The harbour city of Porto is Portugal’s second-largest city after Lisbon. It is located at the mouth of the Douro River, which defines the picturesque setting of Porto. The region is famous for the production of port wine. The labyrinth of narrow streets of the Ribeira district is charismatic for the city. You can easily get lost in one of the countless cafes or restaurants and spend a few lovely hours.
The entire centre is distinguished by antique houses, narrow cobbled streets and many street vendors. The flourishing cultural scene, in particular, is valued by many visitors and residents, as well as the vast range of shopping opportunities. In addition to the fixed “Bolhão” market hall, there are several other weekly markets and shopping centres where you can buy local food as well as international fashion. Porto has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world in recent years. The city has been recognized several times as the best tourist city in Europe.
Many tourists visit Porto for a city trip or use the location as a starting point to visit other cities in northern Portugal, such as Braga, Guimarães or Coimbra. Day trips to the neighbouring wine region or the Espinho or Matosinhos beaches in the Greater Porto area are also popular. A few years ago, it was still possible to buy dream properties in the centre of Porto for less than €1000 per square meter. Prices have gone up over the last few years, but are still significantly lower than in other European cities or in Lisbon.
In general, it is advisable to buy an apartment if you want to move to the city centre. The best areas for touristic rentals are the districts of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau, and Vitória, as visitors usually first look for accommodation in the city centre. Vila Nova de Gaia still offers lower prices than Porto and also has excellent metro connections. Although this area also has beautiful beaches, locals tend to buy properties north of the Douro. For personal use, it is still possible to get good bargains here. As in Lisbon, there was a high demand for tourist rental licenses. In some districts of the city, the license reissue has also been suspended. You can find an overview here. We would be happy to advise you!
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