Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport to Matosinhos (beach and seafood quarter)
Matosinhos is the nearest beach to Porto Airport, about 11 km away. The metro, changing at Senhora da Hora to line A, costs from €1.85 and takes 35–40 minutes. A taxi takes about 20 minutes.
Matosinhos is Porto's seaside neighbour: a long sandy beach, the Leixões port, and streets full of restaurants grilling fish outdoors on charcoal. It is also closer to the airport than central Porto, so a short taxi ride works well here. If you prefer the metro, it is cheap but needs one change. Both options are explained below.
How far is Matosinhos (beach and seafood quarter) from Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport?
Matosinhos (beach and seafood quarter) is 11 km (7 miles) from Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport by road, about 20 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 8 km. By public transport, Metro do Porto line E + line A takes about 38 min including a change and costs €1.85.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: Metro do Porto line E + line A is the one to take: €1.85 with a change on the way, and only about 18 minutes slower than going by car. Timetable: about 06:00–00:40 from Aeroporto.
What it costs for your group
The metro is charged per person, while a taxi is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Metro (per person) | Taxi (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | €1.9 | €18 | Metro |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €3.7 | €18 | Metro |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €7.4 | €18 | Metro |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Metro do Porto line E + line A | From €1.85, about 38 min, with a change on the way. |
| Speed | Licensed taxis | 20 min and door-to-door, from €18. |
| A group of 4 | Metro do Porto line E + line A | Four tickets still come to about €7.4 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | Metro do Porto line E + line A stops overnight — timetable: about 06:00–00:40 from Aeroporto. |
By transport mode
Metro
Get off at Matosinhos Sul for the beach. Z3 (€1.85) or Z4 (€2.30) depending on station, +€0.60 for a new card; a contactless bank card is charged €2.30.
Where to catch it: Aeroporto metro station; change at Senhora da Hora to line A (towards Senhor de Matosinhos)
Times: about 06:00–00:40 from Aeroporto
Best for budget travellers near a stationTaxi
Short metered trip of about 11 km; €1.60 per bulky bag. For two people it costs little more than the metro.
Where to catch it: Taxi rank outside arrivals
Times: 24/7
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
Sedan quotes range from about €18 to €31 depending on the platform; compare before booking.
Where to catch it: Arrivals hall; the car is already waiting, so no rank queue
Times: 24/7
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsMatosinhos (beach and seafood quarter) & Porto in photos
Buying tickets in Porto
Andante is the shared ticket for the Porto metropolitan area. It covers the metro, STCP buses and CP urban trains within the zones you pay for. The paper Andante Azul card costs €0.60, is rechargeable, and can only be used by one person per journey. Buy and top it up at the ticket machines in Aeroporto metro station, just outside the terminal. Each person in a group needs their own card.
2026 single fares (Metro do Porto): Z2 €1.40 (valid 1 h), Z3 €1.85 (1 h), Z4 €2.30 (1 h 15), Z5 €2.80 (1 h 30). You can load from 1 to 30 trips of the same type. A 10-trip Z4 load costs €23.00. An Andante 24 Z4 costs €8.55 for 24 hours, and the tourist Andante Tour 1 and Tour 3 cost €7.75 and €16.55. Central Porto (Trindade, Aliados, São Bento, Campanhã) needs a Z4 from the airport. For other destinations, check the destination list posted in the station.
Contactless bank cards work on the marked validators at Aeroporto, Senhora da Hora, Casa da Música, Trindade and the central stations. Each tap is charged as a Z4 (€2.30) and is valid for 1 h 15, with a daily cap of €7.75. Validate every time you board or change line, at most 10 minutes before you travel. On STCP buses the driver sells a single-journey ticket for €2.50.
CP trains to Braga, Guimarães and Aveiro run outside the Andante area, so buy a CP ticket at Campanhã (from a machine, the ticket office or the CP app). GetBus coach tickets are sold online, in the GetBus app, at the GetBus counter in the terminal (daily 09:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00) or from the driver.
Taxi scams & safety in Porto
Take taxis only from the official rank outside arrivals. Licensed Porto taxis are black with a green roof or beige, and they carry a meter and a roof sign. Portugal's new national taxi tariff, published in June 2026, has been postponed. Until it takes effect, the meter runs on the old structure: a flag fall of about €3.25, a €1.60 supplement for each bag larger than 55×35×20 cm, a higher rate at night, at weekends and on holidays, and any tolls added on top. Expect roughly €25–35 to central Porto. Ask for the receipt (recibo), which shows the licence number.
Ignore anyone in the hall offering a ride. Unlicensed drivers do approach arriving passengers, and their prices are whatever they decide. App rides (Uber, Bolt) are legal in Portugal and pick up in the designated area, not at the taxi rank.
On the metro, the risk is a fine, not a scam. You must validate the Andante card every time you board or change, even inside your time window. Inspectors check line E regularly, and an unvalidated card counts as travelling without a ticket.
Step-free access in Porto
Porto Airport runs MyWay, a free assistance service for passengers with a disability or reduced mobility, on departure, in transit and on arrival. Request it from your airline or travel agent when you book, or at least 48 hours before the published departure time.
- On arrival, the airline notifies MyWay, and staff assist from your aircraft seat to your next point of departure.
