Oporto

Oporto is the second largest city in Portugal, and the capital of the Douro region. It is a good jumping off point and point of return for a number of journeys: north, up to Viana do Castelo, the Minho region and even Galicia beyond; north-east to Braga or further to Trás-os-Montes; south, along the Costa de Prata, east, up the gorgeous Douro valley...

Oporto Travel

Sights. Oporto's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site and contains most of the sights you would want to take in: the sé, cathedral, and all its dependent buildings like the bishop's palace; the Casa da Câmara, town hall; the Praça da Batalha, Battle Square, so-called because there really was a battle there; mediaeval ruas, churches and palaces... Most people's favourite part of Oporto is the ribeira, riverside, where you will be enchanted by the barcos rabelos, the typical flat-bottomed sailing boats which used to move barrels of wine down the river to Oporto, but which now only serve to promote the different port wine cellars and for a light-hearted race during the festas of São João in June. The ribeira also contains many of the town's most historic streets, squares and buildings: the Casa do Infante, Prince's House; Praça da Ribeira; the old, old district of O Barredo...

Nightlife. You can have a good time in Oporto just floating around the centre with no particular destination in mind, particularly in the streets off Rua de Santa Catarina. On the same street, the Café Majestic is not the oldest but it is the most elegant and classic of the city's historic cafés. For more action, try Indústria, in the Centro Comercial de Foz, Avenida do Brasil 843, open Friday and Saturday from 10:30 pm to 4 am. Or Disco Swing, in the Centro Commercial Italia, Rua Julio Dinis 766, a techno haven open daily from 8 pm to 4 am, with a minimum drink consumption of 4 € to 7 €. Away from the city centre, the suburb of Matosinhos is something of a nightlife centre. In particular, Estado Novo, Rua Sousa Arosa 722, Matosinhos, is said to be one of the most popular dance clubs in the Porto area, for serious partyers only. Open Thursday to Sunday 11 pm to 4 am, with a cover charge of 9 € to 14 €, credited against your drinks bill. I believe that women (I think that should read "girls") enter and may even drink for free on Thursdays, a students' night.

Practical Oporto

Food and Drink. The people of Oporto are known as "tripeiros," in reference to an incident in the 15th century, when the people of Oporto gave all their meat to the fleet which was going to conquer Ceuta, keeping only the tripe for themselves (the story is supposed to show the altruism and generosity of Oporto natives, you can interpret it as you wish). Whether or not you want to try tripas à moda do Porto, tripe with beans and sausage, will probably depend on your stomach for stomach. You will find caldo verde, a potato and cabbage soup, impossible to avoid, and why should you? Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá, salt cod baked with potatoes, is recommended by the Oporto Tourist Board's website - I am afraid I have never tried it but it sounds delicious. Cabrito (or cordeiro) asado, roast kid (or lamb), is a feast dish in origin, more elaborately prepared than its equivalent in Spain. Oporto's desserts and sweets include pão de ló, biscoito da Teixeira, and papos de Anjo, all of which have some kind of religious connection, being related with holy days or convent-made. Port wine, from the Douro region, is an immense subject which I shall deal with properly another day, but I must mention two things: white port is suitable for serving chilled as an aperitif, but red or tawny port is an end-of-the-meal affair, drunk with dessert or cheese. Oporto is also the natural outlet for the Minho region, where Portugal's vinho verde, a light, refreshing, white wine with a hint of sparkle, is produced.

Getting Around. Buses are the main form of public transport, but take note of the funicular railway that runs up the hill from the riverside to the Praça da Batalha.

Getting There. The only low-cost airline flying to Oporto is Ryanair, which operates flights there from London Stansted. The British Airways one-way fare to Oporto, however, is quite reasonable at £114. Flying with a major carrier from countries other than the UK, you will probably have to get a connecting flight from Lisbon, though your best bet may be to look for a charter flight, as these seem to be moderately plentiful.

Oporto Links

SPV Oporto Links Directory

Selected Links

O Destino Porto
The municipal tourism site is as good as any I have seen, especially on sights and events, its only real deficiency being the lack of information on lodgings. Much of the interesting stuff is hidden away under "The City of Porto": "Foreigners in Porto" contains beautiful, entertaining explanations of the city's history in relation to the English, Dutch, and so on.

Porto - from Virtourist.com
As you would expect, a virtual tour of Porto, from the Corberó family.

Porto - Discover Portugal
A good, personal description of Porto and the Minho, with plenty of photos and great music.

Porto - historical curiousities
Historical facts about Oporto. Did you know it gave Portugal its name?

Porto's Historic Centre - a World Heritage Site
World Heritage site descriptions are concise and to the point, like this one.