Porto
Porto was voted Europe's Best City Break Destination in 2020, and the best European destination in 2017 for the third time in a row.
In 2001 it was considered European capital of culture and in 2012 elected as Best European Destination by the European Consumer Association.
The city of Porto also has several cultural spaces of reference such as the Serralves Museum, the House of Music and the inescapable Lello Bookstore.
Since 1996, its historic centre has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also a city known worldwide for its wine and port wine cellars, its centuries-old bridges, its gastronomy and the magnificent Douro River. The famous gastronomic specialties of the region are: Francesinha, Tripas à Moda do Porto and Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá.
It is the city that gave its name to Portugal – designated by Portus Cale in (c. 200 a.C.), it later became the capital of The County of Portucalense, from where Portugal was formed and from which, later, the Portuguese Empire was built, since it was built, mostly, by people from the Northern Region.
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, the municipality has 41.42 km2 of area and has a population of 215 945 inhabitants within its administrative limits, being divided into seven parishes.
The metropolitan area currently comprises a geographical area composed of 17 contiguous municipalities, in an area of approximately 2,040 km2 with a resident population of around 1,700,000 inhabitants.
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport
Porto Airport was opened in 1945 with the designation of Pedras Rubras Airport and is located 11 km northwest of the city of Porto. With the inauguration of a new terminal in 1990, its name was changed to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. In 2000, the new terminal underwent profound transformations being reopened and in 2005, preparing the same to respond with quality to the increased air traffic flow recorded.
Since 2006 it has received several awards for its Quality of Service, and in 2017, it was again distinguished by airports council international (ACI), as the 2nd Best European Airport for airports with more than 2 million passengers / year, being the 11th prize in the last twelve years, distinction that it has maintained since 2006.
