Send a parcel to Porto from only £9.99

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal with a population of some 2 million people in its metropolitan area and is built along both banks of the Douro River estuary in the industrialised North of the country. The Historic Centre of Porto was declared a World Heritage site in 1996 by UNESCO.

Porto became a large Roman settlement until 400 and became an important port and this increased until the fall of the Roman Empire. The Moors took over Porto two centuries later but a Christian uprising led by Count Vimara Pares in 868 recaptured the city. The city has always been a major power and was important in the great days of Portuguese empire building both as a ship builder and also as a starting point for the many major expeditions.

Today the city has maintained much of its historical buildings but has also developed into a good modern city. There is much for the tourist to see in great buildings and museums and it is a staging post for the golf tourist of the nearby coastal resorts.

The economy is based about the many large industrial companies who have their headquarters there. Porto has the largest derivatives exchange in Portugal and it is housed in its former stock exchange and has now merged with Lisbon, which has merged with Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. The Port and the River Douro has always been a major player in the economics of the city with goods from the farming hinterland brought along the Douro to Porto and exported and goods from abroad imported into Porto and distributed to the city and the hinterland.

The parcel trade link to the UK is via a good airport link at Porto and the local distribution is well set up in the region. A good supplier has set up an excellent local distributor to deal with all incoming goods and the local knowledge enhances the delivery service and also the competitive price that is so essential in this region.