A Guide to Porto Beaches, Porto, Portugal

Aside from the wine and the lovely river views, one of the main reasons to come to Porto is the beaches. Technically, the beaches of Porto are not part of Porto, per se. They’re part of small nearby seaside cities that are accessible by the Porto metro and bus system. Here’s all you need to know about how to enjoy the Porto beaches and their surroundings.

There are many buses that have routes to access the Atlantic coast. Bus 500, for example, takes you along the Douro River all the way up the Foz do Douro area, which is known for Praia da Luz and Praia do Homem do Leme. Another easy way to get from Porto center to the largest and most popular beach, Matosinhos Beach, is to take the metro (A line) to the Matosinhos Sul station.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of taking a stuffy crowded train and standing in long lines to buy your metro ticket, you can also Uber or use myTaxi. These fares are about 7-14 euro from Porto center. If you’re traveling with 3-4 people, this may actually be cheaper. Otherwise, public transportation will probably be more cost-effective. Word to the wise, buy your return ticket on your way over there to avoid the congestion at the ticket machines on the way back. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).