Norte, or Northern Portugal, is the epitome of cultural diversity and profound historic wealth. It was from here that Portugal was founded and the Portuguese became a flourishing nation. The best way to explore Norte is to allow the region to captivate your aesthetics and seep its divinity into your veins. Strategically, it can be divided in to two parts, the coast and the inland. The coast encapsulates hospitable beaches, lined with seaside resorts and rustic villages. The inland, on the other hand, escorts one to take a nostalgic walk down the memory lane. It is peppered with rivers, vineyards, hiking trails, lush botanic gardens, waterfalls and prehistoric rock-art sites. Porto, the capital of Norte, is a sublime microcosm of the tourist culture in Portugal. This World Heritage city sports an astonishing blend of diverse ethnicities, ancient monuments, baroque churches, imperial castles, majestic mountains, well-preserved nature parks and a plethora of heart-throbbing adventures.