Portugal is a very popular tourist destination amongst Europeans and Brits especially, but oftentimes most of the attention is directed at the southern region of the Algarve as that is the most popular, but the northern regions shouldn’t be overlooked when planning a trip there. The city of Porto for instance, is located in the north of the country and is a rather interesting tourist destination for several reasons.

 

The city of Porto

Porto Portugal

The city is most well known for the fact that it has given its name to a type of wine made from the local vineyards, the world renown Port wine, but Porto is a busy industrial and commercial center as well as being quite a great place for a holiday.

The city is built along the hills which overlook the Duoro river estuary and it has been continuously inhabited since at least the 4th century, the Romans referring to it as Portus Calle.

The city has always benefited from great weather, even though due to the influences of the Atlantic ocean it is considerably cooler than other cities within the same climate type; this has also made it a mercantile city and this is most evident in the style of the buildings which line the Avenida dos Aliados which is at the center of the downtown area. As opposed to most other old centers in Portugal who tend towards the Baroque style of architecture, the old center of Porto is populated with monumental granite buildings which reflect the increased wealth of its inhabitants.

Historically speaking, the city is known to some as “a Cidade Invicta”, which means the invincible city, a title bestowed upon it by Porto’s resistance against Napoleonic troops during the Peninsular war.

The city’s main tourist attractions can be found off the Avenida dos Aliados, the Rua Santa Catarina and the Rua Clube dos Denianos.

Another idea would be to start your sightseeing in Porto with the river front Ribeira area, where you can join cruises on the Duoro river in traditional boats which were once used to ferry the wine from the vineyards. On a nearby hilltop you’ll find the 12th century Porto Cathedral which resembles a fortress and then after visiting that you can straight up hit the Praca da Ribeira which is a short walk away. In order to get some great views of the city you should also visit the Torre dos Clerigos which is also close to the Avenida dos Aliados.

As far as the architecture of the entire city goes, Porto is rather varied, with medieval and modern structures side by side but while it is pleasant to the eye, the city’s geography can be a bit hard on one’s feet since it is built in a hilly region and in fact several buildings are actually built into the cliff face which overlooks the river.

The locals are very friendly to outsiders, they are actually known in the region as Tripeiros because it is said that the entire city subsisted on tripe soup so that all the meat could provision the fleet left to conquer Ceuta in 1415, tripe soup has remained a specialty of the city till this day.

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Porto – Portugal – Travel Destination

Being located in the rather well-known Duoro port-wine region of Portugal, the city of Porto or Oporto as it is very oftentimes referred to as, is the second-largest city in Portugal and wildly different from the country’s capital. Lisbon is a very elegant place, focused on showing off its assets, Porto on the other hand is a busy industrial and commercial center, it’s a much more down to earth type of place.

Porto – A place with a rich history

And a varied array of sights and attractions

Porto Sightseeing

The city of Porto is not only responsible for naming a world renown type of wine after it but also the entire country is named after it. Centuries ago, the Lusitanian settlement of Cale was on one side of the Duoro and the Roman settlement of Portus was on the other and they were known as Portus-Cale. In time the two settlements merged and the resulting town acted as the capital or the Portucale lands between the Rio Duoro and Rio Minho. After the Reconquista the entire kingdom took the name of Portugal.

While it is highly likely that you will be landing in Porto for your trip there, if you happen to already be in the country and in a nearby city, you should definitely consider approaching the city via the Duoro train line or river cruise. Both of these options will take you through extremely beautiful scenery and most tourists would consider them an end in themselves. Regardless of the method that you will choose to get in the city, once you reach Porto you’ll see how active the city is, especially if you’re coming from Lisbon. There’s a local saying which boils down the characteristic of Portugal’s main cities which says: “Coimbra studies, Braga plays, Lisbon shows off and Porto works”.

The commercial success of the city is very well attested to through the five spectacular bridges which span the Rio Duoro. The Ponte Luis I joins the main town with the suburb of Vila Nova de Gaia – this is where the port wine lodges can be found and as a result this is where many tourist head to first.

However one must keep in mind that Porto is a rather ancient city and it features quite a few ancient monuments which are also of great interest to visitors. The place is very interesting to see especially from the architectural point of view because it features a mix of styles, with the medieval and the modern coexisting side by side.

One example of medieval architecture is the 16th century Capela ou Emida de Sao Miguel-O-Anjo. This monument was built on a rocky island in the river. On the inside the building is octagonal in shape but the chapel has a traditional cupola featuring spiral stairs to its top.

On the other hand, examples of modern architecture can be found especially when it comes to Porto’s commercial centers which are extremely varied and always busy, keeping in line with the city’s reputation.

Of course this short description doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what it would be to visit Porto, the best you can hope for is to get some good Porto car hire services so that you can have a car at your disposal in order to better explore the city and all of its offerings on your own schedule.

The country of Portugal is considered by many one of Europe’s unspoilt gems thanks to its special mixture of traditional villages and vibrant modern cities, all of which are encompassed within wonderful geography, splendid beaches and tons of history.

Portugal – possible destinations

Here are a couple of ideas to start with

Algarve

The cities and villages of Portugal offer a wonderful array of historical treasures as well as a wide array of World Heritage sites which one can spend many days visiting and touring, not to mention the many natural and cultural sights and attraction that offer various windows into the history of this once great exploring nation. Let’s take a quick look at what Portugal has to offer on the whole.

Despite the country’s reputation for its great scenic countryside and wonderful beaches, Portugal also features some rather lively cities, top amongst them being its capital, Lisbon, and right next to it, both geographically and in terms of attractions, Porto.

These two cities can represent a great introduction to the country, they feature picturesque neighborhoods, wonderful large plazas and old-fashioned trams, all of which create a particular type of atmosphere.

They are great places to get introduced to Portugal because they’re amalgamations of things you’ll find in more detail as you travel away from them into the countryside, so exploring their range of restaurants, cafes and boutiques can give you a sense of what you’ll encounter once you start visiting the smaller towns.

When it comes to the smaller towns however, expect much more of a medieval vibe from at least some of them, if not medieval then traditional or folkloric for sure, but many of the smaller towns such as Coimbra, Braga or Evora retain very well-preserved medieval quarters which are big pulls for those who are interested in history and in medieval European history especially.

The countryside that Portugal has to offer is imbued with hundreds of years of history and people living and working its fields. You can enjoy the warm weather while visiting hundred year-old villages and centuries-old vineyards. Exploring the coastline will offer some truly dramatic panoramas, from dune-covered beaches to windswept cliffs. Those who love to get involved with outdoor activities or who just like to partake in some sports while on their holiday will find that Portugal caters to pretty much anything that they might want to do, whether it’s hiking, horse-riding or big game fishing to kayaking, diving and golfing, you can do it in Portugal.

When it comes to sampling the culture, once you start exploring the coastline and the smaller towns and villages you will be able to see and particularly taste, the traditional side of the country. The food is wonderfully creative, and this is the place that created port wine after all, and while in a coastal city you will have access to some of the best seafood ingredients and recipes in the world.

This is obviously just a very quick look at what this wonderful country has to offer, just a small taste, a tiny idea of what it is to visit Portugal, keep in mind that once you’re there there will be so much more to it than you can imagine or read about.

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