The development of Oporto city, the capital of the country's northern region having an international airport, is connected to the Douro estuary left riverside. The city urban network was developed particularly in the XIX century, by incorporating several rural areas.
Port Wine cellars are located at Gaia, in the other riverside. Apart from its historical centre, we can live the charm of a water bathed city, particularly in the Foz area where we can find real estates facing the river, many of them being recovered villas turned into palaces which are or have been property of the city's most traditional families, many of them of English origin.
At Leça da Palmeira, located in the other first line front side, we can find modern condominiums. It is from this city that we depart to one of the most fascinating boat promenades nature can offer, following the traditional "rabelo boats" old route that used to transport the Porto wine casks from the producers to the storage cellars, navigating between a winding and green landscape, where in the steep slopes of the Douro Vineyard Site (Região Demarcada do Douro), located in its riversides, the wine-grape varieties are produced and from where the precious nectar, appreciated and renowned worldwide, is extracted.
In spite of this historical and rural charge, nowadays Oporto is a modern and cosmopolitan city. The golf lovers can find one of the European continent oldest golf courses and infrastructures for this sport's practice at Miramar and at Oporto G.C. club which was founded in 1890.
