Renowned for its medieval character and coastal beauty, the city of Porto is truly one to behold. However, it is the welcoming business climate and the potential for success that keeps the serviced apartments in Porto occupied.
A significant percentage of the millions of people who visit the city every year avoid staying in standard hotel rooms and holiday rentals in Porto because they know that there are better accommodation alternatives out there in the city.
The best alternative are fully equipped, serviced apartments in Porto, which offer unparalleled levels of comfort, security and convenience. Here at Situ, we hand-pick the accommodation we offer, knowing that we can send out options to our clients that are located well to accommodate a business meeting; are equipped appropriately to support corporate lifestyle, and ultimately make any business traveller feel like they are relocating to their very own home-away-from-home.
High-quality, luxurious Porto aparthotels and city apartments enable corporates to live exactly how they wish, whether it be for long or short term business trips.
Based in northwestern Portugal, Porto is a coastal city based along the iconic Douro River which also looks out onto the North Atlantic Ocean courtesy of the beautiful port. It is the second-largest city in the country, behind Lisbon, with a population of just under 250,000, which is not a lot at all when you consider that 1.6 million people are welcomed to Porto every year.
The reason so many tourists come here is largely due to the city’s distinctive, historic attractions and beautiful surroundings which contributed to the Porto city centre being listed as a World Heritage Site in the late 1990s. Porto was also named amongst the ‘Best European Destinations’ back in 2014 and 2017. In terms of transport connections and infrastructure, the city is well-equipped. When it comes to getting around the city, it is actually very doable on foot, but there are also many other constantly operating options such as the Metro, trams and buses. Porto even has its own cable-operated ‘Funicular’, for those looking for the slightly more elegant transportation option.
Whereas with regard to getting in-and-out of the city, the Campanha is the main railway facility located in Porto whilst the Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport is the sole international airport that enables access to the city via flights from destinations all over the globe. It is the second busiest airport in Portugal and is, unsurprisingly, surrounded by many nearby Porto city apartments.
Whilst the Portuguese capital Lisbon has been written into the narrative that it is the country’s centre of creativity and tourism, Porto has instead been deemed a hub of industry and business. More specifically, the city has become somewhat the beating heart of the heavily industrialised northwestern Portugal region. With Porto leading the way, the northern region contributes to almost 40% of the country’s overall annual exports. The Porto economy always had European-leading maritime trade to fall back on, but now the city has essentially be forced to promote or encourage foreign investment.
But what is it like to work in Porto? Porto expats should know that the city still has a long way to go to match the business culture that is so prestigious in major European cities such as London. However, the government has previously taken action; reversing wage cuts, introducing business support schemes and facilitating company growth.
The results of these actions have been positive, and the city’s highly skilled workforce and well-connected transport infrastructure are sure to only encourage more and more large companies to relocate, and more start-ups to emerge throughout Porto. To find out more about how our Porto apartments can support your business ventures in the city, get in touch with a member of the Situ Team.
Nicknamed the ‘Unvanquished City’, Porto leaves its turbulent history behind and welcoming millions of tourists every year. We could go on all day talking about the things to see in Porto, but what’s truly unique about the city is its look and feel. From the lovely, cobbled streets to azulejo tile artistry that decorate the city’s major landmarks, Porto has a charm that can’t be replaced.
One of the best places to sit back and enjoy the city unique atmosphere is along the Douro River. Arguably the best neighbourhood to enjoy the river views from is Ribeira. There are cafes and restaurants dotted all over the neighbourhood where visitors can eat the finest local delicacies and sip Port wine (which is the most consumed win in Europe) that is famously shipped from Porto. The city truly is famous for its wine, and there are plenty of cellars across the city offering many different wines to sample.
The Foz do Duoro, the Praia de Matosinhos and Praia do Senhor da Pedra are just a few coastline attractions corporates can visit if they want to enjoy the great outdoors and the beautiful views of the North Atlantic Ocean. One last iconic attraction that needs mentioning is the famous Dom Luís I Bridge. Stretching over the River Duoro from Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia, this bridge is commonplace for tourist selfies and truly is an iconic Porto attraction. Ideally, corporates and tourists alike can be within walking distance of any of the destinations or sights just mentioned when choosing a place to stay from the range of Porto accommodation above.
More commonly known simply as Porto Airport, the Francisco Sá Carneiro offers the only real way to fly directly into the city of Porto. This international airport is only around 7 miles northwest of central Porto, making travel to and from here and studio apartments in Porto short and straightforward.
Each year around 13 million people travel through the airport, with the busiest routes going to Paris, Lisbon, Madrid and London.
The very first Metro line in Porto opened in 2002, but now the network has grown to consist of six lines which travel to over 80 different stations. The system works so that trains run underground in the centre of Porto, and above ground in the city suburb areas.
As line can be defined as follows; Line A (Blue), Line B (Red), Line C (Green), Line D (Yellow), Line E (Purple), Line F (Orange). Regarded as a focal point of the metro system is Trindade Metro Station since each of the six lines meet there.
A very much ‘outside the box’ mode of transport is what can also be known as the Guindais Funicular. These are cable-driven cars which operate along a steep incline between the neighbourhood of Ribeira and Batalha at the top of the city.
The main reason why many people take this mode of transport though is for the amazing city views that can only be seen once you reach the top of the hill.
By no means are buses and trams the most favoured or popular mode of transport in the city, but they do offer another way of travelling across Porto.
There are only three tram lines left services are more often than not full of tourists looking for a more relaxed way to explore the city. Buses, however, are slightly more reckless in that they really race across the city. Despite that, they do enable travel to pretty much all corners of Porto.
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