Vila Nova de Gaia
Last update: April 2023
Port Wine, Douro Wine and Gastronomy
Northern Region of Portugal
•
Largest and Most Populous Municipality in the District of Porto
•
2nd Largest Urban Agglomeration in Portugal behind only Lisbon
In the
Porto Metropolitan Area, left bank of the
Rio Douro,
Vila Nova de Gaia is part of the
District of Porto ,
Region
North of Portugal.
In
Vila Nova de Gaia are the cellars of the famous
Port Wine,
A must visit for enologists and wine and gastronomy lovers.
Visit
Wineries in Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia, D. Luís Bridge and the city of Porto (background) © GEP
Location
The municipality of
Vila Nova de Gaia, on the south bank of the
Douro River, is limited to the north by
by the municipality of
Porto, to the northeast by
Gondomar,
to the south by
Santa Maria da Feira and
Espinho and, to the west,
by the
Atlantic Ocean.
City of Vila Nova de Gaia
With about 189,000 inhabitants,
Vila Nova de Gaia
It is the capital city of the municipality
namesake with 304,149 inhabitants (INE, 2021). It is the
third most populous city in Portugal.
See:
Main Cities in Portugal
Vila Nova de Gaia Council
Vila Nova de Gaia is also a municipality with 169 km² (the largest municipality in Greater Porto); and 304,149 inhabitants (INE 2021)
on the left bank of the
Douro River, which serves as a natural border with the municipality of Porto.
Find out more:
Municipality of V. N. de Gaia
A bit of history
In the 17th century, the
Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro and the warehouses of the main
companies exporting the famous
Port Wine, which remain there today.
Port wine
In
Vila Nova de Gaia are located the wineries, a must visit for winemakers, and the headquarters of many bottlers
of the famous
Port Wine.
Vila Nova de Gaia, the famous Port Wine from the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto (background) © Ari Oliveira
Great Urban Center
The city is the third most populous in the country and the most populous in the North Region and the
Porto Metropolitan Area. Many of its inhabitants
work in Porto, to which it is connected by the D. Luís Bridge. The
subway is the best option for
move to the northern metropolis,
City of Porto.
Bridges to Porto
From the first bridge, the
Dona Maria II suspension bridge, passing through the
D. Maria Pia Railway Bridge
from 1877, the
Dom Luís I bridge, from the end of the 19th century (1881-1886), followed by the bridges
São João Bridge, from 1991, and
Freixo Bridge, from 1995 and, the last of these,
the
Ponte do Infante, from 2003.
Live in Vila Nova de Gaia
For many, living in
Vila Nova de Gaia is a cheaper option, since the prices of
Rents (
rents) in
Gaia are generally lower than in
Cidade do Porto.
This fact contributed to make
Vila Nova de Gaia one of the most populous cities in the country.
Metro in Vila Nova de Gaia, District of Porto, Northern Region of Portugal © Manuel Sousa / CC
Visit Vila Nova de Gaia
In addition to neighboring the illustrious
City of Porto, in
Vila Nova de Gaia there are
several attractions that are worth the visit of many tourists.
Learn more:
Attractions of Vila Nova de Gaia
Beaches of Vila Nova de Gaia
Some beaches complete the attractions of
Vila Nova de Gaia for inhabitants and visitors: the
Madalena, Granja, Valadares and Miramar beaches. Find out more:
Beaches of Vila Nova de Gaia
Visit Port Wine Cellars
Mandatory program for winemakers and lovers of good wines and gastronomy.
Kitchen and Gastronomy
Important city in the north of the country, in
Vila Nova de Gaia inhabitants and visitors can taste
the delicacies of the
Traditional Cuisine and Gastronomy of the North, with emphasis on snacks and dishes based on fish,
as is the case with
cod, to cite just one example.
Learn more:
Kitchen of Vila Nova de Gaia
Strong Population Growth
With so many comparative advantages, among which the proximity to the active and bustling City of Porto and its
Metropolitan Area,
Vila Nova de Gaia has been experiencing strong demographic growth over the years
of years. To give you an idea, from 1911 to 2011, the population of the
municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia
went from 84,994 to 302,295 inhabitants!
Parishes of V. N. de Gaia
The
Council (Municipality) of Vila Nova de Gaia is divided into 15
parishes.
These are the
15 parishes of
Vila Nova de Gaia:
Parishes of V. N. de Gaia