波爾 Porto 真的彷彿雜誌封面上那樣迷人, 但大家也不要忘記欣賞另一種美.
Porto, the second-largest city in Portugal, has become a popular tourist destination in recent years. The city boasts beautiful buildings with red-tiled roofs built on a gentle slope, offering stunning views overlooking the Douro River. In 1996, UNESCO listed Porto’s old town as a World Heritage site. Despite its growing popularity, Porto remains one of the cheapest European cities to visit without sacrificing excellent food and breathtaking views. It’s no surprise that Porto was voted the best European destination in 2012, 2014, and 2017.
Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal and has seen a steady increase in tourism over the past two years
Porto is famous for its export of Port wine, and visitors can explore many beautiful cellars worth visiting in the Vila Nova de Gaia area. Additionally, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, lived in Porto for 18 months just before publishing the first book. During that time, she taught English during the day and spent most nights creating the story of the wizard boy in a café called the Majestic Café. Like Café Tortoni in Buenos Aires, the Majestic Café is also listed as one of the top 10 most beautiful cafes in the world, making Porto an important city for many Harry Potter fans.
The old town of Porto is listed as World Heritage. It is full of tastefully designed old buildings.
Porto is a relaxing city to explore on foot, and if you’re here to check it off your travel list, it’s possible to see the city in just one day. While there are several famous Port cellars, churches, and cathedrals worth visiting, it’s the abundance of abandoned buildings in the city center that truly sets Porto apart. These decaying structures lend a unique charm to the city and offer a glimpse into its rich history and culture.
An old church with an old tram in Porto. A classic spot to take a picture in Porto.
What caused our obsession with these abandoned buildings
We were unaware of the abundance of abandoned buildings in Porto before we arrived. However, we became extremely curious about their cause. These deserted structures were scattered throughout the city, including many in the prime real estate of the city center. As the second-largest city in Portugal, we had anticipated a bustling and prosperous metropolis, but instead found a landscape dotted with empty and dilapidated buildings. The government and tourism industry had painted a different picture of Porto than what we experienced. Although there are undoubtedly beautiful parts of the city, it’s important to acknowledge this lesser-known side of Porto that we only discovered once we visited.
Porto is very beautiful just like the prints on these two pillows.
We chose to stay in Vila Nova de Gaia, located directly south of Porto City, which was only a 15-minute walk from the city center. The famous Ponte de Dom Luís I bridge connects Vila Nova de Gaia to Porto City. Accommodations in Vila Nova de Gaia were significantly cheaper than in Porto City itself, despite the close proximity to the city center. As mentioned before, Vila Nova de Gaia is famous for its cellars which house the Port wines.
Ponte Luís I was completed in 1886. It stretches across the Douro river at a total length of 172 meters. At that time it was the world’s longest river!
Although our Airbnb was nicely refurbished, it was located next to an abandoned mansion. From our accommodation, we could look straight into the abandoned block, which was surrounded by overgrown vegetation, with shattered windows and tiles. The place had an eerie, haunted feel to it. This was our first encounter with an abandoned building in Porto, but as we explored the city, we discovered that there were many more abandoned buildings like this.
The abandoned mansion next to our Airbnb was quite scary to walk past at night time.
The first time we crossed the Ponte de Dom Luís I Bridge, we were amazed to see a spectacular carpet of vines growing over a vast expanse of abandoned buildings directly under the bridge. It was truly beautiful in its own way, and we hadn’t seen anything like it in the city center. The vines were sprouting purple-colored flowers at that time of the year, adding to the beauty of the scene.
The view of the carpet of vines on the Ponte Luís I Bridge! it was truly beautiful!
After initial shock, we began to wonder what happened to these abandoned buildings.
We were instantly enamored with this breathtaking view, but it also sparked numerous questions in our minds. Why were there so many abandoned buildings in such a prime location of Portugal’s second-largest city? It was as if you wouldn’t expect to see anything abandoned like this around Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.
Zooming into the courtyard of a house. The place almost looks like a ghost town.
During the global financial crisis, the world’s attention was fixated on the bankruptcy of Greece. However, many of us were unaware that Portugal was also facing a challenging period. In 2011, Portugal received a bailout from the EU to avoid bankruptcy. Nevertheless, this alone does not explain the widespread abandonment of houses in Porto. When we visited Athens, Greece in 2015, we did not recall seeing abandoned houses in the city, although we did notice an abundance of graffiti.
Once you leave the main streets in Porto, you can see many of these abandoned buildings. This was taken at one of the side streets just off the main road.
In the early 20th century, the Portuguese government introduced a law to protect the poor by making it impossible for landlords to raise rent and evict their tenants. While this was good for the tenants as they could live in the city center at an affordable cost, it had unintended consequences. Landlords, unable to earn sufficient rental income from their properties, were not incentivized to maintain or renovate them. As a result, many of these properties were left to deteriorate and rot, with tenants living in appalling conditions. During our walks around Porto city, we observed many such tenants living in substandard housing.
