We went for a day trip to the city of Povoa de Varzim, first settled from around four to six thousand years ago. It's about 48 minutes on direct Metro route Bx from Bolhao station in Porto. The city offers many attractions, activities, and cultural events - for the latest information, click here. Povoa de Varzim is part of the Portuguese Way (Camino Portugues) to Santiago de Compostela.
(Click on each photo to see more detail.)
From the Metro stop, we headed to the beach (7.5 miles / 12 km stretch of golden sand), and to go there, the best way is to pass by Rua da Junqueira, the main and the oldest shopping street in the city (some shops are over a hundred years old). Junqueira is the most popular tourist area in Povoa after the beach.
This long wall by the beach is decorated with Azulejo tiles. For some more examples of Azulejo, head on over to our previous feature on Porto.
There is a strong Scandinavian influence in Povoa de Varzim. It is most readily seen in street signs, for example, with a sort of Runic writing called Siglas Poveiras.
No, that is not Vladimir Putin on the mural behind us! With us in the photo is the Tourism office manager, Ielva. Ielva spent a long time with us, patiently explaining the highlights of the city, including the best areas to live in as a resident.
More Azulejo.
Povoa de Varzim has a lot to offer (including bike paths!), and we like this city as a possible retirement destination.
