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| Alijó
- The council of Alijó has a lot to see and experience, in a variety
of forms and in the different seasons of the year varying from one village
to another. Walking through the main town Alijó gives us a
good picture of this variety. The architectonic heritage is vast.
Next to the town hall, in the ancient part of the town, is the Pillory
– classified as Building of public Interest. Some of the other monuments
to visit are: the Parish Church built in the 18th century, dedicated to
Santa Maria Maior; the fountain in front of the church; the square in front
of the Town Hall; the monument in honour of the Douro Man –witnesses by
this council his historic vitality and main activity: the art and struggle
of wine growing. |
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Pousada
de Alijó - Barão de Forrester, Alijó ***
Style:
Charming Pousada w/pool in the heart of wine region
Alijó
Pousada is located in the old village of Alijó, heart of the Douro
Wine Region among the famous "quintas", small estates where the Port Wine
vineyards grow in terraces. It is the most perfect place to get to know
how the most famous wine in the world is produced. The proximity of the
Douro river allows guests to go on pleasant cruises, and enjoy one of the
most beautiful landscapes in the country. |
| Amares
- Between the city of Braga and the Gerês mountain range, stands
Sta. Maria do Bouro Pousada, the result of the restoration of a former
Cistercian Monastery, one of the most characteristic of that period in
Portugal. In accordance with the monastic severity, but with a comfortable
and modern decoration, this Pousada is an absolute must to discover the
cultural sites of Minho. |
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Pousada
de Amares - Sta. Maria do Bouro, Amares ***
Style:
Historic Design Pousada w/pool Formerly a 12th C. Monastery
Between
the city of Braga and the Gerês mountain range, stands Sta. Maria
do Bouro Pousada, the result of the restoration of a former Cistercian
Monastery, one of the most characteristic of that period in Portugal. In
accordance with the monastic severity, but with a comfortable and modern
decoration, this Pousada is an absolute must to discover the cultural sites
of Minho. |
| Bragança
- The city is ideally located near the border between Spain and Portugal.
In Bragança, with its strategic position, has token place many constructions
of fortresses before Fernão Mendes, brother in law of D. Afonso
Henriques, demanded the creation of the city walls in 1130. It has
been Brigantia. In its interior is the castle of D. Sancho I, established
in 1187, with donjon and vigil towers, which have many tragic legends that
say they were the refuge of Dona Sancha, the unhappy wife of Fernão
Mendes. The legends also say that other wives were kept prisoners in those
towers. Between the city walls, it’s also the pentagonal Domus Municipalis
from the 17th century, that is the unique model still remaining of the
Romanic civil architecture in Portugal. |
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Pousada
de Bragança - Sao Bartolomeu ***
Style:
Charming Pousada w/pool in Nature Surroundings
Bragança,
too often forgotten due to its distance from the decision-making centres,
will be impossible to forget, once visited. From the Pousada de Bragança
- São Bartolomeu, on top of a hill of the Nogueira mountain range,
you have a superb view over this districts capital city. Within the walls
of the former castle, Bragança is one of the most interesting medieval
cities of Portugal. The Pousada perfectly combines its architecture, decoration
and gastronomy with the regional culture. |
| Geres/Caniçada
- With a unique location in the heart of Peneda/ Gerês National
Park, this Pousada has a breath taking view over the river Cávado
and the peaceful Caniçada dam. These are landscapes to remember,
while appreciating a delicious appetizer on the Pousada's terrace, looking
down at the beautiful sunset reflected on the water. |
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Pousada
de Geres / Canicada - S.Bento ***
Style:
Nature Pousada w/pool and Scenic Views
The
Sao Bento Pousada is situated on a unique location in the heart of Peneda-Geres
National Park. This Pousada has breathtaking views over the river Cavado
and the peaceful Canicada dam. All the 28 rooms are equipped with the latest
facilities to meet the comfort of guests. Other facilities include a swimming
pool, tennis court and a bar. Outdoor activities like hunting and fishing
are also arranged during the stay. |
| Guimarães
- Although is essentially a mediaeval town, Guimarães has its
origins in the distant 10th century. It was at this time that the Countess
Mumadona Dias, widow of Hemengildo Mendes ordered the construction
of a monastery which became the focal point for a settlement. For its defence
she ordered a Castle to be built on a hill a short distance away, thus
creating a second nucleus of development. A street grew-up linking one
to the other - the Santa Maria Road. Later the monastery acquired
great importance due to the privileges and donations bestowed on it by
kings and nobility. It became a famous centre for pilgrimage attracting
the prayers and promises of the faithful drawn from all quarters. |
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Pousada
de Guimaraes - Nossa Sra. da Oliveira, Guimarães ***
Style:
Charming Pousada in Monumental Town
The
Pousada de Guimarães - Nossa Sra. da Oliveira is located in the
medieval historical centre of Guimarães, traditionally known as
the birthplace of the Portuguese nation. This Pousada is part of the liveliness
of the city, helping to reflect its century old traditions. Staying at
this Pousada and walking through the narrow streets that lead to the castle
and to the Palace of the Dukes, is like discovering the history of Portugal. |
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Pousada
de Guimaraes - Santa Marinha, Guimarães ***
Theme:
Paradores of Spain and Pousadas of Portugal
Near
the historical centre of Guimarães, set on a hill overlooking the
city, we find the majestic Pousada de Guimarães - Santa Marinha,
the XII century Augustin convent, which after being rebuilt and restored,
received the National Architectural Prize in 1985. Penha Park, the small
gardens and the interior corners with granite fountains, the rich Portuguese
glazed tiles, the cloisters, the balconies and terraces over the city will,
together with the magnificent cuisine and wines, make you wish to stay
for a very long time. |
| Marão
- Amarante so to say, comes into existence when a preacher with the fame
of a saint visits this place. This was in the 13th century. The preacher
falls in love with place, builds a hermitage and begins to create conditions
for a village to take shape. He begins by throwing a bridge over the Tamega
which encourages peoples to settle there. Later on, the very
fame of Gonçalo's holiness keeps drawing more and more people to
the place. The religious element is very much present in the creation of
this city. Some road from Santiago to the South, would pass close to Amarante,
and the peregrines, knowing the fame of the preacher saint could not help
making a small detours to came and see and listen to him in person. |
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Pousada
de Marão - Sao Goncalo, Marão ****
Style:
Hotel Pousada in a Scenic Nature Area
Set
on the Marão Mountain Range and only 20km from the town of Amarante,
this Pousada is the perfect place to enjoy the magnificent landscapes of
the mountains and the Tâmega valley. The splendour of the view from
the Pousada sitting room is matched by the excellent quality of the cuisine.
