The Festival of Saint John is celebrated throughout Portugal in the last week of June. Every town, city and village will celebrate this feast day but Porto is the city that really knows how to put on a show. Porto explodes into a riot of…Read More

The Festival of Saint John is celebrated throughout Portugal in the last week of June. Every town, city and village will celebrate this feast day but Porto is the city that really knows how to put on a show. Porto explodes into a riot of drunken revelry which is sometimes anarchic and a mixture of religious and pagan rituals which are often very entertaining, amusing and lots of fun. Remember, it is the summer solstice, also.

The streets of Porto on this day and night are very decorative with grandiose altars, colourful stalls and stages for live entertainment. The party actually begins on the day of the 23rd, St John's Eve, with a model making competition between the districts of Porto. The models are in religious forms. People exchange basil plants or scented herbs that represent a holy meaning. This giving of gifts is meant to bring health and luck in love and business.

Then comes the all night party when the entire town seem to be out in the streets, singing and dancing, drinking bucketfuls of Vinho Verde, eating caldo verde soup, sardines, roast cabrito (kid), lamb and aromatic potatoes. Visitors are welcome to join in the local street parties.

Portuguese love fireworks and really don't have to have an excuse to have a party but on this evening the best places to view the extraordinary displays are on the Ribeira or on the beach at Foz do Douro. Here you will be amazed to see youths praying all night .

The most bizarre aspect of the celebrations is people hitting each over the head with hammers; the inflatible and squeaky sort. Originally leeks were the weapon chosen to carry out this task. On a couple of visits I have seen leeks being used usually in the early hours of the morning when the antics become very silly.

Small paper hot-air balloons are released into the sky which is a ritual usually carried out by sun worshippers and the young Portuguese leap over bonfires. An odd number of jumps, but at least three, are meant to deviate and protect against any misfortune in the coming year. Really, I think it is more for fun and not always taken seriously.

On Saint John's Day itself, people sleep off their excesses, religious and devout go to church and in the afternoon there is the spectacular annual race of the ancient Barcos Rabelos (famous boats with tails that carry port up the Douro) on the river to look forward to.

If you want to visit Porto at this time then please do - but don't come to this fantastic and colourful city expecting it to be peaceful on Saint John's Day. Be prepared for excitement, frivolity and lots of madness.   Close

The development of a city cannot happen without transportation and the River Douro was an obstacle that was only surpassed with the technical progress of the XIX Century. After the Ponte (bridge) das Barcas (1806) and the Ponte Pênsil (1842), in 1877 was built the…Read More

The development of a city cannot happen without transportation and the River Douro was an obstacle that was only surpassed with the technical progress of the XIX Century. After the Ponte (bridge) das Barcas (1806) and the Ponte Pênsil (1842), in 1877 was built the Ponte Dona Maria, that takes the train from Vila Nova de Gaia to Campanhã. In 1886 is inaugurated the Ponte D. Luis, of Gustav Eiffel. In 1963 The Ponte da Arrabida was open to traffic and, finally in 1992 Edgar Cardoso finishes the construction of the Ponte S. João, that substitutes Ponte Dona Maria in its railway link to Oporto.

In the beginning of the XX Century, the establishment of the naval port in Leixões, Matosinhos was vital to the abandonment of the fluvial port.

Porto offers a feast for anyone who appreciates architecture. Medieval, Baroque, and Neo-Classical styles—they're all here. One of the first things you notice is Porto’s sixh six bridges that span the Douro. The Maria Pia, built in 1876 and now used for trains, was…Read More

Porto offers a feast for anyone who appreciates architecture. Medieval, Baroque, and Neo-Classical styles—they're all here. One of the first things you notice is Porto’s sixh six bridges that span the Douro. The Maria Pia, built in 1876 and now used for trains, was even built by Gustave Eiffel before he constructed his famous tower in Paris. The double-decker bridge, Dom Luis, in the Old Town area, is perhaps the most famous.

