PORTO — As the second largest city in Portugal, Porto has been inhabited since the second century BCE, when this area – which lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Douro River – was an outpost of the Roman Empire.
Travellers have been flocking to this coastal country post-pandemic and on June 4, 2025 Air Canada will increase flight service to Portugal launching direct flights from Montreal to Porto four times a week. Currently Air Canada offers daily direct service to Lisbon from Toronto and Montreal.
Nicolas Theriault, Key Accounts Manager for Air Canada Vacations, is excited for the possibilities with this new route. “This will allow us to do tours with open jaw flights instead of always going in-out from Lisbon,” he said.
As Portugal is not a large country, giving travellers more options to explore northern Portugal will have a positive impact on travel plans, he added.
For ACV, Portugal is a popular destination especially in the multiday tours program, said Theriault: “Sunny destinations in Europe are always in high demand from Canadians and Portugal is no exception. I would say Portugal ranks with the top three (equal with Spain), under Italy and Greece.”
NO STOPPING PORTUGAL
Recently Air Canada, ACV and Turismo de Portugal hosted a FAM for media and travel advisors, exploring the historic and culturally-rich areas from Porto to the Douro Valley.
Chosen by G Adventures, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure as a top destination for 2025, Portugal is also on the A-list with Canadians.
Ines Almedia Garrett, Director Canada at Turismo de Portugal, shared the good news of Canada becoming one of the top 10 markets for Portugal since 2023. “Canada is 10th in terms of overnight stays and ninth in terms of guests. In that same year we registered 593K guests and 1.472K overnight stays from Canada,” she said.
The six day FAM kicked off with a walking tour of Porto: the best way to navigate and experience this historic city is as a pedestrian. From Camara Municipal de Porto, the city’s town hall with its grand carillon, clients should stroll the cobblestone pedestrian shopping streets to discover wine shops, cafes and boutiques, including pretty and popular Livraria Lello bookstore, the Bolhao Market for Porto produce and foodie souvenirs and the Ribeira, the riverside district of restaurants and bars along the banks of the Douro River.
Cross the Douro River to the Gaia district via the upper bridge, shared with trolleys, or via the lower bridge shared by cars, to wander the WOW District, aka World of Wine. Opened in summer 2020, former port wine warehouses were transformed into a cultural district with seven museums, wine school, wine and chocolate workshops and dining at the 12 restaurants.
During The Wine Experience tour, participants learn about the country’s wine production finishing with a port wine tasting. For clients wanting an immersive experience, recommend an all-access ticket to visit all WOW District museums. Another worthy tour outside Porto is in Matosinhos at Conservas Pinhais & Cia, since 1920 a notable cannery for sardines, a beloved essential of the Portuguese diet.
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- Ines Almedia Garrett, Director, Canada, Turismo de Portugal
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- Victor Spysak, Manager, Sales and Tourism Partnerships for Air Canada and Nicolas Theriault, Key Accounts Manager, Air Canada Vacations
A half hour from Porto on the north Atlantic coast is the fishing village of Vila do Conde, home to The Lince Santa Clara, newly opened in spring 2024 and the first five-star hotel in the area. The contemporary-styled hotel’s 87 rooms and 11 suites are housed within a 13th century former monastery. It’s the sixth property in the Lince Hotels portfolio in Portugal.
Nearby Estela Golf Club, a championship links course, has three kilometres of rugged Atlantic coast. As one of 12 golf courses in northern Portugal, in May 2025 Tivoli Hotels & Resorts will open a boutique hotel with 90 rooms adjacent to the course, a welcome addition for golf travellers.
VINHO VERDE & DOURO VALLEY
On the Vinho Verde Route, which features eight itineraries to discover the wines of northwest Portugal, lies Monverde Wine Experience Hotel. The first boutique hotel in the region, it opened in 2015.
Soothing shades of green and warm wood decor are found throughout this 46-room hotel surrounded by 30 hectares of vineyards. It’s the perfect place to sample the owner’s Quinta de Lixa wines. This wine hotel offers several packages including wine wellness therapy, romance and adventures in vineyards to tempt clients for an overnight, weekend or week.
The Six Senses Douro Valley is a lavish five-star resort, located above the south bank of the Douro River, 90 minutes from Porto and part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Found within a 19th century building, this modern hotel has 71 rooms, extensive public spaces to lounge inside and outside, expansive spa facilities and a recently updated outdoor pool deck and lounge areas overlooking the nearby vineyards.
Located in the geographical centre of the winemaking valley, Pinhao is welcome spot for a day-long excursion. A quaint town with a pretty train station is home to Quinta do Bomfin, producer of many well-known port wines including Dow’s, Graham’s and Cockburn’s and Quinta da Roeda, producer of Croft port wine, both offering tours of vineyards and wine tastings. Recommend an hour-long boat ride on the Douro River and lunch on the lovely terrace of the Vintage House Hotel Douro for an idyllic day in the Douro Valley.
Looking for more ideas? Encourage roadtripping clients to visit charming small towns such as Braga with its numerous pedestrian areas for shopping and a visit to the striking Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, walking from the castle to the cathedral through the old town of Guimaraes, a UNESCO World Heritage site or to visit the church and visit a cafe in Amarante.
A stop in the historic Sao Bento train station is a worthy suggestion: located near extensive shopping and dining, this former Benedictine monastery features an impressive array of azulejos, the striking blue and white Portuguese tile depicting historic scenes. The historic old town of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Porto and the North region offer authenticity and amazing experiences, explained Garret. “We want our visitors from Canada to experience everything this region has to offer.”
For more information see VisitPortugal.com.