Porto

Porto looks out over the Douro from the Ribeira, an amphitheatre of colourful houses stacked down to the river, a World Heritage Site. Crossing the Dom Luís I bridge — designed by a disciple of Eiffel — Vila Nova de Gaia awaits, with the century-old cellars where port wine rests and is tasted at sunset facing the old town. The city charms with the Lello bookshop, São Bento station and its 20,000 tiles, and a food scene ranging from the francesinha to the finest salt cod.

Just over an hour's flight from Madrid, Porto is the perfect weekend getaway: beautiful, affordable and unhurried. And a stone's throw away lie the Douro Valley, with its terraced vineyards navigable by boat, and the beaches of northern Portugal.