ABOUT PORTO
PORTO – A WORLD TO EXPLORE
Located along the Douro river estuary, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and its settlement dates back to the time when it served as an outpost of the Roman Empire. Its ancient Celtic-Latin name, Portus Cale, has been referred to as being the origin of the name of the country “Portugal”.
The special atmosphere certainly has to do with its people, known to be generous and easy-going, as well as the location by the River Douro with its bridges, the monuments, the tiles, the flowering balconies and the narrow climbing streets. Ribeira – the historic centre of Porto was classified as World Heritage in 1996 and the opposite side of the river, the Gaia side, is where the Port Wine lodges are located.
This famous fortified wine – Port wine, one of the most significant export goods of Portugal, is named after the city as the packaging, transport and export business is based here.
In 2012 and 2014 as well as in 2017 Porto was distinguished with the prestigious title of Best European Destination.
Don’t miss:
- visit Casa do Infante, by Ribeira
- admire the old houses of Miragaia, very close to the Ribeira quay
- by day or by night, stroll through the Galeria de Paris and the adjacent streets, close to the Torre dos Clérigos
- pop up to Rua Miguel Bombarda for a taste of contemporary art and design
- stroll through the Parque da Cidade, down to the sea front
- enjoy the great beaches and café terraces at the mouth of the river Douro
- try a francesinha (a sandwich with cured ham, sausage, and steak covered in molten cheese and a hot tomato and beer sauce), one of Porto’s specialities
- try some fresh fish or seafood, or some cod fishcakes
- get to know a little of the coast to the north or south of Porto
- explore Porto by night
Tram (Elétrico)
Currently, only about a dozen vintage trams run down the three remaining tram lines in Porto. A great way of discovering this delightful city, is to take a heritage streetcar down Porto’s cobbled streets in the city centre, or as the Portuguese call them – carros eléctricos.
If you want to explore the city on this charming means of transportation, you can take either of these three lines:
Line 1: Infante-Passeio Alegre. It runs from 9:30am – 6pm.
Line 18: Massarelos-Carmo. It runs from 9:15am – 7pm.
Line 22: Carmo-Guindais Batalha. It runs from 10am – 7pm.
You can find more about the Tram City Tour at: https://www.stcp.pt/en/tourism/porto-tram-city-tour/
Bus
A single ticket costs €2.00. If you have the Porto Card or the Andante Tour travel card, you can get on any of the city’s buses as many times as you wish.
The buses in Porto run from approximately 6 am until 1 am, so you won’t have any problems getting to the wineries and back.
More information here: https://www.stcp.pt/en/travel/
Metro
Porto’s Metro has 6 lines and 81 stations.
Line A (Blue): Estádio do Dragão – Senhor de Matosinhos.
Line B (Red): Estádio do Dragão – Póvoa de Varzim.
Line C (Green): Estádio do Dragão – ISMAI.
Line E (Purple): Estádio do Dragão – Airport.
Line F (Orange): Fânzeres – Senhora da Hora.
Porto Metro opens every day at 6 am and the last train departs at 1 am. Depending on the time of day, the metro runs every 4 to 15 minutes.
A single ticket costs €1.20. If you purchase the Porto Card or the Andante Tour Card you will have unlimited access to the city’s metro system.
The closest metro station to Alfândega do Porto is São Bento.
More information here: https://en.metrodoporto.pt/
Car Services
Taxis in Porto are relatively cheap and are a good alternative if you get around the city at night or for longer journeys.
Ridesharing apps are also available in the city. These include Uber, Cabify, Bolt and Kapten.
Weather Forecast
Portugal is the european country with the most sunny days per year. Climate of Portugal is Mediterranean, with significant influence of the ocean especially in seaside towns like Porto.