Viana do Castelo

The jewel of the Costa Verde, Viana do Castelo is blessed with an appealing medieval centre, an attractive riverfront and lovely beaches just outside the city. The old quarter showcases leafy 19th-century boulevards and narrow lanes crowded with Manueline manors and rococo palaces, all dramatically presided over by the pearly white, neo-Byzantine Santa Luzia church on the hilltop high above town. The town’s setting just by the Rio Lima estuary makes Viana a handy base for exploring the lower Lima valley.

Explore Viana do Castelo

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Monte de Santa Luzia
There are two good reasons to visit Viana’s 228m eucalyptus-clad hill. One is the wondrous view down the coast and up the Lima valley. The other is the…
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Gil Eannes
Demanding attention on the waterfront near Largo 5 de Outubro is a pioneering naval hospital ship, the Gil Eannes (zheel yan-ish). Now restored, the ship…
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Praia do Cabedelo
This is one of the Minho’s best beaches: a 1km-long arc of blonde, powdery sand that folds into grassy dunes backed by a grove of wind-blown pines. It’s…
P
Praça da República
This fine hub of seven narrow laneways is at the heart of the old town’s zone of mansions and monuments. An especially elegant example is the Chafariz, a…
T
Templo do Sagrado Coração de Jesus
This fabulously over-the-top, 20th-century, neo-Byzantine church is one of two reasons to visit Viana’s 228m eucalyptus-clad hill. You can get a little…
M
Museu de Artes Decorativas
The 18th-century Palacete Barbosa Maciel bears witness to Viana’s affluent past. It houses this impressive collection of 17th- and 18th-century ceramics …
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Fábrica do Chocolate
This small five-room museum devoted to chocolate is fun and interactive, treating you to tidbits of facts and curiosities, but it's also often packed with…
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Castelo de São Tiago da Barra
You can still scoot around the ramparts of this squat castle, a short walk west of the centre, which began in the 15th century as a smallish fort. It was…
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Museu do Traje
This attractive museum houses the traditional wear used for farming, fishing and seaweed harvesting in centuries past. You’ll see costumes worn during the…

M
Monte de Santa Luzia
There are two good reasons to visit Viana’s 228m eucalyptus-clad hill. One is the wondrous view down the coast and up the Lima valley. The other is the…
G
Gil Eannes
Demanding attention on the waterfront near Largo 5 de Outubro is a pioneering naval hospital ship, the Gil Eannes (zheel yan-ish). Now restored, the ship…
P
Praia do Cabedelo
This is one of the Minho’s best beaches: a 1km-long arc of blonde, powdery sand that folds into grassy dunes backed by a grove of wind-blown pines. It’s…
P
Praça da República
This fine hub of seven narrow laneways is at the heart of the old town’s zone of mansions and monuments. An especially elegant example is the Chafariz, a…
T
Templo do Sagrado Coração de Jesus
This fabulously over-the-top, 20th-century, neo-Byzantine church is one of two reasons to visit Viana’s 228m eucalyptus-clad hill. You can get a little…
M
Museu de Artes Decorativas
The 18th-century Palacete Barbosa Maciel bears witness to Viana’s affluent past. It houses this impressive collection of 17th- and 18th-century ceramics …
F
Fábrica do Chocolate
This small five-room museum devoted to chocolate is fun and interactive, treating you to tidbits of facts and curiosities, but it's also often packed with…
C
Castelo de São Tiago da Barra
You can still scoot around the ramparts of this squat castle, a short walk west of the centre, which began in the 15th century as a smallish fort. It was…
M
Museu do Traje
This attractive museum houses the traditional wear used for farming, fishing and seaweed harvesting in centuries past. You’ll see costumes worn during the…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Viana do Castelo.

See
Monte de Santa Luzia
There are two good reasons to visit Viana’s 228m eucalyptus-clad hill. One is the wondrous view down the coast and up the Lima valley. The other is the…
See
Gil Eannes
Demanding attention on the waterfront near Largo 5 de Outubro is a pioneering naval hospital ship, the Gil Eannes (zheel yan-ish). Now restored, the ship…
See
Praia do Cabedelo
This is one of the Minho’s best beaches: a 1km-long arc of blonde, powdery sand that folds into grassy dunes backed by a grove of wind-blown pines. It’s…
See
Praça da República
This fine hub of seven narrow laneways is at the heart of the old town’s zone of mansions and monuments. An especially elegant example is the Chafariz, a…
See
Templo do Sagrado Coração de Jesus
This fabulously over-the-top, 20th-century, neo-Byzantine church is one of two reasons to visit Viana’s 228m eucalyptus-clad hill. You can get a little…
See
Museu de Artes Decorativas
The 18th-century Palacete Barbosa Maciel bears witness to Viana’s affluent past. It houses this impressive collection of 17th- and 18th-century ceramics …
See
Fábrica do Chocolate
This small five-room museum devoted to chocolate is fun and interactive, treating you to tidbits of facts and curiosities, but it's also often packed with…
See
Castelo de São Tiago da Barra
You can still scoot around the ramparts of this squat castle, a short walk west of the centre, which began in the 15th century as a smallish fort. It was…
See
Museu do Traje
This attractive museum houses the traditional wear used for farming, fishing and seaweed harvesting in centuries past. You’ll see costumes worn during the…

Guidebooks

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