Vila Nova de Gaia, or simply
Gaia is a city and a municipality in
Porto District in
Norte Region,
Portugal. It is located south of the city of
Porto on the other side of the
Douro River. The city proper had a population of 178,255 in 2001. The municipality has an area of 168.46 km². and a total population of 302,295 inhabitants (2011), making it the most populous municipality in
Norte Region. Gaia together with Porto and 12 other municipalities makes up the commonly designated
Porto Metropolitan Area.