Travel to Northern Portugal
Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast
This episode of the Amateur Traveler Podcast explores northern Portugal, focusing on the Minho region known for its lush green landscapes, h
Key takeaways
- Minho is characterized by its abundant greenery and natural beauty, reflected in the name 'Verdful' (from Portuguese 'verde', meaning green).
- The region blends historical significance with modern charm, featuring Roman ruins, baroque architecture, and vibrant local crafts like filigree jewelry.
Main topics
- Northern Portugal travel itinerary
- Minho region landscape and culture
Notable quotes
"The new Honda City isn't just made to drive, it's made to feel. The new Honda City, all new vibe."
Conclusion
Northern Portugal's Minho region offers a rich tapestry of natural beauty, historical depth,
Transcript preview
Speaker 2 (0:00) This episode is sponsored by Smart Travel, a new podcast from NerdWallet. You know that one friend who always finds the best travel deals, picks the right cards, and somehow ends up in first class for the price of coach? Smart Travel is like that friend, but in podcast form. They cover all things finance, like which travel cards earn their keep, and which are just heavy, shiny metal. The quick math for knowing when to pay with points or just swipe the credit card. planning group trips that won't ruin your budget or your friendships. If you haven't heard the story about friends who won't speak to each other after a one-week vacation together, buy me a Diet Coke sometime and I'll tell you. The nerds at NerdWallet know this stuff better than me, and that's why I feel great about recommending the Smart Travel podcast. After all, we nerds have to stick together. Travel smarter and spend less with the help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 7 (1:00) The Speaker 4 (1:01) city moves fast, but your vibe, that's different. Sharper, smoother, more alive. Speaker 7 (1:12) The new Speaker 4 (1:16) Honda City isn't just made to drive, it's made to feel. The new Honda City, all new vibe. Speaker 2 (1:25) Amateur Traveler episode 1010. Today, Amateur Traveler talks about castles and churches, Roman bridges and dolmens, a national park and waterfalls as we go to northern Portugal. This is Chris Christensen from Amateur Traveler. Let's talk about northern Portugal. Speaker 2 (1:47) I would like to welcome to the show Sandra from Verdful, that's V-E-R-D-E-F-E-U-L dot S-E, who has come to talk to us about a region in northern Portugal. Sandra, welcome to the show. Speaker 1 (2:02) Thank you very much. It's a pleasure. And what Speaker 2 (2:04) is the region we're talking about today? Speaker 1 (2:07) The region is northern Portugal Speaker 8 (2:09) and a specific part of it that's called Minho. It's a landscape, a part of northern Portugal. And the reason why I would like to tell people more about this part of the world is because it's such a beautiful place Speaker 1 (2:25) with a lot of greenery. It's what makes Minho special to me. And the company's name, Vertiful, comes from verde. in Portuguese, which is green. Speaker 2 (2:38) And what is your connection with this region? You're Swedish, not Portuguese. Speaker 1 (2:43) Yes, I am actually half Portuguese, so to speak. Oh, Speaker 2 (2:47) okay. Speaker 3 (2:48) My mother was born in Portugal, but she came to Sweden when she was a kid because her family emigrated here in search of better opportunities. Speaker 8 (2:59) So Speaker 3 (2:59) she stayed in Sweden, met my dad and had my brother and myself. We Speaker 1 (3:05) grew up here, but we have spent a lot of time like holidays. Speaker 1 (3:10) extended periods of time in Portugal when we grew up. And as an adult, I've done my best to maintain this Speaker 3 (3:17) connection to my heritage. So nowadays it's my husband and I who spend our holidays in Minho. Speaker 2 (3:24) Excellent. And I think you answered my why should you go question. Did you have anything you wanted to add to that or should we jump right into the itinerary? Speaker 1 (3:30) We can go to the itinerary, Speaker 8 (3:32) yes. Speaker 2 (3:33) What are you going to recommend for us? Speaker 3 (3:35) If someone has a week in Northern Portugal, I would suggest a route that mixes coast, Speaker 1 (3:42) countryside and also a bit of city life. This is just a short summary, but we could start in Vianado Castello, which is a beautiful coastal town and have that as our base. And from there, we can Speaker 3 (3:54) explore some coastal villages, beaches, spend some time in some historical cities. And then, of course, go to the vineyards and have some nice sparkling vineyard. which we're going to talk about more later. Speaker 2 (4:09) Excellent. Speaker 3 (4:11) For day one, while flying in from the US, you are most likely to have changed planes maybe in Lisbon or in some other European city before landing in Porto. Speaker 1 (4:22) Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. And it's not a part of Minho as such, but it is a destination that Speaker 3 (4:32) I, of course, highly recommend. However, it has already been covered on the show. So I suggest that we head north to Vienna de Cristelo that Speaker 1 (4:42) I mentioned earlier. And this is a historic, very beautiful city located on the northern banks of the Lima River with a beautiful basilica Speaker 3 (4:55) called Santa Lucia perching over the city. So after you have checked in there and got yourself settled, and you can go for an evening stroll in the quaint streets, I suggest staying, for example, in a hotel that's called AP Dona Aninjes. I can send you some notes later. Speaker 2 (5:14) It's Speaker 3 (5:15) located in the historical part of the city and offers a very classic atmosphere and draws a lot of inspiration from the local culture. So that's a good introduction to... Vianna's Pestelo and Minho. And after hopefully a good night's sleep, you can spend your first morning walking the streets of Vienna and then stop for a coffee and a delicious