Even this building at one side of Ponte Luís I bridge was abandoned. The building has a great view and would be a great location for a high-class restaurant or hotel
There are strict building regulations in place that prevent significant changes to the appearance of buildings in the city centre, in order to preserve their heritage. As a result, any renovation work can be quite expensive. Additionally, younger generations are increasingly choosing to rent or buy homes in the suburbs, where living costs are lower and property prices are more affordable. This further exacerbates the issue of vacant properties in the city centre.
The rumbling sound from the train on top of the bridge was causing a huge racket.
The financial crisis only exacerbated the problem, as many companies went bankrupt and many Portuguese left the country in search of jobs elsewhere. By 2011, approximately 18.8% of houses in Porto were abandoned, meaning that 1 in 5 houses was left empty. Even Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, had around 15% of houses in the city abandoned. The primary reason for people abandoning their houses and investments is the lack of potential buyers. Even if people wanted to sell their houses, not many had the necessary funds to make a purchase, and foreign investors were also scarce. Moreover, many investors are not interested in buying properties that require extensive renovations. This has led to a growing number of abandoned buildings throughout the city.
The front yard of this abandoned building serves as one of the best touristic viewpoints in the old town.
The Portuguese government attempted to improve the situation by releasing 2,800 “Golden Visa” aimed at increasing foreign investment. The Golden Visa program grants permanent residency in Portugal to foreign investors who purchase property in the country. Around 80% of these Golden Visas were taken up by Chinese investors seeking residency in Europe.
The cheap rents kept some families staying in these houses which are literally crumbling to pieces under the bridge.
When most of the surrounding buildings are in shambles, many locals choose to move away, leaving only tenants who are living off their cheap rents. As mentioned before, landlords are leaving these houses to rot, and we saw many families living in these decrepit homes. The row of houses underneath the Ponte Luís I bridge left the strongest impression because we actually saw people living in these ruins. While some of the houses still retain their facades, they are merely empty shells.
Some of the houses are just empty shell which seems normal when we walked in front of them but quite horrific when seen from the top.
As we walked around and observed the extremely poorly maintained houses, we were surprised to find that many of them were actually occupied. In certain parts of Porto, we felt like we were walking through an apocalyptic movie set based in Europe. It was difficult to comprehend that we were actually in the city center of the second-largest city in Portugal. It’s a melancholic thought to consider how splendid these buildings must have appeared in the past, during Portugal’s peak of prosperity.
With the lack of tenets and inability to sell these houses, the property owners choose to leave these houses to crumble.
Thankfully, in recent years, Ryanair started flying to Porto at affordable prices. The government used this opportunity to promote Porto as a popular tourist destination, which helped to attract more visitors. With more tourists coming to the city, opportunities opened up for locals. They realized the potential value of renovating the abandoned buildings, as there was a growing demand for apartments and Airbnb accommodations for tourists.
Some of the graffiti on these abandoned buildings are quite tasteful
Many other tourists have also been surprised by the large number of abandoned buildings in Porto. We noticed that many people were asking the same questions online. There is even a company called “The Worst Tour” that takes tourists to see the “Real Porto.” On this tour, the company shows visitors the abandoned buildings and explains the stories behind these crumbling structures.
These abandoned buildings were quite fascinating to us.
“The Worst Tour” is not appreciated by the Portuguese government, as they are putting in a lot of effort to improve the image of the city. The tourism industry wants to showcase Porto as a beautiful, historic port city rather than a place filled with abandoned buildings. However, I believe that these buildings are what make Porto truly unique. They reflect the city’s history and culture. Seeing the crumbling buildings in Porto is like experiencing the favelas in Rio. They add character and authenticity to the city.
I’m sure Porto will soon see better days. The tourism industry has already picked up in recent years.
Porto is still a beautiful city despite the abandoned buildings, and the tourism industry has significantly grown in the past two years. The Portuguese government is also limiting the number of new construction projects, which has led to more locals renovating these old houses to rent or live in. As the tourism industry continues to grow, better job opportunities are becoming available in the city center. More people are willing to move back to the city to live.
There are many old mysterious alleyways you would love to explore at getting lost in.
Our fascination with the abandoned buildings in Porto led us to share what we discovered. We do not intend for this article to be viewed as negative. We wanted to encourage people to explore beyond the usual tourist attractions and gain a deeper understanding of this remarkable city.
Porto is a truly beautiful city and we loved our stay there! Some places are exactly like the cover in magazines!
View Comments
Thanks, i have spent a lot of time, amazed by these buildings in prime locations.
Every day i see small castles in top locations and i cant help but think, Why doesn't someone make this place a restaurant or a hotel The rent explanation makes sense, but what i don't get are the real abandoned buildings where no one lives... they must be affordable to buy and renovate right? I mean i tend to find out, and to have a small castle in the city center doesn't sound very bad.
