Portugal
Leixoes, Portugal
Leixões: Porto's Seaport at Matosinhos
Leixões is Porto's seaport, built on the Atlantic shore at Matosinhos about 8 km from the city center rather than in Porto itself. You can spend the day by the sea in Matosinhos or ride line A of the metro into Porto's old town in about half an hour. The seafront, a star-shaped fort and two early works by Álvaro Siza are all in Matosinhos itself.
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Good to know
Arriving at Leixões
Ships dock either at the cruise terminal on the south breakwater, which takes ships up to 300 meters long, or at the older cruise quay at Dock 1 North inside the harbor. Line A of the Porto Metro starts in Matosinhos and reaches central Porto in about half an hour.
- The south terminal stands on the breakwater about 800 meters offshore, and the same building houses a University of Porto marine research center.
- The North Cruise Terminal at Dock 1 North takes ships up to 250 meters long.
- A metro station lies beneath the south approach of the drawbridge to the inner harbor.
- Matosinhos is about 8 km from the center of Porto.
- Your cruise line will tell you which berth your ship uses and whether a shuttle runs into town.
Leixões on Your Own
Matosinhos, the town around the port, has a long seafront, a Baroque church and many seafood restaurants. Porto's old center is a metro ride away, which suits a longer call.
- The seafront: The Anémona, a vast hand-woven net sculpture by Janet Echelman, hangs over the roundabout on Cidade Salvador square, where Matosinhos meets Porto. Its red and white poles recall the area's old chimneys and lighthouses.
- Bom Jesus de Matosinhos: The town's mother church was built in the mid-16th century and remodeled in the 18th by Nicolau Nasoni. It keeps a 12th-century figure of Christ with one eye turned to heaven and the other to earth.
- Leça da Palmeira: Across the harbor to the north are two early works by Álvaro Siza, the tidal pools and the Boa Nova Tea House, both national monuments, and the star-shaped Fort of Leça da Palmeira.
- Into Porto: On a longer call, line A of the metro takes you on into Porto's old town.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
- Carry photo ID: In Portugal you must show photo ID if a police officer asks for it.
Getting Around
The Porto Metro and STCP buses link Matosinhos with Porto. Fares are loaded onto the rechargeable Andante card, which works on the metro, the buses and the funicular.
- Line A runs from Senhor de Matosinhos through Senhora da Hora into central Porto.
- Andante fares depend on how many zones you cross, so check the zone of your stop before you buy.
- Buy your ticket from a machine before you board, and validate your Andante card at the start of every journey. There are no ticket barriers, but inspectors check on the trains.
- STCP bus 500 runs between Porto and Matosinhos along the riverside and the ocean front.
Food and Drink
Matosinhos grew on fishing and fish canning, and it has many fish and seafood restaurants near the beach and the port. If you go into Porto, the francesinha is the city's own specialty to try.
- Fish canning: The canning industry peaked between 1940 and 1960, when Matosinhos had 54 factories. Three remain: Conservas Portugal Norte, Fábrica de Conservas Pinhais and Conservas Ramirez.
- A fish festival: In July, whole fish are grilled on barbecues set up in the streets near the main beach.
- Francesinha: Porto's toasted sandwich is layered with meats, covered with cheese and a spicy sauce, and sometimes topped with fries.
- A tea house by the sea: Siza's Boa Nova Tea House in Leça da Palmeira, partly built into the coastal rocks, now houses a restaurant.
Tipping in Portugal
Tipping is generally not expected in Portugal, though it is appreciated after exemplary service. The currency is the euro.
- After exemplary service in a restaurant, around 8 to 10 percent of the bill is the suggested tip.
- No tip is expected in bars.
- For taxis, one suggestion is to round the fare up to the euro and add one or two euros.
Festivals and Architecture
The main festival in Matosinhos honors the Senhor de Matosinhos, the figure of Christ kept in the town's mother church. The town is also the birthplace of the architect Álvaro Siza, and some of his earliest buildings stand on its shore.
- Siza's shore: Álvaro Siza was born in Matosinhos in 1933. His tidal pools at Leça da Palmeira, built among the rocks in the 1960s, follow the line of the beach wall.
- Fishing roots: The town's traditions draw on the fishing communities of Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde, further up the coast.
- The lighthouse: The Leça Lighthouse, 46 meters tall, is the second tallest in Portugal.
- Modern Matosinhos: The cruise terminal by Luís Pedro Silva won international architecture awards after it opened.
A Brief History
People have lived at the mouth of the Leça River since the Neolithic, but the port of Leixões dates only from the 1880s. It was built so that ships could avoid the dangerous bar at the mouth of the Douro.
- Hill forts and Romans: The Castro of Monte Castelo, by the old Leça estuary, is the best known of the hill-fort settlements that spread here from the end of the Bronze Age, and goods from the Roman Empire were unloaded near it. At Angeiras, 32 tanks cut into the rock were used for salting fish and making salt between the third and fifth centuries.
- Monasteries: The Monastery of Bouças, founded in the 10th century, held the figure of the Bom Jesus. The monastery at Leça do Balio became the first headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Portugal in the early 12th century.
- A charter, 1514: King Manuel I granted Matosinhos a charter, and the town supplied Porto with farm produce.
- The fort, 1638 to 1720: The star-shaped Fort of Leça da Palmeira was built to guard the coast near the Douro and lost its military role in 1844.
- The Liberal Wars, 1832: Dom Pedro's army landed on the beach at Arnosa do Pampelido and began the campaign that put the liberal constitutionalists in power. A granite obelisk marks the landing.
- The harbor, 1884 to 1895: The sinking of the steamship Porto in 1852 led to calls for a safe harbor. Work began in 1884, the first steamship entered on 9 November 1886, and the works were finished on 16 February 1895.
- Canneries and a city: The port supported a fishing fleet and a canning industry that peaked from 1940 to 1960. Matosinhos became a city in 1984.
- The cruise terminal, 2015: The new terminal on the south breakwater was inaugurated in July 2015, and in 2018 a cruise began and ended at Matosinhos for the first time.
Leixões with Children
Matosinhos suits a family day by the sea, with a wide seafront promenade and a star-shaped fort at Leça da Palmeira. Keep Porto for families with older children and a longer call.
- Younger children: The broad seafront promenade is used for skating, scooters and bikes.
- School age: The Fort of Leça da Palmeira has four bastions and a moat, and the Leça Lighthouse nearby is 46 meters tall.
- Teenagers: The beach at Matosinhos is known for water sports and lessons in them. Siza's saltwater tidal pools at Leça da Palmeira are built among the natural rocks of the shore.
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