Porto, Gaia and Gondomar
Most of our villas in the north are in and around Porto. The Ribeira riverfront and old centre are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the port lodges sit across the Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia. Foz do Douro, where the river meets the sea, has a promenade and rocky beaches. Gondomar's riverside villages of Melres and Lomba lie upstream, about half an hour east. The airport is 20 to 30 minutes from the centre by metro or car.
Best for: City breaks with port lodges, restaurants and river trips
Not for you if: You want a pool-and-beach week: Porto's beaches are cool, breezy and often foggy in the morning.
Viana do Castelo, Afife and Caminha (Minho coast)
Viana do Castelo is a handsome port town below Santa Luzia, a hilltop basilica reached by funicular, and holds a large festival, the Romaria d'Agonia, each August. Cabedelo beach across the river is popular for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Afife has a long, open surf beach, and Caminha sits on the Minho estuary looking across to Spain, with pine woods behind Moledo beach. Porto airport is around 45 minutes to an hour away.
Best for: Surfers, walkers and families happy with cool water
Not for you if: You want to swim in calm, warm sea: the water is cold and waves are big on many days.
Esposende, Fão and Póvoa de Varzim
Esposende and Fão face each other across the Cávado estuary, with dunes and pine woods at Ofir and long, quiet beaches. Póvoa de Varzim is a larger town with a seafront promenade, a casino and a busy fishing harbour. The A28 motorway runs up this coast, and Porto airport is about 20 to 40 minutes away, making this the easiest beach base in the north.
Best for: Families who want beaches within easy reach of Porto
Not for you if: You dislike wind: the afternoon nortada blows hard along this coast in summer.
Ponte de Lima, Arcos de Valdevez and Amares (Lima valley and Gerês)
Ponte de Lima, often called Portugal's oldest town, has a long medieval bridge and a riverside market. Calheiros is a hill parish just above it. Arcos de Valdevez, further up the Lima, is the gateway to the Peneda-Gerês national park, with granite villages, wild ponies and marked trails. Amares sits on the southern edge of Gerês, near the Cávado reservoirs. This is vinho verde country. Porto airport is around an hour to an hour and a quarter away.
Best for: Walkers and rural stays among vineyards and stone villages
Not for you if: You want the sea on your doorstep: the coast is 30 minutes to an hour away.
The Douro valley and Trás-os-Montes (Lamego, Marco de Canaveses, Penafiel, Vila Marim, Bragança)
Marco de Canaveses and Penafiel are in green country about 45 minutes east of Porto. Further up, the Douro valley is cut into terraced port vineyards, with tastings at quintas around Régua and Pinhão and a riverside railway. Lamego has a long baroque stairway up to its hilltop sanctuary, and Vila Marim lies in the hills near Vila Real. Bragança, around two and a half hours from Porto, has a walled citadel and the Montesinho natural park.
Best for: Wine lovers who want terraced vineyards and quinta visits
Not for you if: You dislike heat: the upper valley often gets very hot in July and August.
