Porto, where the road south begins

There is a good argument for beginning any journey through Portugal at the top of the map. The north is greener and older than visitors tend to expect, the light off the Atlantic is softer, and every day that follows carries you south towards warmer roads and longer evenings. Porto, at the mouth of the Douro, is the natural place to start.

A city best seen on foot

Porto is a city of steep streets, granite and tiles, built up the north bank of the river. Its historic centre, together with the Dom Luís I Bridge and the Monastery of Serra do Pilar on the far bank, has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1996. The bridge itself is the image everyone takes home: a two-deck iron arch, opened in 1886, linking the Ribeira waterfront with Vila Nova de Gaia, where the port houses have long kept their lodges.

It is worth being candid about the car here. The old centre is a tangle of cobbles, tight corners and one-way lanes, and it is no place for anything low or wide. Porto is a city for walking: down to the Ribeira for the river, across the upper deck of the bridge for the view back, and over to Gaia for a glass of port in a cellar that has been doing this for generations. Leave the car where it is safe and enjoy the city at walking pace.

Vila do Conde, the quieter alternative

A short drive north, past the airport and up the coast, Vila do Conde sits where the River Ave meets the sea. It is a calmer, more domestic place than Porto, with a long maritime history. Its yards on the Ave built ships for Portugal's voyages of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and a replica of a sixteenth-century ship is moored beside the old customs quay today.

The town is dominated by the Monastery of Santa Clara, founded in 1318 on the hill above the river. Its water once arrived along an aqueduct finished in 1714, and long stretches of its arches still stride across the town towards the convent. The convent itself has recently been restored and reopened as a hotel, The Lince Santa Clara, which looks out over the Ave, the rooftops and the Atlantic beyond. For a driver, a hotel outside the city with room to breathe is a far better base than anything in the old centre.

The first miles

From the north, the obvious road leads east, into the Douro Valley, where the river winds between terraced vineyards and the driving improves with every bend. Before that, the coast between Porto and Vila do Conde is worth an unhurried hour. The road runs past fishing towns, beaches and the point at Foz do Douro, where the river finally gives way to the ocean.

Arriving well

The first day of a long journey sets its tone, and it rewards restraint. Arrive in good time, have the car checked over, walk the town in the late afternoon and save the serious driving for the morning. Porto's airport is close at hand, so the north is as convenient a starting point as it is a beautiful one.

This is where the Renisetté Portugal Grand Prix Supercar Tour begins, with guests gathering at The Lince Santa Clara before the drive south to Portimão. The tour, 14 to 21 June 2027, is on renisette.com.