Matosinhos: Grilled Fish, Beach and Siza Near Porto

Matosinhos, just north of Porto, is a fishing town famous for one thing above all: grilled fish. Restaurants line the streets with charcoal grills on the pavement. It also has a big sandy beach, surf schools and two masterpieces by the architect Álvaro Siza. Here’s why it’s worth the short trip.

Quick answer: take metro line A from the centre of Porto (about 25 to 30 minutes). Eat grilled fish on Rua Heróis de França, walk the long beach and see the giant net sculpture She Changes. In summer, swim at Siza’s Leça ocean pools. Matosinhos is also where cruise ships dock. See surf lessons.

Why go

Matosinhos is where people from Porto go for a long fish lunch and a walk by the sea. It isn’t pretty in the way the Ribeira is: it’s a working port town with a busy harbour and wide modern streets. But the fish is superb, the beach is huge and the Siza buildings on the rocks at Leça da Palmeira are some of the most admired works of modern architecture in Portugal. It makes an easy half day or a relaxed full day out.

Eating grilled fish

Choose fresh fish from the display, which is then grilled outside over charcoal and priced by weight. Ask the price per kilo and roughly what your fish will weigh before it goes on the grill. Rua Heróis de França and the streets near the market are packed with restaurants. Lunch is the best time, and weekends are busy with local families. See the seafood guide.

• Sardines: the summer classic, at their best from June to September.
• Sea bass and sea bream (robalo and dourada): simple, grilled whole with olive oil and boiled potatoes.
• Turbot (pregado): a pricier treat, good for sharing.
• Octopus (polvo): often roasted with potatoes and plenty of olive oil.
• Arroz de marisco: a soupy seafood rice for two.
• To drink: a cold vinho verde suits grilled fish perfectly. See the vinho verde guide.

Matosinhos also has a long canning history, and a few tinned fish factories still work in the area. See Portuguese tinned fish.

Things to do

• Matosinhos beach: a wide sandy beach that is popular with surfers and surf schools. The waves are usually gentler than further along the coast, which makes it good for beginners. The water is cold all year.
• She Changes (Anémona): a huge floating net sculpture by the American artist Janet Echelman on the main roundabout by the beach. Its red and white stripes recall the town’s old chimneys and lighthouses. It’s lit up at night.
• Leça da Palmeira ocean pools (Piscina das Marés): Álvaro Siza’s saltwater pools, built into the rocks in the 1960s and now a national monument. They usually open from June to mid-September, with an entry fee. Check current dates before you go.
• Boa Nova Tea House: another early Siza building tucked into the rocks along the same stretch of coast, now a restaurant.
• The fish market: the municipal market is busiest in the mornings. Go early to see the day’s catch.
• The seafront walk: follow the promenade from Matosinhos beach to Foz, or north across the harbour bridge to Leça.

Getting there

• Metro: line A runs from the centre (Trindade) to Matosinhos, taking about 25 to 30 minutes. Get off at Matosinhos Sul for the beach and fish restaurants. Use an Andante card. See Porto public transport.
• Bus: bus 500 runs along the river and the coast from central Porto through Foz to Matosinhos. It’s slower but scenic.
• On foot or by bike: walk or cycle the flat seafront from Foz. See Foz do Douro.
• Leça da Palmeira: cross the harbour by the bridge north of Matosinhos, or take a short taxi ride, to reach the pools and the tea house.

How long to spend

Half a day covers lunch and a walk on the beach. Give it a full day if you want to visit the Leça pools in summer or take a surf lesson.

A one-day plan

• Morning: metro to Matosinhos, then the fish market and a walk to She Changes.
• Lunch: grilled fish on Rua Heróis de França.
• Afternoon: a surf lesson or a swim at the Leça pools, then the Boa Nova Tea House.
• Evening: sunset over the Atlantic from the beach, then the metro back.

When to go

• Summer (June to September): sardine season, pools open and the beach at its liveliest.
• Festas do Senhor de Matosinhos: the town’s big festival runs for a few weeks across late May and June, with a religious procession, fairground rides and fireworks.
• Out of season: the restaurants are open all year, and a fish lunch is just as good in winter.

Cruise passengers

Leixões cruise terminal is in Matosinhos, a short walk from the fish restaurants and the beach. See Porto’s cruise port.

Stay here?

Matosinhos is a good-value base near the beach and the airport, with the metro into Porto. See places to stay in Matosinhos.

More: what to eat in Porto, surfing in Portugal and things to do in Porto.

See also: the best beaches near Porto.

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