The Porto hotel and activities guide offers stay over guests and cruise ship visitors information and discount reservations for hotels, villa rentals, car rentals, activities and shore excursions in Porto.
Plan your trip from home and save a lot versus booking via your cruise ship or travel agent. Book your resort, hotel, car rental or activity in Porto with the Porto Hotels & Travel Guide at up to 50% less then the regular published rates.
General Info
Porto is the second biggest city in Portugal, after Lisbon, and its also considered as the economic capital of the country due to the high concentration of companies in its area (the biggest in the country). The city has about 300,000 inhabitants but its metropolitan area has nearly 2,500,000 inhabitants wich makes it one if the biggest urban areas in southern Europe. It is located in Northern Portugal and it was built along the Douro river estuary.
What to see
Porto is worldwide know for its famous wine name after the city which is also one of its main tourist attraction. All its caves are located on the other side of the river, in Vila Nova de Gaia, where visitors can enjoy a guided tour to see how this wine is made and even test it. If you wish to find out more about the Porto wine process, there are guided boat tours who take visitors up the river Douro to see the areas where the vineyards are grown.
Porto city center was awarded World Heritage Status by UNESCO in 1996 for its historical and architectural value. Built along the hills overlooking the Douro, the city has many remarkable buildings. The best known is the impressive Dom Luís I bridge, a double-decked metal arch bridge that connects Porto with the neighbour city of Vila Nova de Gaia. Next to it you will find the Casi da Ribeira area lying near the river. This is the oldest part of the town and offers the most typical postcard of the city.
Transport
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, also known as Porto Airport (OPO) is 15 km from the city centre and it is linked by the Aerobus or by taxi to the city. You may also rent a car from any of the rental companies located at the airport at very competitive prices. You might not be likely to use it in the city as the traffic is very dense and most of the city centre is made of narrow streets and alleys. However, you might want to use it to visit the Palacio de Cristal and Casa da Musica area as well as the seaside area of Matosinhos (especially in summer) and other beautiful cities in the Douro region such as Amarante or Guimaraes
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