Aveiro, Porto, Gumaraes, Braga
21 - 23 Mar 2026
Our campsite at Aveiro, Parque de Campismo da Gafanha da Nazare, came well recommended in CamperContact – but the reviews noted… “the rest rooms are (very) old, but are scheduled for renovations”. Our welcome was indeed very nice, and helpful… but I think the reviewer I quote here was being generous! The toilets had no seats, no toilet paper, no hot water in the basins, no hand sanitizer and no hand drying facilities. And the showers were decrepit too! I won’t comment further on the motorhome grey water disposal facility – but it was not out of character with the toilets! But… all water was potable, and the power system was new – and provided more power than one is likely to need – 10A (whoo hoo)!
But to
Aveiro… As you might guess… the presence of human settlement here extends to
the period associated with the great dolmens of pre-history. It was a centre of
salt exploration by the Romans and trade centre through the Middle Ages. It was
a significant river port too – but a large storm in 1575 closed the entrance to
the port (i.e. a sand bar)– ending a thriving trade in metals and tiles. So
they demolished the walls around the city and used the stone to build a new
port (the good thing about the building materials used in earlier times – is that
they can be recycled without loss of function – granite doesn’t decay with
time!). So we visited the beach, to see
the sea… and more surfers, eternally waiting for that “perfect wave”… It had a
nice boardwalk too – so that those of us who have no desire to feel the sand
between our toes, can still enjoy a sandy beach.
Mind you – there didn’t seem to be a lot of takers for the pleasures of sitting by the sea, but a flying advertising hoarding flew overhead – Sushi must be becoming “a thing” here, too?
After the visit to the beach, we moved on to the city of Aveiro it self – which has re-invented itself as a tourist destination (The Venice of Portugal)… and took a ride in one of the "gondolas" (barcos moliceiros once used for collecting moliço seaweed) plying the Ria de Aveiro canals. The motive power was very modern… electric outboard motors, and the ride was a pleasant experience in the warm sun.
Next stop – Porto. Our plan was to stay in a motorhome stopover spot near the centre of the city “Parking Dantas”! So the only real concerns were: 1) what we might encounter in the “last kilometre”, and 2) whether there would be room for us – as it was a small site. Well, 1) was true – we navigated down a few narrow streets, and 2) was not a problem! We arrived at Parking Dantas – to find it looking very full – mainly with cars. But no problem Manuel- moved some bollards and pretty soon we were tucked into a park suitable for a car – and a 5 cm clearance from the motorhome already on site. I have to say that while BF is small on the inside – it is also “small” on the outside – and that has been incredibly useful in parking lots and supermarket carparks – as well as on narrow roads. After our experiences with Fiat, and now Baby Fiat (BF), I wouldn’t ever consider travelling in any vehicle longer than 6m in southern Europe! The internal compromises are worth the external benefits!
So – about Porto… it’s the second largest city in Portugal – and it too is built on a large river (the Douro), and on some “hills” – yes it too is steep. And… settlement dates back to the 2nd century BC, when it was an outpost of the Roman Republic. Its combined Celtic-Latin name, Portus Cale, has been referred to as the origin of the name Portugal, based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin. Archaeological investigations indicate human settlements existed at the mouth of the Douro River as early as the 8th century BC, possibly indicating the presence of a Phoenician trading post. During the Visigothic periods, it emerged as a key centre for the spread of Christianity. Between 714 and 716, Porto came under Muslim control, but was reconquered by Christian forces under Alfonso I of Asturias in 741, establishing Porto as a fortified Christian frontier town. And to connect the story back to Tomar, it was here in 1387, that John I of Portugal married Philippa of Lancaster, cementing the Anglo-Portuguese alliance mentioned in the Surf and Church post. As you will likely expect – the French come into the Porto story – not in a good way! In 1806, Porto built the floating pontoon bridge known as the Ponte das Barcas. During the Peninsular War, French forces invaded the city. On 29 March 1809, thousands of civilians attempting to flee across the bridge caused it to collapse, resulting in an estimated 4,000 deaths—the deadliest bridge disaster in history.
