Local Area

The school is situated in the fashionable suburb of Foz do Douro. It is a few minutes walk to both the Atlantic Ocean and the mouth of the River Douro. Greater Porto is an urban conurbation with a population of some 1.6m and is a wonderful blend of the old and the new. The riverside area of the city, the Ribeira, is particularly beautiful and charming with old cobbled streets and traditional Portuguese buildings creating one of the finest urban vistas in Europe. The whole of North Portugal remains relatively unspoiled and contrasts sharply with the tourist centres of the Algarve and the bustle of the nation’s capital, Lisbon.

There is something for everyone as, within short travelling times, there is access to mountains, woods, beaches and typical little villages, which remain much as they were generations ago. The Spanish border is an hour’s drive away and Lisbon approximately three hours away. Porto has all the attractions of a big European city having theatres, museums and art galleries, concerts to suit all musical tastes. The population enjoys its Football team and FC Porto regularly competes in the Champions League, having won the trophy back in 2004. Eating out is a major attraction as the area has a wealth of cafés and restaurants. It is well-served by transport systems which includes a network of modern motorways, an excellent railway system, a metro system and a new international airport, which is a mere twenty minute drive from the school.