FC Porto, Football Stadium, Estadio do Dragao, Porto

FC Porto is one of the big three football club's in Portugal. Their stadium Estadio do Dragao is north east of Porto's centre and is easily accessed from the A1, A3 and A4 motorways and then via the VC1 ring road round Porto. Buses and the metro all stop nearby, with the Antas Metro Station being the closest. Porto's Francisco Sa Carneiro International Airport is only about 15 kilometres from the stadium and Line E (Violet) of the Metro runs from the Airport Station to Estadio do Dragao Station. Check out FC Porto's website (in English as well as Portuguese) for more details.

The stadium that only opened in 2003 has been awarded a five-star rating by UEFA and has seating for more than 50,000 spectators. The most striking feature of the design is the transparent roof called the 'veil' that allows plenty of light to flood the interior of the stadium. There are two rotating giant screens at either end that on non-match days are turned outwards to the plaza outside so that other sports can be shown. The club even has a private television channel they operate to air interviews and news around the stadium complex. Although football is the most popular sport to be based at the stadium, basketball, handball, roller-hockey, billiards, swimming, athletics, adapted sport, motor sports, boxing, camping, chess, fishing, karate and weightlifting are all competed here. As well as sporting facilities the stadium also includes a conference centre, leisure facilities, shopping areas and restaurants that are all linked to the public areas at different levels in the stands.

Boavista FC, Estadio do Bessa XXl, Porto

Boavista is the smaller and poorer cousin to FC Porto, but has a longer history. It's a compact 30,000 capacity stadium and is similar in style to British grounds with four separate roofed seating stands. Boavista were the only club that carried on playing during the Euro 2004 venue construction process. Work began on the Bessa stadium in the summer of 1998, and finally finished more than five years later, rounding off the club's centenary celebrations. It is part of a sports complex which includes a gymnasium, tennis courts and hotel.

The Bessa XXI Stadium is situated Rua o Primeiro de Janeiro, 4100 Porto. Tel: 351 22 607 10 20. Fax: 351 22 606 85 48; an urban area in the city of Porto. Access to the southern entrance is from Avenida da Boavista, the city s main road into the city and a busy roundabout junction with exits to all parts of Porto. If you are approaching via the A1 Motorway from Lisbon to Porto (310 Km - approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes by car), there is an immediate connection to VCI, the Porto inner ring road that links up with all the main local and national road networks. The Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport is 17 Km from the Stadium Access by local buses. There are a lot of hotels in the Boavista area, particularly catering for the luxury end of the market.