About North Portugal - Portugal
Porto, the beautiful cities of Braga, Bragança and Guimarães, the verdant Minho, the wonderful Douro and the fascinating region of Trás-os-Montes. Here are some of the postcards of northern Portugal, the birthplace of the Nation. And here are the Peneda-Gerês National Park, the rock engravings of Foz Côa and the vineyards from which the grapes are extracted for the internationally well known Port wine.
Northern Portugal is the center for the thriving textile, furniture and footwear industries. It is a land of people of creased character and easy smile and traditions that time won’t erase. It is the land of “filigrees” and “masks” that in Carnival take over the streets of Podence. It is the region of the imposing granite mountains and hills and the magnificent Alto Douro vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From one end to the other of this rich and immense territory, vineyards, farms, homes and plots are left that are at the mercy of those who look for a vacation home, a permanent place to live or to retire and also to invest in a vineyard and the wine business in the Douro.
Local Flavours / Gastronomy
In the north of Portugal the food is great, or rather; the food is more than great, it is excellent! The specialties vary from region to region and among them are the well known “francesinha” in Porto, the “rojões” in the Minho, the “wild rabbit rice” in the Douro, the “miranda post” in Trás-os-Montes and so on. To accompany all these incredible gastronomic specialities, nothing beats a good vinho verde from the Minho or a “nectar” born and cultivated in the Douro that is not only producer of Port wine but also for sophisticated whites, reds and rosés.
Beaches / Sports
The north of Portugal is not very known for the beaches but believe me, they have beautiful ones! Among the most beautiful and popular are the beaches of Viana do Castelo and Melides. Inland the sea baths give way to the river baths and there are so much river beaches that we find in Lima, Tâmega and other rivers of Minho and Trás-os-Montes. Another postcard of the north of Portugal is the National Park of Peneda-Gerês where besides the splendid landscape there are adventures to test the brave vein of each one.