LOCATION
Porto, found within the coastal
region of Minho, is without doubt
the main city in northern Portugal.
The North’s most important
city lent its name to the famous
wine and to the country. One must
stroll around its typical quarters
(especially the area on the waterside,
the ‘zona ribeirinha’)
and its bustling downtown. One
should not miss a visit to the
Port lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia
and free tasting of the famous
port wine.
LANDSCAPE
Along the coastline north of Porto
runs a coastal road linking Vila
do Conde to Valença. It
takes visitors past beautiful beaches,
summer resorts and enchanting villages,
such as Caminha and Vila Nova de
Cerveira. Inland, one must visit
the huge national park area covering
the mountains of Peneda, Soajo
and Gerês.
In the interior of the country's
northern part, European plants
predominate, whereas in the south
many Mediterranean plants grow.
CLIMATE
Mild year round. Summers are dry
and clear, with warm sunshine extending
long into Autumn. Winters are moderately
cool and are the rainiest time
of year, except in subtropical
Madeira, where there is little
rain. Mid-Summer temperatures range
in the 70 F, while Winter temperatures
range from the low to mid-50s.
HOW TO GET THERE
International airports are: Lisboa,
Porto, Faro, Funchal (Madeira),
Ponta Delgada (São Miguel,
Açores), and Lajes (Ilha
Terceira, Açores). The national
airline is TAP–Air Portugal.
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport
is located 11 km from the city
of Porto. Shuttle buses are available
to the city center.
Every day, international trains
run between Paris and Lisbon (Sud
Express); Lisbon-Madrid train Lusitânia,
and Porto-Vigo.
Express trains run between Lisbon
and Porto stopping in Coimbra (Alfa
trains), while regional trains
(Intercidades and Inter-regional)
connect the different parts of
the country.
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