Let there be no doubt: Porto is a fantastic city to hold a corporate event. Heritage, culture, fabulous city centre hotels, riverside locations, Port Wine, gastronomy, historic event venues, great accessibility – it all adds up to a wonderful location for small and mid-sized events.  But the city centre is not for everyone and there is a plethora of alternative locations for events in northern Portugal, which can be the perfect choice for many of our clients.

Like so many of the great European cities, Porto is to some extent a victim of its own success – tourists bring investment in hotels, restaurants, transport and so on, but the city also gets busier. So if you are looking for a slightly more peaceful few days away for your event, then you might want to consider some other options.

First of all, there are two cities in the north within easy reach of Porto airport – Braga and Guimarães. Both of which are steeped in Portuguese history and cultural hubs in their own right. But the fact that they are not Porto, means that not only are they less busy, but you can also get great deals on accommodation and venues. Whilst the choice of premium hotels and venues is not as broad as to be found in Porto, there are enough great options to choose from to make both Braga and Guimarães great alternatives.

If you are willing to consider more rural options, then there are incredible manor houses and vineyards that have been converted as events venues. Here you can isolate your group in some fabulous locations, typically in a historic building with wonderful grounds to explore. Depending on what kind of event you want to hold (an incentive, away-day, conference, team-building or whatever), our team at Porto Events will pull together the necessary suppliers. We will of course also handle all the logistics to make sure that everything is taken care of.

Whilst there are some of the exquisite venues dotted round Porto, there are two notable regions that may also be of interest – the Gerês National Park and the Douro Valley (the Port Wine growing region). Gerês is on of the great natural paradises of Portugal, with rugged terrain, wild swimming, all sorts of flora and fauna and of course peace and quiet! Meanwhile the Douro Valley is famous for the terraced vineyards which cling to the Douro river sides and is recognised by many as one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. Both Gerês and the Douro Valley have some fabulous accommodation and event venues, even if they are a little off the beaten track and you can access both within around 90 minutes from Porto airport.

So this post is just to remind you that if you are interested in an event outside of th hubbub of a city centre, then there are some fantastic options within easy reach of Porto and our team at Porto Events will be more than happy to talk you through some options. Please get in touch to find out more.