As we arrived mid-afternoon, and because we were only a few hundred metres away from the iconic Ponte de Dom Luís I, the 1886, 172m span double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro (and designed by a business partner of Eiffel of Tower fame)– we spent a pleasant afternoon and evening visiting the Ribeira district – with its warren of narrow streets, and pastel coloured facades.
There were many “buskers” and performers working the teaming crowds of people who seemed to just be out enjoying the sun, and the scene… and of course there were lots of tourists like us as well. We have noticed, in this context – that perhaps 25% of all those that we think are tourists – are Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean?) – a little like in NZ.
Didn't manage to find out what the following performance was for... but it was tuneful, and had a lot of action to it!
Back with the “buskers”… we bought a CD from the Cello Player (Julio Luz) as we think it will for ever be evocative of our time in Porto – and while he was just playing popular show and Simon and Garfunkel songs – he was attracting a steady stream on contributions (unlike most of the other buskers we have seen)… But perhaps the most fascinating sounds, came from the man with the moustache and the bowler hat… who was playing a barrel organ (Dutch Street Organ?), and associated instruments: (pat the bantams (?) at the right time (to elicit a chirp!), or ring a small bell, or touch a chime or … And the text on his sign board read “Listen… your world is a fiction, an illusion. Just one option: LOVE - love all and focus on the present moment – nothing else. Be quiet. You are what you search for. Shalom.” Mind you – he was covering all bases with a Budha, and various African masks etc. And yes, all the birds on his “instrument” are real!
As regards the grittiness of Porto – the solo player and his background give a lot away – washing outside houses, pastel colours, sculpture, fountains, umbrellas for diners…. We also encountered a hen party… with a bunch of her chickens… who met another bride to be along the way. Then there was the “bunny” photobomber (who engaged in a financial transaction aafterwards!)…
We passed by a marker for the Portuguese Camino de Santiago (we did visit its starting point in Lisbon)… it was on the top of a hill in Porto, on the Terreiro Da Se – which makes one feel that this Camino is quite up and downy!
As we
have often seen in Portugal (as well as Spain), the “new” can quite often be
seen beside the “decaying”…
Or the not so new and the decaying reside happily side by side – with diners enjoying the “vibe”…But setting that all aside – the city does have an intrinsic beauty about it – and perhaps, it could have been “painted”… (like a Spanish village – but a little larger!) – as all the different colours, shapes and the river – do bring a nice sense of harmony to the city…
We did
visit a few of the “sites” too – though we skipped the “book shop” and the
Cathedral! Instead opting for the Palacio da Bolsa – the new old Chamber of
Commerce “building” which began construction in 1842 but was not completed for
another 60 years. It was constructed to “show” the power and influence of the
association of businesses in Porto – so in a Roman Catholic country – how best
to demonstrate this power? Use Islamic themes and memes – that is one in the
eye! It did have some nice floors
though – as they were all inlaid timber.
And here is a section of one of those "nice floors"...
We also paid an outrageous cost to visit the Igreja de Asao Francisco – a Gothic Church begun in the 1300s “revised” with a Baroque interior in the 18th Century. We think the result is the absolute opposite of what we imagine St Francis of Assisi would want…. Here, over 200kg of gold encrusts the high alter, columns and pillars etc. (Regarding the price - it is a museum now - and no longer a consecrated church - and there was no reduced rate for Seniors!!).
Following
on with the theme of “decoration”… On the way to our ride on the Teleferic, we needed
to walk down some steps (a few hundred metres from our park over) – and this proved again the benefit of occasionally looking
behind – because here was another comment on Porto… and if you look carefully,
you will see that it even includes miniature graffiti!
Or... to inspect a little of the detail...
Lastly – some evening imagery… as our “campsite” was so close to the Ribeira district – we had a meal at a Restaurant there… and did what everyone else seemed also to be doing… “people Watching” while waiting for our food to arrive (which is another story!)… For nearly the entire time, this chestnut seller waited and waited for customers… and she was finally rewarded, after about an hour…
And the "bridge" at night...
So,
Porto, completed in 24 hours… we moved on, visiting Guimaraes enroute to our
next camp site in Braga. Why Guimaraes? Well… the city was settled in the 9th
century, at which time it was called Vimaranes. Guimarães has a significant
historical importance due to the role it played in the foundation of Portugal.
