If you are planning a trip to Porto, you should make room in your itinerary to visit one or more of the many historic towns and cities that are located within a 2 and a half hour drive or train ride from the city. The following is a list of some places you can visit and still make it back to Porto for dinner:
- Guimarães – picturesque medieval city that was the birthplace of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, and the country’s first capital (45 min.). For more information, click here.
- Braga – capital of the Minho region and Portugal’s oldest city, with the country’s oldest cathedral and nearby pilgrimage site of Bom Jesús do Monte Sanctuary (45 min. drive / 39 min. by high-speed train). For more information, click here.
- Aveiro – this tranquil seaside town, known as the Venice of Portugal, is a hidden gem, with charming canals, colorful gondola-like boats, and wooden houses (50 min. drive / 33 min. by high-speed train). For more information, click here.
- Viana do Castelo – considered one of the most beautiful towns in northern Portugal, with a charming main square and the hilltop Basilica of Santa Luzia (1 hour). For more information, click here.
- Ponte de Lima – one of Portugal’s oldest towns, this charming town is named after its best known monument, an arched Roman bridge that spans the Lima River (1 hour). For more information, click here.
- Mesão Frio – wine making town in the heart of the Douro wine valley, surrounded by vineyards and the picturesque countryside (1 hour 10 min.). For more information, click here.
- Coimbra – charming medieval city steeped in history that is the birthplace of 6 kings (2 are buried here), served as the country’s first capital in the 12th C., and is home to Portugal’s oldest university (1 hour 20 min. drive / 1 hour by high-speed train). For more information, click here.
- Fátima – one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary, visited by millions of pilgrims and tourists each year (2 hours). For more information, click here.
- Santiago de Compostela (Spain) – Spanish city best known for its magnificent Catedral de Santiago, the final destination for pilgrims who follow the Way of St. James to visit the final resting place of St. James the Apostle (2 hours 30 min.). For more information, click here.
Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information on all of our Porto tours, click here.
Photo credit: © Christopher Pappas · All rights reserved.
For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.