The city of camellias

When you are visiting Porto and you wander through its streets, parks and gardens you will always find a plant which is originally from Asia, but has been present in northern Portugal since the 19th century, commonly used as a decorative element. It starts to blossom in March and becomes a beautiful flower with a soft delicate scent. We are talking about “camellias” which belong to the Theaceae family.  

You will see these flowers in white, red, pink and the occasional yellow ones, which gives us enough variety to choose a favorite one. Events are held for these favorites to appreciate the different species, in fact there are more than eighty! You will find them in balconies, churches, backyards, city parks or pretty much everywhere in Porto, so many that Porto is the first european city to be called the city of camellias.

Come to Porto in the beginning of march and join us for Camellias week (click this for a cool youtube video) which has over twenty editions already. There are lots of activities which are related to this beautiful flower such as camellia expert presentations, guided camellias tours, concerts, exhibitions, workshops and lots, lots more!

Take this opportunity to admire the city’s nature and don't forget to bring your camera