Environment
Porto is located in the northern Portugal (regiao Norte), which is a land of dense vegetation and
profound historic and cultural wealth.
At the coastline you will find beautiful beaches, seaside resorts and enchanting pictoresque villages. Inland
there are scenic natural parks, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, vineyards and fertile plots.
Some distances of interest
The closest airport is Porto Internationale Airport, located 20 km away.
It is more than 50 km to the mountains and less than 1 km to the nearest river.
In Portugal the Atlantic Ocean is always "close by" - distances from estern inland border will
maximum be a two hour drive. The closest beach is less than 1 km away.
Climate : Ocean clima with nice hot humid summers and with a cool breeze from the sea in wintertime Town character : Industrial city Primary Industry : Manufacturing Industry
Population: 240.000 inhabitants. Population in Metropolitan Area: about 2 million inhabitants.
Porto is located in the estuary of the Douro river in northern Portugal and is the country´s second largest city, full of interest itself. The historic centre of Porto was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.
Porto district offers the visitor plenty to see! - The holiday resorts like the cosmopolitan beach of Espinho - Busy ports like Matosinhos, with splendid seafood - Traditional fishing towns, like Póvoa de Varzim, but where there is also a casino.
If you go inland, don't miss the charming Amarante, with 17th century mansions overlooking the river. Famous for a kind of sweet egg pastries called "papos de anjo" (angel bellies). Take a river cruise along the Douro, or enjoy a drive along many calm roads with wonderful views over the river or a regged and still unspoilt coastline.
Economy Porto is Portugal's second city and capital of the Norte region. The city is considered the economic and cultural heart of the entire region. Porto district is one of the most industrialised districts in Portugal, and Maia, one of Porto's satellite cities, has the largest industrial park in Portugal.
One of Portugal's most internationally famous products, Port wine, is named after the city because it is produced in, and shipped from the area - or, more precisely, from Vila Nova de Gaia, a city just across the river.
Climate Porto lies just to the north of a coastal Mediterranean climate zone that encompasses most of central and southern Portugal. As a result, its climate shares many characteristics with the coastal south: temperate dry summers, and mild rainy winters.
Unlike the south, however, cool and rainy interludes can interrupt the summer dry season and the season's average length is considerably shorter. Also, the city's more northern position and coastal location off the Atlantic often results in cooler weather in Porto than to its south during summer.
Football As in most Portuguese cities, football is the most important sport in the city. Top division champions F.C. Porto and Boavista F.C. are both from Porto.
Wine from the region of Norte
Portugal produces some of the world's finest, oldest, unique and highest value-added wines.
The country has a large variety of native breeds - about 285 - producing a very wide
variety of different wines with distinctive personality.
