Places to Explore In Northern Portugal

Amarante

Straddling the Rio Tâmega, the two halves of Amarante are joined by a narrow 18th-century bridge that stretches above the tree-shaded banks. Rowboats and other...

• 3 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 3 Things To Do

Barca d'Alva/Castelo Rodrigo

These two small villages, a stone's throw from the Spanish border, make good jumping-off points for visiting the other Douro River villages, and even for...

• 4 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 2 Things To Do

Barcelos

A bustling market town on the banks of the Rio Cávado, Barcelos is the center of a flourishing handicrafts industry, particularly ceramics (above all in...

• 2 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 4 Things To Do

Bitetos

Crawling up the cliffs of the Douro, this quaint village dates back to Roman times and was historically a key docking point for rebelos, the...

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Braga

Braga is one of northern Portugal's nicest surprises. Founded by the Romans as Bracara Augusta, it prospered in earnest in the 6th century—under the Visigoths—when...

• 3 Restaurants
• 4 Hotels
• 7 Things To Do

Bragança

• 2 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 6 Things To Do

Caminha

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Chaves

• 0 Restaurants
• 3 Hotels
• 4 Things To Do

Espinho

A string of quiet beaches lead to Espinho, an increasingly fashionable resort. The long, sandy beach is extremely popular in summer, but you can find...

• 1 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 2 Things To Do

Guimarães

Guimarães is a town proud of its past, and this is evident in a series of delightful medieval landmarks. The old town's narrow, cobbled thoroughfares...

• 4 Restaurants
• 5 Hotels
• 12 Things To Do

Lamego

A prosperous town set amid a fertile landscape carpeted with vineyards and orchards, Lamego is also rich in baroque churches and mansions. It straddles the...

• 0 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Monção

The riverside town of Monção is a fortified border settlement with a long history of skirmishes with the Spanish. In town there are the remains...

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Ofir and Esposende

On the south bank of the Rio Cávado, Ofir has a lovely beach with sweeping white sands, dunes, pinewoods, and water sports—a combination that has...

• 1 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 3 Things To Do

Parque Nacional de Peneda-Gerês

• 1 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Peneda-Geres

The northeastern corner of the Minho is quite unlike most of this densely populated, heavily cultivated region. Here several forested serras (mountain ranges) rise up...

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Peso da Régua

This is the true heart of port wine country, and all the bottles from the vineyards of the Upper Douro Valley pass through on their...

• 3 Restaurants
• 5 Hotels
• 5 Things To Do

Pinhão

Pinhão is heaven on earth for oenophiles, who can visit quintas (vineyards), tour the facilities, and sip port and wine to their hearts' content. For...

• 4 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 7 Things To Do

Ponte da Barca

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Ponte de Lima

Giving the town its name, Ponte de Lima's long, low, graceful bridge is of Roman origin. The main square by the old bridge has a...

• 2 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Póvoa de Varzim

Póvoa de Varzim has a long beach, but the town has little of Vila do Conde's charm—except, perhaps, for the many shops and roadside stalls...

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

The Coast and the Douro

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Tras-os-Montes

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Valença do Minho

Valença do Minho is the major border crossing in this area, with roads as well as rail service into Spain. Valença's Old Town is enclosed...

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Viana do Castelo

At the mouth of the Rio Lima, Viana do Castelo has been a prosperous trading center since it received its town charter in 1258. Many...

• 5 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 7 Things To Do

Vila do Conde

Vila do Conde has been making wooden boats since the 15th century. The shipyards are probably Europe's oldest, and the traditional boat-making skills used in...

• 2 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 7 Things To Do

Vila Nova de Cerveira

Granite hills border one side of Vila Nova de Cerveira, and the Rio Minho and Spain border the other. The town dates from the 13th...

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Vila Nova de Foz Côa

The higher reaches of the Douro are known for their harsh terrain, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Yet this apparently inhospitable region was...

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Vila Real

• 2 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 2 Things To Do

Vinhais

• 0 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do