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Next Stop…Barcelos (Portugal)

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Barcelos is a charming medieval walled town in the northern Minho region of Portugal that is located about 45 minutes north of Porto. It has long been a center for artisanal handicrafts and the figurado style of pottery that features comical figurines with accentuated features, representing traditional farmers, folk musicians and nativity scene characters.

Barcelos is best known for the ornamental rooster figure – the Galo de Barcelos – that originated here and is the unofficial national icon of the country. The rooster symbolizes faith, honesty, justice and luck, and it can be found in articles including embroidered items, wooden boxes, pottery, and jewelry. Locals will place a Barcelos rooster in their house, as it is said to attract good fortune and happiness.

The town is also well known for its weekly market that is held every Thursday in the Campo Da Republica main square in the town center. The open air market is the largest in Portugal and one of the largest in Europe.  Visitors come from all over to shop for everything from food, to crafts, to clothing, and of course the local pottery featuring the famous Barcelos rooster.

Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide, if you want to visit Barcelos as a day trip from Porto. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information on our Porto Day Trip that includes Barcelos, click here, and for information on all of our Porto & Porto Day Trip tours, click here.

Photo credit: Tourist Office of Barcelos

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Next Stop…Ponte de Lima, Portugal

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Established in 1125, Ponte de Lima is one of the oldest and most beautiful towns in Portugal. Located 1 hour north of Porto, it easily visited as a day trip or visitors can spend a night in the area to explore other historic towns nearby.

Ponte de Lima is named after its most prominent landmark – the medieval bridge (“ponte”) that spans the Lima River. The current arched bridge was built in 1368 and incorporates 5 of the arches from a much older Roman bridge that dates back to the 1st century. The bridge was an important crossing point in Roman times and is part of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James).

The town has been called Portugal’s most floral towns, which can be seen in the flower-lined main road that leads into the historic city center and the International Garden Festival that takes place each year from May to October.

Ponte de Lima is picturesque and charming, and can be visited in just a few hours. Sites to see during your visit include:

  • Ponte de Lima – Roman bridge
  • Arnado Park – architectural theme park with garden styles such as Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque Gardens
  • Museu dos Terceiros (Museum of the Third Order) – 15th C. buildings housing medieval and baroque religious art and gold
  • Museu do Brinquedo – toy museum displaying items from Portuguese toy manufacturers from the 19th C. up to 1986
  • Largo de Camões – picturesque town square with a beautiful fountain dating from 1603
  • Igreja Matriz (15th C. church)
  • Capela das Pereiras (16th C. chapel)
  • Centro de Interpretação e Promoção do Vinho Verde – museum that traces the history of the Vinho Verde (Green Wine) produced in the northern area between the Douro River, Minho River, Atlantic Ocean and the eastern mountains

If you are looking for a place to stay in the area, the lovely Pousada de Viana do Castelo – Monte de Santa Luzia is located just 30 minutes to the west. The Pousada was built in 1918 and offers guests panoramic views of the Lima River and the Atlantic coastline from its privileged hilltop location. For more information and reservations, click here.

Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide, if you want to visit Ponte de Lima as a day trip from Porto. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information on our Porto Day Trip that includes Ponte de Lima, click here, and for information on all of our Porto & Porto Day Trip tours, click here.

Photo credit: NBA / Photo of Ponte de Lima

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Porto Day Trips (Portugal)

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If you are planning a trip to Porto, you should make room in your itinerary to visit one or more of the many historic towns and cities that are located within a 2 and a half hour drive or train ride from the city. The following is a list of some places you can visit and still make it back to Porto for dinner:

  • Guimarães – picturesque medieval city that was the birthplace of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, and the country’s first capital (45 min.). For more information, click here.
  • Braga – capital of the Minho region and Portugal’s oldest city, with the country’s oldest cathedral and nearby pilgrimage site of Bom Jesús do Monte Sanctuary (45 min. drive / 39 min. by high-speed train). For more information, click here.
  • Aveiro – this tranquil seaside town, known as the Venice of Portugal, is a hidden gem, with charming canals, colorful gondola-like boats, and wooden houses (50 min. drive / 33 min. by high-speed train). For more information, click here.
  • Viana do Castelo – considered one of the most beautiful towns in northern Portugal, with a charming main square and the hilltop Basilica of Santa Luzia (1 hour). For more information, click here.
  • Ponte de Lima – one of Portugal’s oldest towns, this charming town is named after its best known monument, an arched Roman bridge that spans the Lima River (1 hour). For more information, click here.
  • Mesão Frio – wine making town in the heart of the Douro wine valley, surrounded by vineyards and the picturesque countryside (1 hour 10 min.). For more information, click here.
  • Coimbra – charming medieval city steeped in history that is the birthplace of 6 kings (2 are buried here), served as the country’s first capital in the 12th C., and is home to Portugal’s oldest university (1 hour 20 min. drive / 1 hour by high-speed train). For more information, click here.
  • Fátima – one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary, visited by millions of pilgrims and tourists each year (2 hours). For more information, click here.
  • Santiago de Compostela (Spain) – Spanish city best known for its magnificent Catedral de Santiago, the final destination for pilgrims who follow the Way of St. James to visit the final resting place of St. James the Apostle (2 hours 30 min.). For more information, click here.

Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information on all of our Porto tours, click here.

Photo credit: © Christopher Pappas · All rights reserved.

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.