1. Porto and the North
Porto is Portugal’s second city, the centre of the historic port wine trade and located at the mouth of the Douro river. Impressive granite buildings interspersed with more humble dwellings tumble down the hillside to the river. Several bridges link Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia on the south bank of the Douro, which is the home of the port wine lodges and many pleasant riverside bars and restaurants.
Northern Portugal presents itself in shades of green, with a patchwork of intensely cultivated smallholdings spread around whitewashed or natural granite villages, grouped around their striking churches.
The wine growing region of the Upper Douro valley has recently been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Natural Parks include the Peneda de Gerês, the Douro Internacional and Montesinho, all of which abound with a wide variety of flora and fauna.