In the Pousada's immediate surroundings, guests can enjoy the most beautiful
tours, amongst which a visit to Mateus Palace, which apart fromits architectural
beauty, offers guests a full programme of international cultural activities. |
| Mesão Frio
- The Solar was built in the 18th century on the terraced vineyards leading
down to the river Douro. At that time the view would have been to the fast
flowing river but now it is a long lake with hotel boats making a tranquil
cruise across the breadth of Portugal to the Spanish border. The perfect
way to arrive at this hotel must be to take one of the boats going upriver
from Porto and see the magnificent scenery with the terraced vineyards
and the white farms and solares standing proudly in the middle of their
estates. |
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Pousada
de Mesão Frio - Solar da Rede, Mesão Frio ***
Style: Manor House Pousada
w/pool with a Vineyard
In the midst of the Douro
demarcated wine region, on the road from Mesão Frio to Régua,
is the Solar da Rede, with its breathtaking view over the River Douro.
Ideally located within a 27-hectare vineyard, this 18th century manor house
offers visitors the chance to sample the reality of local vineyard life,
whilst reliving the ways of Port savouring. |
| Valenca do Minho
- Set on the highest place of the old fortified area of Valença,
near the Spanish border, this Pousada enjoys a magnificent view over Spain,
over the peaceful river Minho and the ancient village walls. Its cuisine
delicacies are among the best of the Minho regional traditions. The
fortress is a piece of Gothic and Baroque Military Architecture. The first
walls were built in the 13th century (1200). Nowadays it is a kind of bulwarked
system, Vauban type, built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Placed on the
top of two small hills, it is formed by two polygons: the Magistral Square
and the Coroa or Coroada (Hormeveque style) separated by a ditch that protects
the four Doors (Coroada, Gaviarra, Fonte da Vila and Sol). |
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Pousada
de Valenca do Minho - Sao Teotonio ***
Style: Historic Design
Pousada
Set on the highest place
of the old fortified area of Valença, near the Spanish border, this
Pousada enjoys a magnificent view over Spain, the peaceful river Minho
and the ancient village walls. Its cuisine delicacies are among the best
of the Minho regional traditions. |
| Viana
do Castelo (Costa Verde) |
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| Viana
do Castelo - Scarcely hundreds of metres away, is the Monte de Sta.
Luzia (the Sta. Luzia hill) which looks over the town and the mouth of
the river as far as the Atlantic. It was here, in 1903, that Domingos
José de Morais, a Portuguese man who made his fortune in Brazil,
ordered the construction of a hotel which he then gave to the town.
Inaugurated in 1918, this Hotel is ideally situated and has been part of
the network Pousadas de Portugal since 1979, formerly called Hotel Santa
Luzia, this unit was restructured to create a more welcoming and comfortable
ambiance and then reopened as Pousada do Monte Santa Luzia, with forty
seven rooms, a suite, Swimming-pool, tennis court, garden and playground
for children. |
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Pousada
de Viana do Castelo - Monte de Sta. Luzia, Viana Do Castelo ****
Style: Modern Restored
Pousada w/pool
Set on the hill of Santa
Luzia, overlooking the town of Viana do Castelo and the beautiful estuary
of the river Lima, this Pousada is the result of an excellent restoration
of a 1918 hotel. From this Pousada guests can enjoy the view of one of
the vast and beautiful landscapes of our country, the city of Viana do
Castelo and the sea. Its surrounding gardens and woods, the magnificent
swimming pool and the peaceful place where the Pousada is set, allow guests
an invigorating tranquillity.. |
| Vila
Nova de Cerveira - The consolidation of V. N. Cerveira as a tourist
destination is supported in products of great historical and cultural relevance,
as the Mountain and chapel of Espirito Santo, where there are visible
remaining portions of a defensive system, seem to be of Celtic origin.
Also important is the S. Cipriano Church, from the 19th century, but with
previous vestiges from the 16th century, and the Chapel of S. Roque, built
after the 1564 plague. |
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Pousada
de Vila Nova de Cerveira - D.Diniz, Vila Nova de Cerveira ***
Style: Historic Design
Pousada
This Pousada is set in a
small XIII century manor house, where rooms and suites have their own courtyards,
and ensures guests have total privacy. From the manor's old walls you have
the most magnificent view over the river Minho. This is an excellent starting
point to get to know the beautiful Minho landscapes and traditions, or
even to relive the military achievements of this land. |
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