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About the City
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, with a 2005 estimated population of 238,465 in the 15 parishes of Porto municipality, 1.6 million in the 14 Greater Metropolitan Area of Porto municipalities, and 2.99 million people in the broader agglomeration of Northern Littoral Urban-Metropolitan Region.
City areas
To see all that Porto has to offer, you’ll need to walk a little more than usual, since it will take you about three days to experience it all.
Attractions
The most famous things to visit are actually in Vila Nova de Gaia, the neighboring city across the river. These are the port-wine lodges, which make the famous Porto brand of wine.
Transportation
Getting to Porto is relatively easy, depending on your departure point. The fastest way is by plane, but if you live in Europe then you can also choose to travel by train, bus or own car.
Events
Porto is well known for its two biggest festivals, the Sao Joao festivities and the Queima das Fitas. These two events are very popular in Portugal, and you should definitely take part in these events at least once in your lifetime.
Restaurants & Nightlife
The food in Porto is excellent, many restaurants complimenting their dishes with wonderful port wine. The nightlife is also booming with life as Porto goes into party mode after dark.
History and Civilization
The history of Porto begins in proto-Celtic times, when the people living here at the time built citadels. It’s not yet known what happened next but history seems to indicate that the Celts settled here next, later on the region being conquered by the Roman Empire.
A guide shopping in Porto
For a little session of shopping, the best place to start would be the shopping malls. In recent years most shops in Porto have clustered inside the malls, which make shopping quite easy now.
