Is Porto a sustainable destination?

Now that the borders of the European Union are opening again, we are all eagerly looking towards the nearest country we can visit. Many have been concerned that their tourism is not socially, economically, or environmentally sustainable in recent years.

This is where Portugal shines. The ITB Berlin (the world’s leading travel trade show) has even awarded Portugal the Best European Destination for Sustainable Tourism, and Porto is not so different.

Porto is a city that may not yet be the greenest it could be, but it has taken significant steps towards reducing its carbon footprint and the increased happiness of its citizens. One of the major decisions was to rent electric cars for its municipality and ensure that various vehicles in the garbage fleet and buses in public transport run either on natural gas or electricity.

The city has, in addition, built tens of charging points for electric cars all over the city. This is expected to bring down the city’s carbon footprint and make Porto's streets more pleasant for pedestrians. The city has also made some initial steps to install solar panels for low-income families in Municipal Housing areas.

And it has also vowed to lessen its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030 - a far more significant commitment than before. Porto has also been working with FUN Porto, who are putting forward plans to make Porto greener. Lastly, Porto has made substantial changes to its energy consumption by slowly switching to LED lights in street lighting. Overall, while Porto may not be the greenest city in Portugal, that honour goes to Lisbon; it has been taking strides to be more sustainable.

One thing is whether the desired destination for your few months of living is trying to be more sustainable. The other is if one can explore the place sustainably. Here Porto shines. Many agencies have been focusing on sustainable tourism in Porto, and they offer guided tours, such as My Greenway Tours, Portugal EV Tours, Go Local or Ekoeasy.

Each has its list of things they offer, from boat rides along the shores to tours around the city on electric scooters. But there are other ways to be sustainable in Porto. One is to stick to the city centre, cutting down on travel, or if the travel is necessary, using public transport to do it.

There are also remarkable historical sights in Porto, like Palacio da Bolsa, Torre dos Clerigos, or the Porto Cathedral and great parks like the Porto City Park, Crystal Palace Gardens, or Jardim das Virtudes.

In short, there are loads to do without leaving behind a large carbon footprint in Porto, so get your mid-term rental here and enjoy.