Excursions from Porto

The excursions you can take from Porto are varied, as the north of Portugal is a very interesting area to visit and get to know. Northern Portugal is divided into the areas of Porto and Minho. These areas are quite distinct from each other, partly because Porto seems closer to being a seaside town and closer to the idea of Portugal as a seaside place. The north, on the other hand, is part of the interior and departs somewhat from the traditional view.

The main advice is to take a trip that centres on the north of Portugal. This way, you can get to and from Porto without any difficulty. Lisbon seems close, but for practical purposes it’s always about a three-hour train journey. That’s why I recommend getting to and from Porto.

First of all, it’s essential to understand whether you’re motorised or not.  Porto is very well connected to other cities and it’s important to understand how you want to get around. Renting a car is a good solution, not so much for the city of Porto, which you don’t really need. But it’s very useful for visiting neighbouring towns that you can easily visit in a day, as the towns are very small and can be visited in a short space of time.

For example, if you go by car, you can visit Braga and Guimarães in one day, but if you go by train, you have to do it in two days, leaving from São Bento station, where trains leave frequently, and you’ll be there in 60 minutes.

It’s the same in Aveiro, the little Venice, as it’s called. You can get there by train in no time, but if you visit Aveiro by car, you can also visit the Costa Nova, which can be visited by car. This follows a route along the seafront and, on a good day, the experience is very beautiful and interesting.

In Aveiro, of course, don’t miss the opportunity to take a ride on a typical local gondola, which is somewhat reminiscent of the Venetian gondola, but much larger and with the capacity to carry more people along the ride.

One of the many excursions from Porto that shouldn’t be missed is the Douro Valley. The Douro Valley is a beautiful area about 60 kilometres from Porto. You can also get here by car or train. What are the advantages and disadvantages between the car and the train?

As far as the train is concerned, there is the so-called Douro line, where an old train from São Bento follows the entire Douro line. Its journey is very interesting because through it you can see the Portugal of today,

In particular, this little train follows the river and there are times when the train is travelling so close to the riverbank that it looks like it could fall over at any moment. The train from São Bento arrives directly at Pinhão. This is the most popular town for boat trips on the Douro. On the same day, it is still possible to make two stops, the first in Pinhão and the second in Régua.

In Pinhão, apart from the walk along the Douro and the boat trip, there isn’t much else to do. Regue, on the other hand, is a very interesting town with a long river to stroll along, as well as many good restaurants and the Regua Wine Museum. This museum is interesting for learning a little about the history of Porto.

If you’re driving, however, you’ll see other interesting aspects of the Douro Valley; you’ll also want to go directly from Porto to Pinhão, visit the town and then go to a typical Quinta where you can do a wine tasting or even have lunch. If you’re driving through the Douro, I recommend following the trails, which are marvellous. Then head to Régua and back to Porto.