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Porto Coast Description
Porto Coast or widely known as Costa Verde within the tourist community, covers
the districts of the Minho and most of the Douro Litoral. It stretches north
from the city of Porto to the Spanish border and a limited distance north of
Viana do Castelo. It is an area highly populated with a large percentage of
younger people. Inland, there are several historic and interesting cities, towns
and villages that will fascinate the passing tourist. This area is the ancient
beginnings of what today is known as the country of Portugal. A very popular
area is the Parque da Peneda Ger�z, a nature reserve of charming beauty in the
north-east corner on the border with Spain.
The city of Porto and its immediate surroundings is industrially dynamic with
many diversified industries. This productivity gives the city the bustle and
busy feeling that is so noticeable to the visitor. It is impressive to note the
close co-operation that these industries have with the northern academic world
and its associations. The fruit of this very positive attitude is still to be
fully reaped, but already the improvement in the quality of products and the
introduction of new skills are to be noted.
There is a concentrated industrialized coastal strip composed of small and
medium industries that employ less than 50 workers per enterprise. Their
products range from metal and machinery to such industries as printing and
publishing.
An very interesting way to see and feel the true culture and history of this
region is to stay in some of the various Pousadas, most of which are steeped in
local atmosphere and with historic architecture of this region.
Porto History
The history of this now great city had humble beginnings. The Romans gave the
place the name of "Portocale� and official records of its existence date from
5th Century. The Moors who later occupied most of the Iberian Peninsular
destroyed in the early 8th Century whatever previously had existed in this
location. It was later captured in the name of the Christian army in 982 and
came under the power of Count Henry de Burgundy who ordered a Cathedral to be
built. He also introduced a law that stated no nobleman or powerful person could
own property or remain within the walls for more than three days. This law was
only repealed in 1505. In 1120 the then Queen, Dona Teresa, donated the place of
little more than a collection of houses surrounded by a wall to the Bishop Dom
Hugo. It was the efforts of this man that in 1147 convinced the English, Flemish
and German crusaders to sail on to Lisbon to assist Dom Afonso Henriques to
liberate this town from the Moors. In 1237 the Dominicans established a
Monastery for their Order. The place only expanded during the Period of the
Discoveries when Portugal became Europe's central point in trade and it needing
good home ports for its ships and cargo. In the 15th Century the town was one of
the ship building centres in Portugal.
The populace of the town was to many times show their independence to domination
and taxation. In 1209 the Bishop upset the people to the extent that he remained
besieged in his Palace for five months. The Inquisition enjoyed only limited
power here, lasting only four years with only one act of "auto-de-f�". In 1628
the women staged a revolt against a new tax introduced on linen and woollen
goods. In 1757 the inhabitants revolted with many casualties against the wine
monopoly imposed by Marqu�s de Pombal. Radicals in favour of placing the
autocrat Dom Miguel on the throne caused Porto to be besieged in 1832 for
eighteen months before capitulating. There were more uprisings during the later
half of the 19th Century and it was here in 1878 the first Republican
representative in Portugal was elected.
The official name of this city is Porto. However, in recent times there has been
popularity for people from other parts to refer to it as "Oporto". This is due
to its close and lengthy association with Port wine and the reference to the
actual product, "o porto".
Porto Description
As a trading centre at the mouth of the Rio Douro it is the second largest city
after Lisbon with over 320.500 inhabitants. The city has a number of distinctive
atmospheres and this is very evident when comparing the various parts of the
city. The quarter along the riverside known as the Ribeira is full of narrow
twisting streets with houses once painted or tiled in colourful facades, and
full of the bustling energy of working people during the day and the liveliness
of busy "tascas" and restaurants at night.
The district around the Cathedral is also full of busy streets and monuments to
past achievements, and these streets are lined with houses built like layers of
a cake then crowded together with a maze of small alleys in-between. The
Cordoaria quarter is for the students with steep streets and interesting shops.
The civic centre of the city is in the Central e Baixa quarter with broad
avenues lined with Banks and outdoor caf�s, or in the Baixa where the the
two-tiered covered daily market goes about its business. Lastly, the Boavista
area is the arterial route in and out of the city past blocks of apartments and
hotels.
