Portugal - Costa Verde

Porto

A Karen Brown Recommendation

From Aveiro, it’s just a quick drive to Porto and its many sights. Leave Aveiro and return to the A1 and then drive north to Porto. You approach the city over the Arrabida Bridge, the youngest, longest, and westernmost of the three spectacular spans across the River Douro. The one you see to your right is the Dom Luis I, built in 1886, and beyond that is the railway bridge, Maria Pia, built ten years earlier by Gustave Eiffel (before he built the tower in Paris). The finest city views are available from these vantage points.Porto’s native son is Prince Henry the Navigator, the driving force behind Portugal’s monumental voyages of discovery, famous for his school of navigation in Sagres. His parents were King João I and Philippa of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt. Their marriage in 1387 cemented the bond that Porto still maintains with the British. In the 18th century the British discovered port wine and the rest is history.Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, with nearly half a million inhabitants, and the heart of the nation’s most important economic region, accounting for well over 50% of the country’s economic production. The city has a long history of relative autonomy (fiercely protected) and has frequently found itself at odds with Lisbon. Unaffected by the 1755 earthquake, Porto retains an old-world ambiance unmatched in the capital city. Most of the important sights are reached easily on foot from your hotel. Just a block east is the bustling Avenida dos Aliados that runs from the Town Hall on the north to the busy Liberdade Square (the center of town) on the south. A few blocks to the west of the square on Rua dos Clerigos is Porto’s landmark, the 75-meter Clérigos Tower, offering expansive views over the city and the river. Continuing south along the Avenida Dom Afonso Henriques, you encounter the Cathedral, founded in the 12th century but subsequently considerably altered. It boasts several ornate altars, including an impressive one of silver. Just south of the cathedral is the Guerra Junqueira Museum with an assortment of pottery and tapestries. Across the Avenida Dom Afonso Henriques is found the Santa Clara Church, elaborately decorated with carved wood. Northeast of here is a well-preserved section of the original town walls.To the west and south of the cathedral area is the town’s older quarter. A few blocks in that direction will bring you to the elegant 19th-century Bolsa, or Stock Exchange, with a gigantic neo-Moorish hall. Right behind it is the São Francisco Church, decorated in sumptuous baroque and rococo style with carved wood and gilt. East and a bit north of here is the Museum of Ethnography with a regional display illustrating the everyday life of the residents of northern Portugal.Porto’s most important museum is the Museu Soares dos Reis (named for the 19th-century sculptor), housed in an 18th-century palace. It has an extensive collection of Portuguese primitives and sculpture by Soares dos Reis, among other paintings, mostly by Portuguese artists.The wine to which the city has given its name is mostly produced in the suburb across the river known as Vila Nova da Gaia. If you want to see the process and taste the results, take the Dom Luis I Bridge and go to the right as you reach the other side. You will see numerous wineries near the river where port wine is fermented in 25,000-gallon vats before being bottled and aged (15 years or more). Port officially comes only from the Douro river basin and is fortified with brandy to stop its fermentation and thus increase the sweetness. Most of these wineries may be visited, especially on weekdays during normal business hours. If you turn left off the bridge instead of right you’ll discover the 16th-century Convent of Nossa Senhora da Serra do Pilar, which has one of the best views of the city climbing up from the banks of the Douro.If you have the time, an excursion up the coast north of Porto is a worthwhile trip. Take the Rua do Ouro along the river to the west of downtown through São João do Foz, a suburb sitting right at the mouth of the Douro with a 17th-century fort. Turn north along the Atlantic, past the old Castelo do Queijo, and continue to the new port of Leixoes, built at the mouth of the River Leca to circumvent problems with silt that plague Porto’s channel. A few kilometers after crossing the river to Leca da Palmeira, join the N107, passing Porto’s Pedras Rubras airport, and turn left on the N13.After a pretty 15 kilometers you will reach Vila do Conde, an ancient fishing village that predates the Romans, but which is increasingly attractive as a resort. The town is known for its lace making and, if you happen to be there on a Friday, you will find an especially large selection at the weekly market. The Santa Clara Convent is worth a visit, if only to see the carved ceilings and the tombs of the 14th-century founders, Dom Afonso Sanche and Dona Teresa Martin. In the cloister is a fountain fed by a 6-kilometer-long aqueduct, which originates in nearby Povoa de Varzim. This neighboring town is also a popular resort due to its nice beach, casino, and colorful old fishermen’s quarter.

Located along these Karen Brown Itineraries:

Romantic River Routes
Port to Port
Back to the Beginning

Traveler Reviews:
(show / hide)

Nearby Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts:
Listed Alphabetically, Not By Distance.

• Quinta do Convento da Franqueira