Take me there: Rua de Miguel Bombarda, Porto
Why go?
Don’t let the image of fusty old port cellars fool you into thinking Porto is a museum piece. Portugal’s second city has a real buzz about it and nowhere more so than in and around the Rua de Miguel Bombarda. Lined with galleries, second-hand shops and cool cafés, this street is at the centre of a burgeoning art district. Just a 15-minute walk from the waterside Ribeira district and cool places to stay, it also makes a great base for a laid-back autumn city break.
What to do
Spend an afternoon ducking in and out of the contemporary art galleries around Bombarda. Look out for inaugurações simultâneas when new exhibitions are launched, shops open late and there’s often free music and street entertainment (next dates are 20 September and 8 November). Centro Comercial Bombarda is a shopping mall with no chain stores, just dozens of independent shops selling everything from vintage clothing to vinyl (Rua de Miguel Bombarda 285). Walk through the Palácio de Cristal gardens for panoramic views over the Douro river.
Where to eat
Rota do Chá is the perfect pit stop: a tea house with pretty garden serving tasty lunch dishes (rotadocha.pt). For posh meat, fish and veggie burgers, try Bugo Art Burgers (Rua de Miguel Bombarda 598).
Where to stay
Rosa Et Al has just six stylish rooms with retro furnishings in a beautiful townhouse on trendy Rua do Rosário. Rates include a three-course brunch (from €99,
i-escape.com/rosa-et-al-townhouse). A cool budget option is the Gallery Hostel (gallery-hostel.com). Perks include free walking tours and changing art exhibitions.
Insider tip
For nightlife, Patrícia and Emanuel de Sousa, who own the Rosa Et Al, recommend Café Vitória (Rua de José Falcão). “It has a vintage interior and a leafy patio. Also, Candelabro e Champanharia (Largo Mompilher) attracts the bohemian crowd, drinking cocktails on summer nights.”
Give me a break
Home: stay an extra night in Morecambe Bay Bay Villa is a new luxury b&b in the seaside resort of range-over-Sands in Cumbria. It has just three spacious rooms in a 19th -century villa with views across Morecambe Bay. Stay midweek for three nights or more and enjoy one night free of charge, between 1 September and 30 November. Midweek doubles from £110 per night (bayvilla.net).
Away: party in Ibiza without the crowds September is a great time to visit Ibiza. The summer crowds have gone, but the “closing parties”, when the famous clubs shut down for the season, are in full swing. Vintage Travel has savings of up to £1,000 per week on its villas with pools. Atzi II is a romantic one-bedroom hideaway close to the village of San Carlos. A week from 30 August now costs £1,250 (saving £400). Flights and car hire are extra (vintagetravel.co.uk).
