Póvoa de Varzim

The Povoa de Varzim municipality is faced to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, over 13 kilometers of coastline, where they appear, from south to north, the towns of Povoa de Varzim, Aver-o-Mar, Aguçadoura and Estela. The extensive beach with a unique texture allowed to bathe the sea rich in iodine, a mild temperature and the cold is accompanied by a cut that creates coves hosting marine life in their rock masses.

The quieter areas are the Aver-o-Mar, Aguçadoura and Estela, while the beach of Povoa is a center of great attraction since the nineteenth century. Along this beach is one murete called Avenue of the Baths, a distance of 2 kilometers, an area that functions as a lookout, a space for meeting and socializing, and is also very popular for hiking and biking. Even next to this beach are sports complexes as the Municipal Swimming Pools, Sports Club Pools Povoa, Sports Pavilion of the Sports Club Varzim and the Municipal Academy of Tennis.

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The poveiro coastline, stretching from the fishing harbor to the dunes whipped by winds from Estela, is packed with a wealth and variety of flora and fauna, with seabirds such as gulls of several species, sandpipers d’sand and “MASCATO”. In the spring, the broken collar sandpipers seeking the beaches and dunes to the nesting grounds, that this also can be observed migrating sandpipers and Galicians fuselos targeting the tundra in the far north to nest.

Least crowded, beaches and dunes are covered with flowering plants such as narcissus odor of beaches with white flowers and deep roots, sea thistle with blue flowers protected by prickly leaves and the hare tails, small pon-pons that follow wind flavor, in the drier areas of the dunes.

Praia_Verde_Povoa_Varzim

Trough fields recall the shapes of traditional dough mixers, corresponding to a use and enjoyment of the dunes, where cultivation farms are made with large horticultural products due to its shallow water table, which allows good degree of constant humidity. The downgrade of these fields makes is protected from sea winds, which is reinforced by hedges on top of the mounds that allow heat increase. Therefore, these fields operate as authentic natural greenhouses.

campos masseira

North destinations of Portugal

S. Félix Mount

The highest point of Rates saw is the Mount St. Felix with an altitude of 202 meters. This offers a panoramic view of the entire region of Povoa de Varzim, from the coastline, the peasant and urban, with the possible transition between the coastal plain and the undulation of the inner region. This one can still find some traditional mill, a chapel dedicated to the hermit St. Felix and a hotel.

Monte de S. Felix

Casino of Póvoa

With a focus on animation in game rooms and leisure facilities, to enter this casino enters a game world of emotions in a safe environment, quality and comfort, a world in which the animation commands. This is considered the nort casino, offering machines, over 600 slot machines, roulette, French banking, black jack, point and bank and poker. It is open from Sunday to Thursday, from 15:00 to 3:00 a.m.; Friday, Saturday and holiday eve, from July 15 to August 31, from 15 to 31 December from 16h00 to 04h00; ending the 24th and 25th of December.

Casino da Povoa

Ethnography and History Museum of Póvoa de Varzim

In a building of the eighteenth century, this was classified as a Public Interest. Also known as Solar dos Sheep, this has undergone over the years, several changes of structures, having been founded in 1937 by poveiro ethnographer António dos Santos Graça, this museum contains an important ethnographic value, with a collection of original Community FISHING Poveira.

Museu Municipal de Etnografia

Beata Alexandrina de Balasar

Alexandrina Maria da Costa also known as “Santinha of Balasar” because of his kindness gives to pilgrims and Christian wisdom. Currently, the pilgrimage is made by the Church of Santa Eulalia of Balasar, where it is buried. His beatification took place on April 25, 2004.

Igreja de Santa Eulalia de Balasar

Casa da Beata Alexandrina

Sua casa e testemunho dos momentos mais difíceis e a sua total devoção à fé. Esta casa mantém a decoração, preservando a ambiência de Alexandrina de Balasar. Encontra-se aberta todos os dias 9h00 às 12h00 e das 14h30 às 19h00. As festividades em sua honra decorrem a 13 de outubro (Festa Litúrgica) e as Comemorações Beatificação ocorrerem a 25 abril.

Casa da Beata Alexandrina

Santiago paths

There are over a thousand years that religious fervor has led thousands of people from around the world, to travel the road to Santiago de Compostela, between ridge, ancient Roman and medieval villages, beaches and forests to reach the tomb of the apostle. In Portugal, there are several ways in Povoa de Varzim municipality highlights are two routes, one called by Central Way, which passes through San Pedro de Rates, the most sought after by pilgrims. It was here that created the first Hostel in Portugal. The second way is accompanied by the sea, called the Way of the Coast, entered the county of Varzim, the old street of the Blacksmiths, one crosses the city center, passing by the hostel San Jose, heading for the coast and between beaches, dunes and dough mixers, moving to reach Esposende.

Camino_de_Santiago

Town Hall of Póvoa de Varzim

The nineteenth century, this was considered Public Interest. The Arcade façade, designed by French engineer Reinaldo Oudinot, between 1790 and 1791 highlights the architectural structure of the British Factory of Porto. In the year 1807 opened, but a hundred years later, underwent expansion and decoration led by ethnologist Rocha Peixoto and the Belgian painter Joseph Bialman.

Pacos do Concelho da Povoa de Varzim

Nossa Senhora da Conceição fortress

The eighteenth century, this was classified as Public Property interested, having been built in the reign of Dom Pedro II and D. João V, between 1701 to 1740, it maintains a pentagonal layout with four bastions, connected by the wall. At the entrance gate are the weapons of D. Diogo de Sousa, governor responsible for its completion. Inside this is a small chapel in the year 1743, erected in honor of Our Lady. This fortress was intended to protect the interests of fishermen, as was the economic livelihood of the village.

Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Conceicao

Aqueduct

The eighteenth century, this was classified as a National Monument. Initially the structure had 999 arches, carrying water from a spring in Terroso, to the monastery of Santa Clara in Vila do Conde. This was built between the years 1705 and 1714, through the parishes of Beiriz and Argivai, a special feature is its increasing size increases when approaching the destination. Today, it is still visible to its original construction, although present fractioned.

Aqueduto