- When you arrive for a flight, use the MyWay phone at the marked Designated Point of Arrival to call for help with check-in, security, border control and boarding.
- A companion can stay with you throughout if you cannot travel without one.
- Reserved spaces for cars with the reduced-mobility badge are available in all the airport car parks, near the exits.
Getting from OPO to Matosinhos (beach and seafood quarter)
Close to the airport
The airport is in Maia, just inland from the Atlantic coast, and Matosinhos is the next municipality towards the sea. By road it is about 11 km, a drive of 20 minutes or less when the A28 is moving. That makes it a convenient base for anyone on an early flight home, and a good first evening for anyone who arrives hungry.
Metro: one change at Senhora da Hora
Line E (violet) leaves from Aeroporto station, just outside the terminal, and joins the main metro trunk at Senhora da Hora. That is the place to change. Get off, validate again, and take line A (blue) towards Senhor de Matosinhos. For the beach and the restaurant streets, get off at Matosinhos Sul. Continue to Mercado or Senhor de Matosinhos if you are staying near the fish market or the Leixões cruise terminal.
Several lines meet at Senhora da Hora, and line A trains towards Matosinhos run often. Allow about 35 to 40 minutes in total, including the wait for the second train.
The fare: one Andante trip covers both trains if you validate at each. Because this trip stays outside central Porto, it can need fewer zones than the Z4 into the city centre. A Z3 costs €1.85 and a Z4 €2.30. Check the zone list in the airport station for the station you are travelling to, and load the right trip onto an Andante Azul card (€0.60). Alternatively, tap a contactless bank card on the marked validators at Aeroporto and Senhora da Hora. That is always charged at the Z4 rate of €2.30, but there is no card to buy and no zone to work out.
Line E runs from about 06:00, with the last departure from the airport at around 00:40. Expect a train roughly every quarter of an hour on weekdays and up to half an hour apart in the evenings and at weekends. Late in the evening, check that line A is still running for your connection.
A short taxi ride
On a route this short, a taxi from the official rank outside arrivals is a reasonable option even if you are on a budget. Two people sharing pay little more than two metro fares plus the waiting time. Expect roughly €18–25 on the meter. The tariff still has the old structure, since the 2026 reform has not yet started. The meter opens at about €3.25, large bags cost €1.60 each, and nights and weekends are charged at the higher rate.
Pre-booked transfers to Matosinhos start at about €18 for a sedan on some platforms. Others quote around €30. The main thing you get for the money is a car already waiting, with no queue at the rank on a busy Friday evening. Compare a couple of quotes before booking.
Other buses
The airport's own transport page lists Resende line 120 (Guifões – Airport). It runs every 30 minutes from 06:10 to 19:30 on weekdays and Saturdays, with a reduced Sunday service. Guifões is an inland part of Matosinhos municipality, not the seafront, so this bus only suits you if you are staying there. For the beach, use the metro.
Using the contactless option on the way back
When you fly home, Matosinhos Sul station does not have the marked contactless validators, which are only installed at the airport, Senhora da Hora, Casa da Música, Trindade and the central Porto stations, plus STCP bus 500. So keep your Andante card topped up with the right zone trip for the return journey, or buy one at the station machine before you go down to the platform.
Arriving at night
After the last metro, there is no direct night bus from the airport to Matosinhos. STCP night line 3M heads into Porto instead. Because the distance is short, a taxi is the practical choice after 00:30.
Things to know
- The grill restaurants are concentrated around Rua Heróis de França, a few streets inland from the beach, towards the fish market.
- The beach is wide and exposed to the Atlantic. The water is cold even in summer, and there is a steady breeze for surfers.
- Cruise passengers arriving at Leixões are closer to the airport than to the centre of Porto. For a quick transfer from ship to plane, a taxi takes well under half an hour.
OPO to Matosinhos (beach and seafood quarter) — FAQ
How far is Matosinhos from Porto Airport?
What is the cheapest way to Matosinhos?
What is the fastest way?
How much is a taxi from Porto Airport to Matosinhos?
When is the last metro from the airport?
I arrive after midnight. What should I do?
Which metro stop is best for the beach?
Sources
Fares and times on this page were last held against their official sources on 21 October 2026. Operators change prices without notice — if you spot a difference, the operator’s own page is the authority. How we check fares.
- Metro do Porto – Andante occasional fares 2026 (Z2–Z9, Andante 24, Tour) · checked 2026-10-21
- Metro do Porto – frequencies valid from 7 September 2026 (PDF) · checked 2026-10-21
- Metro do Porto – FAQ on Andante zones and validation · checked 2026-10-21
- Andante – contactless Visa/Mastercard payment (Z4 €2.30, daily cap €7.75) · checked 2026-10-21
- Porto Airport (ANA) – public transport, buses, shuttles and taxi · checked 2026-10-21
- STCP – airport connection lines 601, 602, 604 and night line 3M · checked 2026-10-21
- e-konomista – current taxi tariff (€3.25 flag fall, €1.60 luggage) and the new AMT regulation · checked 2026-10-21
- Observador – new taxi tariff rules postponed (3 Aug 2026) · checked 2026-10-21
- Airport Transfer Portal – OPO to Matosinhos (sedan from €18) · checked 2026-10-21
- Transfeero – Porto Airport to Matosinhos (about 11 km, from €30.92) · checked 2026-10-21
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