Foz do Douro, western Porto, facing the sea and the river, is the most noble area of the city to live and to invest. Its characteristics have been appreciated since the nineteenth century: wealthy families have always lived in this place and during the holidays, which were from June to October, the families of the extensive British colony of Porto used to close their houses in the city and spent the summer months there, on a second property, on the beach. Foz is a reservoir of quality of life that not only has never been degraded, but was always accompanied by the development of real estate in the same proportion in which it preserved the landscape. Like the Jardim do Passeio Alegre, eternal landscape of the great poet Eugénio de Andrade.
The houses, arranged in amphitheater, extend from the Fort of S. João to the Cantareira shore. And at the anchorage, upstream of the Ermida do Anjo - where the first Portuguese lighthouse was built (still today a daytime place of pilgrimage) - it is possible to observe the boats that testify to their fishing history and the connection between the river and the sea, above all they attest to a beauty impossible to describe. For all this, in the second half of the 19th century, Foz became one of the most cosmopolitan and attractive places in Portugal. At that time, the demand for housing, land, buildings and apartments to buy grew exponentially. The architecture begins to be associated with the luxury that still defines it: elegant houses with large gardens and full acacias, lindens and magnolias, reserved pools and terraces designed to ensure the privacy of families. The typical gated community of Foz is family friendly, safe and of great quality.
The twentieth century brought a development that continued to illuminate Foz: looking ahead, we see Vila Nova de Gaia, today with a completely renewed marginal and contemporary look; and to the north, the beaches of Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira, bordered by the beautiful and imposing sculpture "She Changes" by the American Janet Echelman. The new and luxurious side of Foz, where today live about six thousand people, is no longer an isolated island and has become a contagion pole, which initially extended to Boavista and which has now spread to the city's downtown.
Consecrated as a territory of choice, Foz's real estate has been valuing sustainably for two centuries. But for many years there were almost no transactions, hardly anyone wanted to sell their properties. The scarce real estate supply made life difficult for those who dreamed of living there. However, more recently, a wave of new construction has made it possible to return to the ambition of living in Foz, just in front of the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean.
Over the course of this year, the Urban Rehabilitation Area (ARU in the Portuguese acronym) of Foz was created, which will help to further preserve the identity of the place. The idea is to create new poles of attraction, safeguarding its valuable material and cultural heritage, and continuing to promote the quality of life with the appreciation of public spaces and the increasing offer of services and equipments valued by families.
If your dream is to live in Foz do Douro, this is the right time to contact a real estate agent and start looking for your home. LUXIMOS Christie's International Real Estate is the most qualified company to help you.