Hi Aaron, thanks for your comment. From my understanding is that Portugal government has a very tight regulation on how and what to renovate, so even though it's affordable to buy, to fix up an old building will be costly. I think that's why unless you can make money off that old building (ie. restaurant, hotels, airbnb) otherwise majority of people rather buy a new place in city outskirt.
Thank you for your article which answer my same question even in 3 years later.
Porto today is still crumbling, may not so crumbling like 2017 though. Houses under bridge are kept abondoned and we have seen some tables and chairs, possible for a cafe, outside the door of a house, indiciting there may be an effort of making a business (but fail then).
Hi Fan. Thanks for your comment and sharing your recent experience in Porto. Glad to know things are getting better. It's a beautiful city, with time, hopefully more places will become vibrant.
hello,
I've visited Porto just around 2 weeks ago and it seems to me like we've been wandering down the same little streets and got lost in the same nooks and corners photographing the same graffiti's or views. Same questions have been asked too. I didn't do my research yet, your page is one of my first steps. But, as you are probably curious to know - yes, Porto still does have an amazing number of ruins or buildings getting there. Not only Porto though - just after flying in, we stayed for lunch in Vila Franca de Xira, which was a weird 50/50 mix of neat and rotten. I haven't visited the far south yet, nor the furthest of the northern regions, but only a couple of km up from Porto where the industry is well and sound, you'll be able to see the well kept cities like Barcelos, Esposende, etc. I'm very curious about this country and wondering what else I'll discover; the ruins are my vice of choice though.
xoxo
Hi Winny!
I'm currently conducting research on the topic and was happy to read your article! I'm unable to find the statistics you state (18.8% empty housing) – could you tell me where you got this from? I know the post is old, but figured I would give it a shot; it is still a very relevant issue!
Thank you very much :)
Julia
Hi Julia
Thanks for your message. I just did a search and couldn't find the exact stat of 18.8% for Porto, I must've gotten it from somewhere online during the time of writing. I think the value is from 2011 census for Europe or Portugal, but there are no free information online for me to access the data. This article https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/143405805.pdf does show the vacancy rate of Portugal and Spain. On page 8, it does show that in 2011 it was sitting at 18.3% for Portugal. Unfortunately, I couldn't find data for the individual cities. Hope this helps. Cheers :)
Hi Winny,
We are currently visiting Porto . i I lived here 30 years ago as a student and didn’t come back since. Although it wasn’t a ‘rich’ city at the time , I was very surprised by the number of abandoned and poorly maintained buildings that I saw today! my internet search led me to your article which explains well the the reasons. Thank you for this. I’m also very surprised by the lack of habitants in general. There is no grocery store , bakery, butcher or what so ever in the old city center, a drastic change compared to the past. I hope the center of Porto will not become a ‘museum’ such as Florence and Venice. 30 years ago the streets were full of locals, selling, buying fresh products and enjoying the city life. COVID is certainly not helping at he moment , but I think there is also a high level of abandon as you mentioned.
Hi Fransje. Thanks for your insight to what Porto was like 30 years ago. I totally agree with you, hopefully, more locals will move into the old city centre in the future. Though with COVID, it certainly made the situation worse. However, maybe now the locals will have a chance to live in the city centre rather than compete with landlords who convert the houses into AirBnb. Fingers crossed, hopefully, the situation will become better in the future. Appreciate your comment.
I have read that there are many places to rent in Porto but that most people can not afford the high rental costs. Average minimum salary is something like 740 Euros per month and those who want to live near the city center can not afford it...so they are being forced to live in the suburbs. Also many people have realized that they can make more money with Airb&b and will not do longer leases to those looking to stay. I have seen that companies focused on setting up job fairs (even in the virtual sphere) are trying to encourage the foreign students that study at Portuguese universities...to stay and get a job in Portugal instead of going elsewhere. I think the company is called talentportugal. There was an article about how many companies are willing to go the process of hiring non-EU citizens. I have also heard though....if you are not an Eu citizen it can be extremely difficult to get a job....even to teach English....if you are a native speaker non EU citizen, you will be passed over for someone who can teach English who is an EU citizen. That is discouraging for people who actually want to live in PT.
I see, thanks for sharing your insight :)
There are multiple factors coming into this, unfortunately. And while it may not be moving at the necessary speed, there is at least some work being done on this front.
It may not be necessarily the best way or the most sustainable, but at least there are some things now being done, which is more than what could be said a few years ago.
I actually shot on a few spots in Porto, namely in the old slaughterhouse near Campanhã. Now there's major construction going on there, so I just wanted to capture the interior before we lost that piece of history!
Nice!!! Definitely worth capturing it on camera so the history's preserved. At least some changes are to be done!