of the present cathedral began in the second half of the 12th century. And was only fully completed in 1737. Due to the long construction, the cathedral is a very unique one in architecture and designs. Combining Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles. It is definitely a stunner and also offers great views here from the top of the hill. There weren't that many visitors that day. Most of the flocked to the Ponte Dom Luis I it seemed. But both sights equally interesting and impressive. read more

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A nice cathedral with multiple levels , inside garden and a good views at the top. I love the outside architecture resembling castle towers and walls , the inside has gold design and marble walls with nice photos. Its small, probably can cover the whole area in 30 minutes but there is a lot of outdoor sections so come when it's not raining read more

Stopped by on a Wednesday morning just after 10:30 and it wasn't too busy. We didn't go inside the church, as you had to pay a fee, but there was plenty to see outside and around. There is a small hill up to the church (but I guess there is a small hill everywhere in Porto!) but once you get up there, you get beautiful views of Porto and all its red rooftops. We probably spent about half an hour just taking pictures outside, so make sure you bake enough time for that into your schedule. read more

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My wife and I were here, and this is a very beautiful cathedral, located right in the Historical Centre of Porto. We were with Gate1 tour, so didn't have a chance to climb up and see the city, but the interior is beautiful. I do NOT profess to know every item that I photographed (Sorry!) but this is well worth seeing read more

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Porto Cathedral is great place to visit. This is one of the big church in Porto. If we do visit, don't forget the visit to the tower to see the over view of the city. This church start building at 11th century. It was completed at 17th century. This is due many people want to add something to the church. The walkway is archway with blue tile mural. The blue tile also call Azuelo in Portugal. It is typical way to decorate the wall. It record the history and the purpose of the church at the wall. In side the church, the is a three D picture of the last supper. Please look closely at the middle of the table show a grilled animal meal with two loaf of bread. I found it very interesting how people interpret the meal of last supper. The Cloisters also is courtyard in English has good exposure of sunlight to the church. This area usually use for monastery or convent. The is many chapels and praying area. I like the cathedral with tall columns to make it awesome. read more

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This is a decent cathedral, built in Romanesque style. The facade is stark & has a certain impressive simplicity to it though it is not lavishly carved. There isn't anything special about the interior. The treasury has some nice items. There're some nice painted tiles in the cathedral, and the cloisters have an upper level you can stroll round too. read more

The magnificent Sé do Porto is one of the three symbols that shout "Porto!" to everyone. (The others are the Dom Luís I Bridge and the Clérigos Tower.) This massive Roman Catholic cathedral dominates the city skyline and is one of the city's oldest monuments. It's certainly one of the most importal local Romanesque monuments in a city quite full of them. Completed in 1737, but there are documents showing initial structures here as early as 1147. The huge cathedral is flanked with two square towers. Inside you'll find massive decorations and a coffered ceiling. Many baroque azulejos from the early 1700's inside, too. Definitely a "must see" when you visit Porto. [Review 9863 overall, 1441 of 2018.] read more

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Definitely worth a visit! Arrive early to beat the line, and for just 3 euros, you can explore this beautiful cathedral. You can also pay a bit more to tour the Bishop's Palace next door, which is a self-guided experience with pamphlets provided. Both attractions are well worth it, especially with the stunning views overlooking the city. I'd say it's a must-do when visiting Porto read more

This church was lovely and fun to visit. It's on a high hill with wonderful views of the city from the plaza (which you don't need a ticket to enjoy). The church itself (where you need a €3 ticket) had charming blue tile work and some interesting rooms to see. Overall a nice stop. read more

Sé do Porto - Lovely tiles - Churches Near Me - Porto, 13

There are many and beautiful cathedrals throughout Porto. This one being the oldest and most elaborate. On the day of this visit, it was a church holiday, Corpus Cristi, so all of the churches had masses limiting photos. We came during the time there was a mass. Beautiful Portuguese mass and wonderful singing by the parishioners (all and not just a few). read more

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Gorgeous cathedral--we wandered in as an afterthought en route to the "real" attraction, the main church and museum, but because the line was impossibly long and snaking around the block, we saw this not so little cathedral off to the side (the views are stunning from outside, with a wide vista of Porto, rooftops of houses cuts an incredible postcard view). We poked our head into the front intricately carved door and to our delight, saw an ongoing mass. Despite my husband wanting to keep a "respectful," distance, I walked in and sat down, after which he followed. We sat in reverence and silence as the priest gave his sermon in what I assumed was Portuguese. The experience was awe-inspiring, the interior glittering with stained glass, colored and twinkling with dappled sun shining through. The light streaming in over our heads, the cavernous vaulted ceilings, darkened and hushed swooshing of sounds, long plush scarlet swaths of carpet along the floor, as if from a fairy tale, castle like from the medieval era. At one point the priest said something, and everybody burst into the most beautiful song, in unison, they were singing lilting voices in chorus and symphony with one another. It felt ethereal in the best way possible. How I longed to join them, but didn't know the language nor the words. I sat there enthralled, eyes moist. At the end, boom! Everyone was reaching out to the person in front of them and behind, across the benches, even to us whom they did not know ... to shake hands with both of their palms! So many many people went waaay out of their way to hold our hands in theirs with open faces and smiles, beaming love. At this point, I was pretty much bawling. We had never experienced anything like this, so genuine, warm, authentic, so frikkin real, no formality or airs. Just pure humanity in the presence of incredible architectural grandeur, the curving lines somehow met the softness of the people in the church. Thank-you, Porto :-) read more

Sé do Porto - View from Se do Porto :-) - Churches Near Me - Porto, 13

Stunning cathedral in heart of Porto. Visit the museum too. Many don't know if it but it's full of treasures. A must see in Porto.