Oporto (Porto), Portugal

Oporto (Porto) is a city in northern Portugal and is the second largest city in Portugal. One of the most beautiful towns on the Iberian peninsula, Oporto is enchantingly situated on the great gorge of the Douro River in northern Portugal. It is famous for its world-renowned wine "Port," made in the upper Douro valley by a process practiced nowhere else in the world.

Porto's historical centre was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1996. The city is extremely hilly, with many buildings built into a cliff face that overlooks the river. Stairs cut into the stone run up and down the cliff face and offer a laborious but rewarding walking tour. Across the river from Porto proper, in the suburb of Gaia, are located the warehouses of notable companies dealing with Port Wine, such as Calem, Fonseca, Sandemans, Kopke, and others.

Things to See & Do

* Ribeira, the part of the city near the river
* Mercado do Bolhao - market
* Port cellars - located in Ribeira de Gaia
* Sao Francisco church and the Stock Exchange palace
* Livraria Lello - old bookshop

General Information

Cruise Season - Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro
Language - Portuguese
Land Area - 41.3 km
Population - 240,000 approx.
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus zero hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 351

Port Location - The port is located in the recreational harbor called Leixões, in the neighboring city of Matosinhos

Travel Links - Porto is served by Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport (IATA: OPO) which is located some 15km to the north-west of the city centre. Connections are available to major cities in Europe and the US.
Porto's main railway station is situated in Campanha, on the main line to Lisbon. From here, both metro and suburban rail services go to the city centre. The main central station is at Sao Bento, which is itself a notable attraction.
The city has an extensive bus network run by the STCP (Sociedade dos Transportes Colectivos do Porto, or Porto Public Transport Society) which also operates lines in the neighbouring cities of Gaia, Maia and Gondomar.