Home /
Location Guide /
Costa Verde
Costa Verde is the newly invented name for this coastal region located at the northwest corner of Portugal. It derives its name from beautiful green landscape --- lush valleys, hills, and mountains. Costa Verde also offers beautiful beaches, waterfalls, vineyards, and other places of interest.
Costa Verde is well known for its wines --- the green sparkling wine called Vinho Verde and for the ever popular Port wine. "Port wine" was named after Porto, Costa Verde's major city (and Portugal's second largest city). Several wine lodges in the suburbs of Vila Nova de Gaia provide daily tours with free wine tasting for tourists.
North of Porto is a place called Barcelos, famous for its ceramics and the legend of The Rooster. A country market is held on Thursdays in Barcelos. In this market you will find everything from baked goods, fresh produce, lace tablecloths, farm equipment, wine-making equipment, pottery, and decorated ceramic roosters.
There many other interesting places to visit in Costa Verde. Places such as:
• Guimaraes – this is the birthplace of Portugal and boasts castles, walls, and houses of historic note.
• Braganca – home to several castles, cathedrals, and other noteworthy architecture such as the Domus Municipalis
• Chaves – the hottest springs in Europe can be found in Chaves. Tourists and residents alike go here for its curative effects on illnesses such as rheumatism and hypertension.
• Povoa de Varzim – a quaint little fishing town and a cosmopolitan summer resort at the same time.
• Vila Praia de Ancora – soak up the sun on its sandy beaches --- the perfect setting the sea, the countryside, the rivers, and mountains.
• And many more.
Costa Verde is a good example of how cosmopolitan elegance and popular heritage can blend and produce a place worthy of a second look.
