Portugal Regions: Porto & The Rio Douro
The region of Porto & The Rio Douro in the far north west of Portugal is centered on the city of Porto and covers much of the area of the former province of Douro Litoral.
Main Towns
The Porto & The Rio Douro region includes Porto and the town of Vila Nova de Gaia, on the south side of the Douro from Porto and famous for its port wine lodges. Other towns and cities in the area are Vila do Conde, Régua, Póvoa de Varzim, Amarante, Matosinhos, Pinhão and Penafiel.
The River Douro ("River of Gold") and its wine (including vinho verde around Penafiel) and port wine production have long dominated the historical growth and development of the area.
Wine has been produced in the Alto Douro (upper Douro) region near Porto for over 2,000 years. Now famed for its main product of port wine, the intricately-terraced terrain has been shaped and cared for by the hand of man over the centuries. The scenic landscape is dotted with quintas (wine-producing estates), churches and small picturesque villages. The panoramas are stunning.
One of the delights of the region is to take a boat tour along the Douro - the river can be navigated from Porto up to Barca d'Alva on the Spanish border. Or ride the train on the Douro Main Line (Linha do Douro) from São Bento Station to Peso da Régua, a port wine town and river cruise center. From here the line continues to Pocinho.
The eastern part of the River Douro as it flows into Portugal from Spain includes the Parque Natural do Douro Internacional in Trás-os-Montes.
The climate here is generally cooler than in Lisbon or the Algarve to the south.
Getting to Porto
Air
Around 19 daily flights to Lisbon from Francisco Sá Carneiro airport, 20 km NW of city. Porto Metro Line E connects to the airport and there is also the AreoBus to Avenida dos Aliados in the centre of Porto, plus plenty of taxis.
Metro, Trams & Funicular
Porto's metro system runs both underground in the city centre and above ground in the suburbs. There are 6 lines: Line A (blue), Line B (red), Line C (green), Line D (yellow), Line E (violet) and F (orange).
Line B of the Porto Metro runs out to the coast at Vila do Conde and Póvoa da Varzim. Purchase a rechargeable Andante card for use on the metro, tram, bus and funicular and validate it before you get on.
Porto's remaining trams (eléctricos ) run the 5 km from Ribeira along the River Douro to the sea at Foz do Douro (25 minutes) with a branch line running from the Igreja do Carmo to Massarelos by the Tram Museum.
The Funicular dos Guindais runs from Praça da Batalha to the bottom tier of Ponte Dom Luis I along Rua Augusto Rosa.
Train Travel in Portugal
InterCity trains start from Campanha Station, 2 km east of the centre of Porto.
Regional services start from Sao Bento Station downtown and pass through Campanha Station (5 minutes away).
15-19 trains daily to Coimbra: 1 hour, 15 mins. 12 trains daily to Lisbon: 3 hours and trains to Aveiro (40-55 minutes), Barcelos (60-100 minutes), Guimaraes (65 minutes), Viana do Castelo (90 minutes-2 hours).
Rail information call 808 208 208.
Car Travel in Portugal
From Lisbon take the A1 highway north - 304 km.
Bus Travel in Portugal
40+ minutes to the airport by AeroBus.
Renex for buses to Lisbon. Hourly departures with journey time around 3 hours 30 mins. Braga is around 75 minutes by bus from Porto.
Rede Expressos for buses to most destinations in Portugal. Coimbra is around 90 mins by bus from Porto.
There are buses with ALSA/Internorte to Salamanca in Spain taking 6 hours and 15 minutes. The bus station is at Casa da Musica. Buses from Porto to Madrid take 9 hours, 15 minutes.
City bus terminals are in front of Sao Bento Station, at Praça da Liberdade and Cordoaria. Bus tickets can be bought on the bus or at newspaper kiosks.
Trams (which are historic trams) accept only Andante Tickets (same as metro do Porto).
Portugal Hotel & Hostel Accommodation
Featured Hotel
Crown Plaza Porto Hotel
Av. da Boavista 1466, Porto.
5 Stars, 20 minutes from the airport and located on the beach.
Hotel Accommodation in Porto
Hotels in Porto - Booking.com
Mercure Porto Centro Santa Catarina
Book the Grande Hotel do Porto
Hotels in Portugal - Booking.com
Order your Porto Card online with Get Your Guide
Eating
The Douro region is known for a variety of dishes including baby goat, cabrito, wild boar, game birds and fish from the Douro all washed down, of course, with its famous wines and ports.
The average high June temperatures for Portugal is between 22 degrees Centigrade and 26 degrees Centigrade.
Get more weather information for Portugal