Porto, the country's second largest city, which was the European capital of culture in 2001 (along with Rotterdam, in the Netherlands), is in itself full of interest, but the district it heads, though largely industrialised, offers the visitor plenty to see.
Along the coast, holiday resorts like the cosmopolitan beach of Espinho, busy ports like Matosinhos, with splendid seafood, or traditional fishing towns like Póvoa de Varzim, but where there is also an excellent casino.
Inland, for example, the quaint charm of Amarante, with 17th century mansions overlooking the river and famous for a kind of sweet egg pastries called "papos de anjo" (angel bellies).
Right next to Porto in Vila Nova de Gaia, you can visit the lodges where Port wine is blended and aged and where you can taste the different varieties, or you may choose to take a river cruise along the Douro.
The whole district is filled with prosperous towns, as commerce and industry thrive there, but you can drive along many calm roads with wonderful views over the river or enjoy a rugged and still unspoilt coastline.
The historic centre of Porto was designated an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. Porto's cathedral and the Torre dos Clérigos are some of the outstanding monuments that you can see in this northern city.
The mild and moist climate, make Porto a good place to visit in summertime, unlike the winter, when temperatures can go below 0 (zero) degrees.