Located just 15 miles from Porto in northern Portugal, Povoa de Varzim is a major seaside resort on the Costa Verde (Costa Verde). Originally an important fishing village in the area, the resort has grown into a charming cosmopolitan summer retreat, but still retains memories of the city’s origins. The city has historic churches, museums, and a beautiful harbor that is protected by an 18th-century fort and is where local fishing boats land their catch of sardines, hake, bream, and seaweed that are dried and then sold as fertilizer. Povoa de Varzim is an attractive and sophisticated city with traditional black and white mosaic pavements, beautiful gardens, and a town hall where a monument to the city’s most famous resident, the 19th-century novelist Eca de Queiros, stands.
About 20 miles inland, you will find the fascinating city of Braga (Portuguese Rome), famous for its magnificent Italian-style churches, 18th-century houses, and wonderful landscaped gardens. The city also holds spectacular torchlight processions during Holy Week that should not be missed if you are lucky enough to catch one of the travel deals available at this time of year.
A visit to Porto, home of the famous Port Wine, the Romanesque Cathedral, and the Ribeira should not be missed. Explore the heart of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll through the narrow cobbled streets lined with traditional houses, restaurants and bars. There are several ways to explore the city, on foot, by boat on the Douro River or on the (electric) tram that runs along the coast. Take a walk across the Dom Luis Bridge and look at the Ribeira on one shore and Vila Nova de Gaia, where the famous port wineries are located on the other shore.
Explore the Douro Valley, which is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. With an absolutely stunning backdrop of old vineyards and terraced villages, the valley can be explored by boat from the Douro River, by steam train, by road, or by hiking the many trails.
Povoa de Varzim has over a mile and a half of beautiful sandy beach where visitors can relax in the sun, take a dip in the crystal clear waters, and even try their hand at surfing. At the northern end of the beach there are hotels, restaurants, bars, beach bars, casino, water sports facilities, slides and tennis courts. The busy resort harbor is at the southern end of the beach. Outside the city there are two excellent beaches for surfing, Salgueira and Agucadoura. The calmest beach in Rio Alto is where naturists go to rest in the sun among the sand dunes.
A visit to the neighboring fishing port of Vila do Conde is a must on your direct vacation to Povoa de Varzim. The city is famous for its beautiful lace and delicious cakes, including its sweet cakes, pasteis de Santa Clara. This quiet town also has a lace school and museum that are well worth a visit. Nearby Guimaraes was the first capital of Portugal and is a World Heritage Site. Here you will find a well-preserved medieval neighborhood with astonishing Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque architecture. In the town of Rates is the interesting church of San Pedro from the 12th century.
The resort has a vibrant nightlife with lively clubs and discos along the beach. Evenings at Povoa de Varzim can be spent dancing the night away in the clubs, fluttering in the popular casino, which is the largest in northern Portugal, or simply relaxing with a meal at one of the resort’s restaurants. Delicious local fish and seafood dishes are served in the town’s restaurants, don’t forget to try the tasty traditional fish stew, Caldeirada a Povoa.