LEIXES, PORT OF

Portuguese Porto De Leixes, principal port serving the city of Porto and northern Portugal. It is an artificial harbour on the Atlantic Ocean, within the town of Matosinhos, 5.5 miles (9 km) northwest of central Porto. Porto is prevented by a sandbar from having a deepwater harbour of its own. The Leixes harbour is formed by two curved breakwaters that are 5,240 feet (1,597 m) and 3,756 feet (1,145 m) long. The port's original docking facilities were completed in 1890 and were subsequently expanded in the early 1930s and early 1970s. The principal export is port wine.