Bolo de Berlin. And Speaker 1 (5:43) this is a custard-filled sweet bun. Speaker 3 (5:46) And if you want to get the best of these Bolo de Berlin, Speaker 1 (5:50) you should go to a bakery called Manuel Speaker 3 (5:52) Natario. They Speaker 1 (5:54) are absolutely delicious here. Speaker 2 (5:56) Okay. Speaker 3 (5:58) And this city is renowned for handicraft, especially embroideries and Speaker 1 (6:04) something called filigree. I'm not sure if you are familiar with that. Speaker 2 (6:10) No, I don't know that I am. Speaker 1 (6:12) Filigree is a delicate form of jewelry where Speaker 3 (6:17) you use very thin threads of metal. It can be gold, it can be silver. And they twist and curl them and then wove them together so they look like lace. Speaker 2 (6:27) It's very beautiful. Speaker 2 (6:30) Okay. Speaker 1 (6:30) Yes. I suggest that you take a stroll through town and admire these beautiful pieces of jewelry in the shop windows. You will see them everywhere. It's beautiful. And it's very typical for this part of Portugal. And if you still have space for some lunch after your sweets, your bolo de Berlin, you should try one of many seafood restaurants. For example, Speaker 3 (6:55) there is one called Bota da Água. And there is one called... Tashkinia, Bella Corteira. And as Viana do Castelo is located right Speaker 1 (7:05) on the coast, this is fresh produce. Very Speaker 3 (7:07) nice. So after this busy morning, maybe after lunch, you could go south about 15-20 minutes by car and you will reach a couple of small seaside villages, Amorosa and Castelo de Neiva. So you are then just across the Lima River and here you find some beautiful sandy beaches, a few cafes, restaurants, nice for an ice cream or a coffee. And if you go a bit further south, you can go to Esposende. That's a little bit bigger. That's a city that has plenty of amenities and a very long, I think it's eight kilometers long, Speaker 1 (7:51) seaside promenade. Speaker 2 (7:54) Okay. So the attraction, the reason we're heading down to these villages is the beach and the seaside promenade. And this is beach day. Speaker 8 (8:04) Yes, Speaker 3 (8:04) I would say maybe not so much for swimming. It depends if you're brave. The water is a bit cold. But definitely just for strolling along the beach. I would say that maybe it's slightly similar to California in a sense that the water is cold, but it's a bit wild and it's just beautiful. The light is so pretty. So for day three, I suggest a day trip to Braga. So today takes you about 50 minutes by car southeast to one of Portugal's oldest cities. It was founded by the Romans and it was previously called Bracara Augusta. So this is an interesting city because it is a mix of 2000 years old historical sites, but as well a vibrant student atmosphere. It has a big and very famous university. And also it's an important religious center. So it's often Speaker 1 (9:07) referred to as Portugal's spiritual capital or the Rome of Portugal, depending on who you ask. So if you're visiting in summer, we recommend starting the Speaker 3 (9:20) day at Bom Jesus. And this is an iconic sanctuary, which is UNESCO listed and known for its huge baroque staircase and sweeping views over Speaker 1 (9:32) the city. Speaker 2 (9:33) I have climbed those stairs in Rome. Oh, you have? I don't know. My Portuguese is terrible. Yes, unfortunately, I climbed them down rather than up because we're talking about stairs that go up and down the entire hillside. Speaker 8 (9:49) Yes, it's quite a climb. Yes, it is an impressive construction. And if you don't feel like walking the stairs, there is also water-driven funicular. And you can also go by car. So you can choose. Speaker 2 (10:05) Okay. This Speaker 8 (10:06) is a very important place for the Speaker 3 (10:09) Catholics in Portugal. And also for the pilgrims, for example, when they're on their way to Santiago de Compostela. In Spain, they usually pass here and pay a visit. Speaker 2 (10:21) Okay. Speaker 8 (10:23) And this water-powered funicular that I mentioned is actually from 1882. And it looks like it too, but it is safe to ride. I can assure you that. But it is an experience. So you can take that up and walk down or the opposite. Speaker 2 (10:37) And I don't remember the water-powered funicular. Is that on the left-hand side as I'm looking at the stairs? Speaker 1 (10:45) Yes. On the left-hand side, yes. It's yellow, I think. Speaker 2 (10:50) Okay. Speaker 1 (10:51) So Speaker 3 (10:52) I spent some time here. There is a cafe, a souvenir shop, and just admire the architecture. It's stunning. I have never seen anything like it, Speaker 1 (11:02) just the staircase is very special. And at the top, you get the views. So the views over the city and the countryside. So after a morning Speaker 3 (11:12) here, I'm back in the city center in Braga. You could just spend the Speaker 1 (11:17) afternoon wandering the streets. You have plenty of cafes, a lot of independent boutiques, and of course historical buildings. And a must for a history buff is the cathedral, the Cé de Braga. It's actually, as many other things, it's the oldest in Portugal. So the oldest cathedral. And also it is where the parents of Portugal's first king are buried. And the first king was Afonso Enriques. I will mention him a bit later on as well. Speaker 2 (11:51) Okay. Speaker 1 (11:52) So this has been quite a full-packed day with a lot of activities. You might have done some shopping. Speaker 3 (11:57) You have been climbing some stairs. So at night you can go return to Vienna do Castelo and end the day with dinner. And a restaurant that my family and I have visited many times over the past decades. It's a pizzeria. It's called Pizzeria. Dolce Vienna. And it's located just off the beautiful main square in Vienna. And they serve stone baked pizzas cooked in an open guest facing oven. And my personal Speaker 1 (12:30) favorite and a recommendation is the pizza called Regina. It's very good. It's with cheese, smoked ham and mushrooms. It's