As would be expected of such an important city it is full of fascinating
buildings. The imposing 12th Century S� (Cathedral) contains within many
small-scale treasures from the past. Built in 1842 the inside of the Pal�cio da
Bolsa is almost like being in an Arabian dream. The 14th Century Igreja de S�o
Francisco has an 18th Century interior to amaze the traveller. In this church is
the �rvore de Jesse, a carved representation of the genealogy of Christ. Equally
as amazing is the Igreja da Santa Clara whose opulent gilded interior has to be
seen to be believed. The Feitoria Inglesa built in 1790, is a private club
restricted to the traders in Port Wine and it is only open to the public by
invitation. Its interior is designed around a typical wealthy English townhouse
of that period with an impressive sweeping staircase. Cut-glass chandeliers
containing hundreds of candles light the ballroom in which occasional balls are
still held. Some other churches of note are Igreja da Miseric�rdia, Igreja dos
Congregados, Igreja dos Cl�rigos, Igreja do Carmo and the Igreja de S�o Martinho
de Cedofeita. Among the points of interest is the Terreiro da S� with an
original Manueline pillory complete with hooks in the corners. The S�o Bento
Railway Station containing tiled pictures by Jorge Cola�o depicting early modes
of transport and other interesting scenes.
Porto lies on the north bank of the Rio Douro and is connected to the south bank
by several bridges, one of which is the Dona Maria Pia Railway Bridge, built by
Gustave Eiffel in 1877. It is recorded that the many pieces left over were used
to both span the Rio Arade in the Algarve and to build the lift Elevador da
Santa Justa in Lisbon. A sad story from history is that prior to the bridge
built in 1877 there was one built from linked barges tied together with steel
ropes. In 1809, the Porto inhabitants used this bridge to flee from the invading
French army and it collapsed drowning more than 5.000 people.
To many persons the City of Porto is associated with a their dish of "tripe".
There exists a legend that when the King was equipping his fleet for the
invasion of Ceuta in 1415 he stocked his ships with every available piece of
meat and left the citizens to exist on all that remained which was tripe - the
inhabitants when forced to continuously eat the offal they invented as many ways
as possible to make the dish palatable. It has become the traditional dish
associated with Porto.
A very attractive and interesting trip is to travel by boat up the Rio Douro and
this can be booked in advance through your Hotel.
Porto Museums
Museums abound within and around Porto and here are the main ones. The Museu
Soares dos Reis is named after Portugal�s leading 19th Century sculpture.
Besides his outstanding works there is a collection of fine art and contemporary
paintings together with many historical items. The Casa-Museu Guerra Junqueiro
is the former home of a very active Republican and contains his personal and
variable collection. The Museu de Etnografia e Hist�ria depicts the life and
customs of the city and its region from earliest days up to more recent times.
The Museu Rom�ntico was once the home of King Carlo Alberto of Sardinia and the
upper floor of the building has been turned into a romantic memory of its
previous owner. Below this last museum is the Solar do Vinho do Porto, the head
office of the Port Wine Institute where Port tasting is provided to visitors.
Museu do Carro El�ctrico keeps alive the city�s original transport system with
its collection of past trams including one from 1872 drawn by mules. The
Funda��o de Serralves is devoted to culture and particularly to fine arts with
constantly changing exhibitions. The Casa-Museu Fernando de Castro exhibits a
personal collection that ranges from religious sculpture to paintings of the
20th Century. The Casa-Oficina de Antonio Carneiro is the studio-home of this
artist and exhibits his paintings together with the works of his two sons.
Porto Nearby Locations
Facing and directly across the river to Porto is the town of Vila Nova de Gaia.
Its origin and history is linked to the exporting of wine and was established by
King Afonso III in 1253 when he disagreed with the control held by the Bishop of
Porto over the trade. It is here that all the great Port shippers have
established their Lodges and send their products throughout the world. Tourists
can visit these Lodges by booking in advance. Some of the main Lodges maintain
their traditional "barcos rabelos" boats used to bring the wine down the river
from the Upper Rio Douro to their Lodges since 1780. Outline information about
Port wine and its history can be obtained from our Web Page within our Site.
On the coast to the north of Porto are two more popular holiday resort towns,
Vila do Conde and P�voa de Varzim. The first town is of older origin and used to
enjoy an active shipbuilding industry in the 15th Century. Today, the remodelled
14th Century Mosteiro de Santa Clara imposes its presence on the many tourists
using the town for their holidays. Further to the northeast is the town of Santo
Tirso a centre for the large textile industry in Portugal. A little to the west
of this town is the small hamlet of Roriz that dates back to about the 8th
Century. To the north of Santo Tirso is the Spa Caldas da Sa�de.
To the east is the town of Penafiel. The first named is reputedly for its
popular �vinha verde� quality wine that is consumed in great quantities. Close
by to this town is the 12th Century Church of S�o Gens, only 10 metres high and
7 metres in width and length, and said to be the smallest Romanesque church in
Portugal. Also to the east of Porto in the direction of Amarante is the small
hamlet of Crete with its primitive 10th Century monastery. To the south of this
town is Pa�o de Sousa with its 10th Century church. Further south is the
medieval and well fortified Monte Mouzinho which was basically a hamlet covering
some 20 hectares. To the northeast of this town is the small town of Lousada
with a 13th Century Tower. To the southeast is the town of Marco de Canaveses
dating back to at least 200 AD. Directly north of Crete is Pa�os de Ferreira
with the Igreja de S�o Alavador as a perfect example of a 12th Century church.
