Porto and the North

The coastal town of Vila do Conde lies at the mouth of the River Ave around 30 km north of Porto. This is a town with two contrasting characters; there is the modern beach town with its apartment blocks and vilas that merges into neighbouring Póvoa do Varzim, and there is the quiet, old town located on the banks of the river. The former offers a pleasant day out with some great sandy beaches along with wide, pleasant avenues, gardens and cafes.

About halfway between Porto and the northern border with Spain lies the coastal city of Póvoa de Varzim. Virtually unknown outside of Portugal the city has been one of the North's most popular holiday resorts for over three hundred years. But Póvoa de Varzim has a history that goes back way beyond this.

A few miles north of the seaside city of Póvoa de Varzim are the beaches of Rio Alto and Estela. A world away from the casino and high-rise beachfront hotels, the Praia do Rio Alto is backed by extensive dunes and farm land beyond. You won't find much in the way of facilities here, just the beach and the ocean. This open stretch of beach is usually quiet which makes it ideal as one of Northern Portugal's best known naturist beaches. Although it is not an official "nude beach" Rio Alto is certainly generally accepted as such.

In a country that has been shaped by its coastline, from historic times through to the modern tourist industry Praia do Azibo is something of an oddity. A quick look at the map will confirm that Azibo is about as far from the coast as you can get in Portugal. In fact it is actually closer to the border with Spain.

The beach at Leça da Palmeira is located on the northern edge of the city of Porto, just across the harbour from Matosinhos. It is a similar mix of the industrial, historic and residential.

The beach here is a good sized stretch of fine white sand. However, it is somewhat blighted by the huge stone pier at the southern end which protects the mouth of Leixões, one of Portugal's major sea ports. Beyond this are glimpses of cranes and to the north the tanks of the oil refinery.

Espinho is located around 25km south of Porto. This photo shows both the past and present of this small seaside town; initially a fishing village, boats were launched from Espinho's beach when the swells weren't too big. It is this same beach, with its fine golden sand, which allowed the town to grow in popularity.

Looking across the River Cávado to Barcelos. To the right is the medieval Ponte de Barcelos (bridge) which was built between 1325 and 1328.

Across the river is the Igreja Matriz and the ruins of the Palace of the Counts of Barcelos (Paço dos Condes de Barcelos). In 1801 the tower of this palace collapsed badly damaging the bridge.

Matosinhos is Porto's main beach. A long stretch of fine sand backed by apartment blocks, an esplanade and any number of small cafes it is pleasant enough. In the summer there's always some sort of activity on the beach and the lifeguard service makes for safe bathing.

The water quality has improved greatly over the years, although it still isn't up to Blue Flag standards. Given there is a large port and oil terminal at the northern end of the beach this isn't a huge surprise.

Praia dos Ingleses is a largely sandy beach with rocky outcrops around the shore line. Located in the upmarket Foz do Douro district of Porto this is cafe and promenading central. The cafes here stay open until late and Praia dos Ingleses is often still buzzing long after dark.

The fantastically ornate interior of the Arab Room in Porto's Palacio da Bolsa. The building was built in the 19th century as the city's stock exchange. Having such an extravagant interior was supposed to lend an air of credibility to the city as a European centre of investment.

Now-a-days the Palacio da Bolsa is no longer the stock market and the Rab room is used for receiving heads of states and other visiting dignitaries in Porto.