A change of water:
The family seaside resort of Vila Praia de Âncora is about 15km away, and either side of it are the many safe, clean beaches of the Costa Verde - surf beaches, sandy, rocky, wide, discreet, family, romantic beaches - you can go to a different one each day to suit your mood. There are also warm, sheltered river beaches on the River Lima, within 8km. Or there's the waterfalls and rock pools on the Serra de Arga, where you can swim in clean fresh mountain water, scramble about the rocks or simply sun find a secluded flat rock and just sun yourself. The nearest is at Pincho, 4km away.
Touring the countryside:
A lot of visitors tour around, seeing the historic sites, the small market towns and villages, the rugged landscapes. Others come to lose themselves in a terrain that is still largely unaffected by modern European development, and amongst a people who still live a simple life. Most are subsistence farmers, and while there are few women who still wash the clothes in the stream, they do still go every day to collect the milk from the communal cow, in churns balanced on their heads. Traffic jams, more often than not, are caused by an ox drawn cart. These may be a small, remote villages, but they have a life of their own, centred on the cafés that stay open until the last customer leaves; visitors are really welcomed and it’s easy to quickly feel a part of the village. There’s a very gentle tone, and what tourists there are tend to be Portuguese.
Golf:
Ponte de Lima (20km), part of “a bucolic scenery of mountains, vineyards and fruit gardens”, is a course typical of the Minho region. Par 71, 6005m, including Portugal's longest hole at 622m (par 5).
Estela (50km), built on a 3km stretch of sand dunes on the beautiful Costa Verde, this is one of the Portuguese golf links that secured a high reputation for itself when it hosted two events in the European Professionals' Circuit. Par 72, 6129m.
Quinta da Barca golf resort (35km), an excellent 9-hole course with stunning views over the Cavado River. Par 31, 2012m.
Other Activities:
karting
