Sandy Treasures on the Summit of Northwest Portugal

Portugal’s west coast trimmed with beaches offers beachgoers a broad selection, from the crowded beaches in the south up to the less frequented north.

The further north the colder the water, but the smaller crowds and lower accommodation and restaurant prices make Portugal’s northern beaches a smart option.

In the northern province of Minho on Portugal’s Costa Verde (Green Coast), sandy the beaches and their adjacent towns offer visitors, along with smaller crowds, picturesque scenery, great dining and friendly people.

The three beaches below are but a minute specimen of the beaches found in the northwest. In actuality, one could say that Portugal’s west coast is one long beach stretching hundreds of kilometres with a hundred different interpretations.

Póvoa de Varzim

Póvoa de Varzim a town on a sandy coastal plain in northern Portugal. Its sandy beach, hotels, casino, and refined literary culture in music and theatre make Póvoa a popular destination with northern Portuguese vacationers.

The iodine-rich seawaters of Póvoa lead Benedictine monks during the 16th century to take sea-baths in search of cures for skin and bone problems. Today many vacationers make the pilgrimage to Póvoa de Varzim in search of these cures.

Praia de Moledo

Moledo close to the town of Caminha and minutes from the Spanish boarded is trendy and a favorite spot of Spanish tourists. The old town is charming offering visitors excellent dining.

Located on an inlet just off the beach is the seventeenth century Insua Fort, classified as a national monument since 1910.

Moledo is an ideal destination for Wind Surfing and Para Surfing enthusiasts.

Vila Praia de Âncora

The town of Vila Praia de Âncora located a short drive north from Viana Do Castelo offers a half-moon sandy beach with expanses of space which even on busy weekends will provide bathers with an area of their own.

Âncora’s full flat surface is an attraction for vacationers’ with families, offering one of the best family operated and oriented surf schools. Room rates are reasonable but for better prices and location book early.