Minho

Having travelled from the top to the most extreme westerly point of Portugal I want to take you on a tour of a region which hasn't really changed over the centuries. After living for years in the sunbaked Algarve it was such a contrast to go north where the region is so green and lush. As soon as the month of July hits the Algarve the land dries up completely, plants become parched and a drive down a dirt track will cover your eyes in choking dust. The Minho offers a verdant antidote to this oppression. This ancient province, the historic heart of Portugal, lies in the north west of the country and is famed for its greenery - for its green coast, its green ...  Read the complete review

Minho is a province in the north of this beautiful country named Portugal. It has lots of various things to visit, from great monuments to natural places of extreme beauty. Main settlements Viana do Castelo ? Founded at the ford of the Lima River, this town has wonderfull beaches and lots of things that lovers of the ocean will adore. If you prefer mountains and hills, they are also in abundance around the town. The place is somewhat small and, besides a great and beautifull temple and two forts, has very little monuments to see. Braga ? A town surrounded by hills. Every wilderness ...  Read the complete review

I had been to Portugal on a few occasions, but had never ventured north to the Minho region, near the Spanish border. I must honestly say that the views are unbelievably breathtaking. The people are some of warmest and friendliest I have yet come across. Whether you are into shopping, hiking, camping, clubbing or just relaxing, the many towns and villages of the Minho region offer unlimited opportunities for all tastes and palates. You can shop along the chic boutiques of Arcos de Valdvez or in the outdoor markets of Ponte De Lima. For the adventurer, you can hike along the many mountain trails to Peneda and swim in the many rivers and natural springs of the mountains ...  Read the complete review