Even further to the north is the archaeological Celtic site at Sanfins.
Further to the east is the town interesting town of Amarante and the birthplace
of many famous people including painters Amadeu de Sousa-Cardoso and Ant�nio
Carnerio, the poet Abade de Jasente, the writers Joaquim Teixeira de Vasconcelos
and Augustina Bessa-Lu�s. The town of Amarante and its 16th Century Convento de
S�o Gon�alo together with the 18th Century bridge built to replace the original
medieval one, creates an attractive vision to the many visitors. It was in this
town on the 18th of April in 1809, a small band of Portuguese soldiers and
volunteers held the bridge against the weight of the invading French army for an
incredible 14 days. Needless to say the French troops afterwards took their
revenge on the local inhabitants and set the buildings on fire before moving
onwards. To the north of Amarante is the town of Celorico de Basto and the
castle of Arn�ia
To the southeast of Porto are the towns of Arouca, Castro Daire, S�o Pedro do
Sul and Vouzela. All of these locations contain centuries old attractive
buildings that testify to the individual history of each town. Bridges,
monasteries, ruins of castles or forts, stately homes, all of which indicate the
rich historic value of this part of the countryside.
Along the coast at the mouth of the Rio Douro is the commercial town of
Matosinhos with its busy fishing industry. Further to the south on the coast is
the holiday resort town of Espinho.
Porto Map (Click Here)
Porto Golf
Amarante �
Estela � Miramar �
Oporto �
Ponte de Lima
Quinta da Barca �
Quinta do Fojo
Porto Weather
     
Porto Information
 222 097 000 - Town Hall
226 106 886 - Fire Brigade
222 057 514 - Tourist Office
222 078 400 - Hospital do Carmo
225 071 200 - Hospital Conde Ferreira
226 192 400 - Hospital Magalh�es Lemos
226 089 400 - Hospital Maria Pia
226 087 400 - Hospital Mat. J�lio Dinis
222 075 900 - Hospital Ordem da Trinidade
225 504 844 - Hospital de Santa Maria
222 077 500 - Hospital de Santo Ant�nio
222 062 100 - Hospital de S�o Francisco
225 512 100 - Hospital de S�o Jo�o
222 003 972 - Hospital do Ter�o
225 027 061 - Taxis
229 432 400 - Airport
808 208 208 - Railways (CP) - www.cp.pt
800 296 296 - Support to Tourists
112 - SOS
Porto Events
Festa das Francesinhas - 10th to 14th July
Festa da Cidade - 10th to 29th June
Festas de S�o Jo�o do Porto - 23rd & 24th of June
Town Holiday - 24th June
Feira de Artesanato (Crafts) - December
Market Day - Every day
Porto Locations of Interest
Botanical Gardens
Cathedral - S� de Porto
Church - Igreja do Carmo e Carmelitas
Church - Igreja da Cedofeita
Church - Igreja dos Cl�rigos
Church - Igreja da Miseric�rdia
Church - Igreja de Santa Clara
Church - Igreja de S�o Francisco
Church - Igreja de S�o Jo�o
Church - Igreja de S�o Pedro de Miragaia
Forte de S�o Francisco Xavier
Forte de S�o Jo�o da Foz
Home - Casa das Artes
Home - Casa do Infante
Home - Casa da M�sica
Lello Bookshop
Lighthouse of S�o Miguel
Mercado de Bolh�o
Municipal Library
Pal�cio de Freixo
Pal�cio da Bolsa (Stock Market)
Planetarium www.astro.up.pt/planetario
Railway Station - Esta��o de S�o Bento
Ribeira District
The Factory
Tower - Torre dos Cl�rigos
Porto Beaches
Praia da Aguda
Praia de Aguedela
Praia da �rvore
Praia de Baia
Praia Boa Nova
Praia de Canide Norte
Praia de Canide Sul
Praia de Cabo de Mundo
Praia de Dunas Mar
Praia de Frente Azul
Praia de Granja
Praia de Francelos
Praa de Francemar
Praia de Labruge
Praia de Lavadores
Praia de Le�a
Praia de Madalena Norte
Praia de Madalena Sul
Praia de Mar e Sol
Praia da Mem�ria
Praia de Miramar
Praia de Pedras do Corgo
Praia de Salgueiros
Praia de Santo Andres
Praia de S�ozinha
Praia de Senhora da Pedra
Praia de Valadares Norte
Praia de Valadares Sul
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Portugal Golf