One of the city’s most famous bridges lives on only in the hearts of local residents. Along the busy Casis da Riberia at the Douro waterside, a bronze plaque memorial with burning candles pays tribute to people who died on March 29, 1809, while fleeing the invading French. The wooden bridge they were using collapsed, plunging them to their deaths in the Douro River below.

Churches, of course, have had a profound influence on architecture. Visit the cloisters of the Sé Cathedral, the Casa do Cabido, and the Igreja (church) de Massarelos, which honors Portugal’s outstanding navigational discoveries, to appreciate the architecture as well as more of Portugal’s famous tiles.

Porto’s Church of São Francisco, on Rue do Infante D. Henrique is also an important city landmark and cultural center. It was built, along with an adjacent monastery, in 1383 by Franciscan monks. The monastery was burned in the early 1800’s, but the church, with its magnificent gilded sculptures, has some 450 pounds of gold guilding - that will dazzle your eyes.

Next to São Francisco, where the monastery once stood, the Plácio do Bolsa or Porto Stock Exchange offers visitors quite a surprise. Don’t think of this as a trading center, but a lavish display of wealth of the powerful commercial class, as well as one of the most extensive displays of craftsmanship that you’re likely to find in one location. Behind this neo-classical façade, you’ll be overwhelmed with elaborate ornamentation.

From the somewhat somber atmosphere of the Sala do Tribunal or Commercial Court Room to the overwhelmingly opulent Salão Arabe or Arabian Room, with its rich Moorish style modeled on the Alhambra, the Plácio do Bolsa is a treasure-trove of art and architecture that no one should miss.

São Pedro dos Clérigos, a Baroque church designed by Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni, is a famous Porto landmark because of its 246-foot tower, which was once used as a navigational aid. If you’re feeling ambitions, you can climb the tower’s seemingly unending granite steps and be rewarded with a panoramic view of the city and surrounding area.

In the area where the river ran through, existed a village called Cale (V Century). Later it is referred to as Portus Cale and Portucale, the origin of the country's name. Oporto was captured by the Moors in 716 and retaken in 1092. The centuries…Read More

In the area where the river ran through, existed a village called Cale (V Century). Later it is referred to as Portus Cale and Portucale, the origin of the country's name.

Oporto was captured by the Moors in 716 and retaken in 1092. The centuries of war depopulated the town. Henry of Burgundy secured the title of duke of Portucalense in the
11th cent., and Oporto thus gave its name to the state that became a kingdom. It was for some time the chief city, although not the capital, of little Portugal.

In the XIV Century the city receives a new mural. Though designated as Fernandina, its construction must have happened between the reigns of D. Afonso IV and D. João I.

This fortification defines the historic nucleus of Oporto.
The city collaborated in the Discoveries since the beginning. From here left the Infante D. Henrique fleet to participate in the conquest of Ceuta.

After the French conquest of Portugal in the Peninsular War, Oporto was the first city to revolt (1808). It was retaken by the French but liberated (1809) by Wellington.

In the XVII Century Oporto knows an important growth due to the wine commerce. The signature of the Methuen Treaty (1703) favours the exportation of wines to Great Britain and then creates the Royal Company of Wine Agriculture of the High Douro (Real Companhia da Agricultura dos Vinhos do Alto Douro). With the increase of commerce, the English and other European colonies grew, being the first great influence on the city. The splendor of the Nasoni baroque, so disclosed in the North, leaves in many buildings the mark of prosperity.

Another period of the urban history of Oporto happens in the XIX Century with the Industrial Revolution. Many factories settle down in the city. Oporto becomes a commercial and industrial city.

With the increase of industrial employment in the city, its attraction grows. The problem of lodging finds in Oporto a peculiar solution called the "islands". Solution probably inspired by the old days, the "islands" are small community houses, leading to strait corridors that fill up the inside of blocks.

