Porto

Porto is Portugal’s second largest city and the capital of the Porto district, situated on the north bank of the Douro river where it approaches the Atlantic coast. The historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, climbs steeply from the riverside Ribeira quarter through a dense fabric of granite buildings, azulejo-tiled facades, and narrow medieval lanes.

The city’s identity is deeply tied to the Port wine trade, which established international commercial networks from the eighteenth century onward. Its architectural richness includes the São Bento railway station with vast azulejo tile panels, the Clérigos baroque tower, the gilded interior of São Francisco church, and the iron-framed Dom Luís I bridge.

Many pilgrims begin their Camino Português here, collecting their first credential stamp at the Sé Cathedral before heading north toward Santiago.