While Wayne Rooney and co were busy in Lisbon this summer, the Euro
2004 football tournament also put the spotlight
on Portugal’s second city, Porto, and the Minho region to its
north. As well as two stadia in Porto, the region’s
Guimarães and Braga (the stadium with a rockface behind one
goal) also saw plenty of sporting action.
Ask any Portuguese person and they’ll tell you the Minho
is one of their country’s richest assets. Green hills march
north from Porto to the Spanish border and drop away westward to
endless sandy beaches lapped by the Atlantic Ocean. And when it
comes to heritage, the region is studded with churches, monasteries
and castles, some of which have been converted into luxury hotels
and pousadas.
The Minho is ideal for the flexible flydrive traveller.
Distances are short and the roads rarely busy. Several main routes
benefited from an upgrade prior to Euro 2004.
If your clients fancy a tailor-made itinerary, Travel Weekly
recommends the following route, which takes in the north’s
main attractions with time left to enjoy the delights of Porto.
Visitors with another few days to spare might consider the drive up
the Douro Valley to the port wine growing areas, or across the
River Minho into Spanish Galicia.
| Days 1-2: Porto |
Highlights: Portugal’s northern capital
is built on a series of hills looking across the River Douro.
Porto, with its steep, cobbled streets, markets, squares, churches
and river views, is perfect for exploring on foot. Highlights
include the Torre dos Clerigos (Tower of the Clerics), a symbol of
the city with great views from the top, and the new Serralves
Contemporary Art Museum and park. Trams and buses head out along
the estuary to the city’s beaches. Dining in Porto is
excellent too, as is the nightlife, especially in the Ribeira
district by the river.
Across the Douro and easily accessed on foot or by taxi are the
port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia. Most of the lodges offer
tours, followed by a tasting and the chance to buy some wine. Some
charge, but the fee is generally reimbursed against purchases.
Minimum time needed: it’s well worth
spending a couple of days in Porto, unless you’re dying to
hit the road and get out into the countryside.
Accommodation: there is plenty to choose from.
The four-star Hotel Mercure Batalha is central and close to the
river and main shopping districts.
| Day 3: Porto-Viana do Castelo (48 miles) |
Highlights: the scenic road follows the coast
all the way. Viana do Castelo, on Portugal’s Costa Verde
(Green Coast), is the perfect spot to stop for a while. The
town’s streets wind up steep slopes from the estuary of the
River Lima to a 15th century cathedral – and a 10-minute
drive brings you to superb, quiet beaches.
Minimum time needed: two and a half hours,
depending on whether you break the journey in Povoa de Varzim.
Accommodation: Viana do Castelo has a wide
range of small guesthouses, but it’s hard to beat the hilltop
Pousada do Monte da Santa Luzia. The building is a restored 1918
hotel set among woods and gardens and with wonderful sea views.
| Day 4: Viana do Castelo-Vila Nova de Cerveira (25 miles) |
Highlights: the drive may be short but the road
hugs the Atlantic coast all the way before turning into the Minho
estuary. The quaint old village of Vila Nova de Cerveira is right
at the northwestern tip of Portugal — it’s hard to
imagine getting further away from it all — and has houses
that date back to the 16th century. The countryside around the
village is great for fishing, cycling and horse riding. River
cruises are also offered.
Minimum time needed: no more than an hour,
excluding photo stops.
Accommodation: the Pousada Dom Diniz is the
place to stay. A 13th century manor house, it has only a dozen
rooms, each with its own courtyard. Rooms offer great views across
the Minho estuary into Spain.
| Days 5-7: Vila Nova de Cerveira-Amares (44 miles) |
Highlights: Amares is right in the heart of the
Minho, between the historic city of Braga (nine miles) and the
Peneda Gerês National Park. Visitors could easily spend a full
day in Braga, Portugal’s holy city. It has more than 30
churches, including a cathedral and the nearby Bom Jesus sanctuary,
plus a couple of terrific Art Deco cafés. Peneda Gerês
was Portugal’s first, and is so far its only, national park.
It’s a mountainous, wooded area that’s a refuge for the
royal eagle and the wolf, among other species.
Minimum time needed: 90 minutes.
Accommodation: the Pousada Santa Maria do Bouro
opened in 1997 in a former Cistercian monastery. The restaurant is
housed in what was once the monks’ refectory.
| Day 8-9: Amares-Guimarães (22 miles) |
Highlights: with its narrow streets and
medieval squares the city of Guimarães is regarded as the
traditional birthplace of the Portuguese nation. Three places not
to miss are the castle, Ducal Palace and museum of sacred art.
Minimum time needed: no more than one hour.
Accommodation: the Pousada Nossa Senhora da
Oliveira is right in the heart of medieval Guimarães. From
Guimarães it’s just 37 miles to Porto Airport, for the
flight home.