It was also in the XIX Century that the bourgeoisie Oporto is formed. In 1855 public lighting was inaugurated and the Agramonte Cemetery. In 1865 The Crystal Palace is inaugurated.

The renovation of the center of Oporto begins with the Republic, by the opening of the Avenida dos Aliados and the new Town House.

The transformation of the city will be led by The Corporative State, with the Ponte Arrabida and the Via Rapida that link the south bank of the River Douro to the Port of Leixões and the Oporto International Airport (Aeroporto Fransisco Sá Carneiro).

The democratic revolution brought the need of a more harmonious development and the approval of the First Urban Plan. The nomination of Oporto as World Heritage opened new
perspectives for a renewal of the old part of town. It is in the west side of town that the first Shopping Centers are built.

If you’re into music and are visiting Portugal, you must look for clubs that feature fado folk music. This soulful melancholy music expresses what they call "saudade," a haunting, poignant feeling of passion for a lost love or other personal longings. This is strong, powerful,…Read More

If you’re into music and are visiting Portugal, you must look for clubs that feature fado folk music. This soulful melancholy music expresses what they call "saudade," a haunting, poignant feeling of passion for a lost love or other personal longings. This is strong, powerful, emotional music even if you don’t know the language.

If you want to listen to fado before your visit to Porgugal, look for recordings by Amalia Rodrigues. When Rodrigues died in 1999 at the age of 79, her obituary called her the "Ambassador of Fado," and credited her with making it world famous. Today, singers such as Argentina Santos carry on her tradition.

Port was born out of necessity says Alistair Robertson, Chairman of the Port wine firm of Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman. It came into existence when spirits were added to wine to keep it from spoiling during shipping. In the 17th century when Great Britain was…Read More

Port was born out of necessity says Alistair Robertson, Chairman of the Port wine firm of Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman. It came into existence when spirits were added to wine to keep it from spoiling during shipping. In the 17th century when Great Britain was at war with France, he says British traders became interested in the robust wines of Portugal.

Now in its fourth generation, Robertson’s firm of Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman is still family owned and managed and, in fact, is the last of the totally independent company of the original British Port houses.

From Porto, it's easy to tell that the Port wine industry is alive and well. Just take a look across the Douro River at night, and you'll see massive Port wine logos and signs that shimmer in the wavy water.

Like any other good wine, Port has its vintage years that connoisseurs seek. Sip dry white Port as an apéritif or savor the sweeter rich tawny reds as you nibble on dessert or, better yet, a plate of creamy Portuguese Serra cheese. Whichever Port you select, sip it slowly and let it be a pleasant reminder of Porto how some things just seem to improve with age.

At many of Portugal’s larger restaurants, you can a wide variety of imported wines. But, to truly capture the flavor of the country you are in,I think that it's important to try the local wines. (Besides, in most cases, local wines are not readily…Read More

At many of Portugal’s larger restaurants, you can a wide variety of imported wines. But, to truly capture the flavor of the country you are in,I think that it's important to try the local wines. (Besides, in most cases, local wines are not readily exported.)

In Portugal, there are white (blanco), red (tingo) and rose (rosado) wines, as well as a specialty of the Douro region, vinho verde or green wine. No, this is not a Portugal version of Green Eggs and Ham. Vinho verde is really a white or red wine. The "green" simply refers to the color of the young grapes when they are plucked. Although it can be served in regular wine glasses, it seems to taste better in champagne flutes, because this light and fruity has a slight effervescent. I've tasted it at home and in Portugal and must say that it's much more fun to enjoy it there.

We went half-board, which proved quite expensive over the Christmas period, but the food was fantastic, and we tried all the local food on offer. There was only one night of the 7 we stayed when I could honestly say I didn't fancy anything on…Read More

We went half-board, which proved quite expensive over the Christmas period, but the food was fantastic, and we tried all the local food on offer. There was only one night of the 7 we stayed when I could honestly say I didn't fancy anything on the menu. I will go self catering this year.
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