The city is commonly referred to as the "birthplace of Portugal" or
"the cradle city" (Cidade Berço in Portuguese) because it was in
Guimarães that Portugal's first King, Afonso Henriques was born, and also
because the Battle of São Mamede– which is considered the seminal event for the
foundation of the Kingdom of Portugal – was fought in the vicinity of the city.
In that 1128 battle, Afonso Henriques defeated the forces led by his mother
Teresa of Portugal and her lover Fernão Peres de Trava – some families do have
difficult relationships! Before then – all the usual folks have spent time here…
We
visited in order to see the castle there, that was built in the 10th century to
defend the area from attacks by Moors and Norsemen! Those Vikings did get about…
What we see today is the result of
remodelling by King Denis in the 13th and beginning of the 14th century.
Just
down from the castle is the (reconstructed) Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, the
former residence of the first Dukes of Braganza – who abandoned it sometime in
the 16th Century – leading to the beginning of its decay – further accelerated
in the 19th Century, when the local population used the palace as a
personal quarry. Its reconstruction was not without controversy, as it seemed primarily
to be driven by political aims – following the coup d'état of 28 May 1926 –
and the beginning of the Salazar Dictatorship.
Regardless it was an interesting place to visit – though we did wonder about
all those chimneys!
So the actual spaces in the building are of unclear provenance – but interesting none the less – especially the chapel, and the enormous tapestry in what may have been a dining hall.
In
Braga we visited the Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mount) “installation”.
Begun in 1722 (but the current church dates from 1784–1834), it is at the top
of a stairway, which depending on the source has 573 or 583 steps. As the
pilgrims climbed the stairs, (by tradition encouraged to do so on their knees)
they encountered a theological programme that contrasted the senses of the
material world with the virtues of the spirit, at the same time as they
experienced the scenes of the Passion of Christ (in side chapels along the way). The culmination of the effort
was the temple of God, the church on the top of the hill. The presence of
several fountains along the stairways give the idea of purification of the
faithful.
There was a nice view of Braga too (which seemed to be quite a prosperous city - based on the housing we passed on the way up to Dom Jesus).
The church did have one of the more interesting altarpieces that we have seen – depicting the crucifixion of Christ, featuring larger-than-life carved figures, including Jesus, the two thieves, and Roman soldiers, creating a realistic, theatrical scene of Calvary.
And a close up of the foot of the cross...
A visit to Bom Jesus – without the use of knees – yields an alternative, interesting approach to the Church. The easy way up is via a water driven Funicular, inaugurated on 25 March 1882 (so tomorrow, will be its birthday). Based on the number of passengers in the lower car, the upper car loads 100 litres of water per passenger (up to a capacity of 5,850 litres), which means that when the upper car is released, it pulls the lower car up the 274m of track, which has an inclination of 42 degrees.
Our
next stop, last night, was in Alliariz,
Spain. It was a slow trip, as we travelled via the Peneda-Gerês National Park. Created
in May 1971, it is the oldest protected area and the only national park in
Portugal. It covers an area of 696 km^2.
The road was quite steep and windy in many places – but that came with
some nice views! Along the way we travelled
along the edge of the lake (Barragem de
Vilarinho das Furnas) formed behind the 110m high Alto Lindoso Dam. It has made
for a beautiful “water feature” – but as you would expect – villages were lost
in its filling, as well as land. Evidently there is sufficient wealth around to
support the sale of the big American Ski Boat franchises that we saw along the
way.
We stopped near the top of a pass in the National Park to get a last view of the lake…
And a
last view of Portugal… and BF from the viewpoint where the picture above was
taken…
A couple of comments on out time in Portugal. We were probably naively surprised to see how different Spain and Portugal are. We enjoyed what seemed to be the vast emptiness of the Spain we encountered (i.e. the interior as opposed to the coasts), and the joy (mostly) of being able to travel on the “B” roads as opposed to the Motorways. Also, while there are large areas of what look like waste land (well it doesn’t seem to be actively managed) – there are also vast areas of neat and tidy managed land forms (Olive Trees come to mind… as well as cereal crop fields). In Portugal, it was for the most part a “pain” to travel on the B roads – as many seemed to just go from village to village, with interminable numbers of roundabouts – as each village seemed to jut up against the next village (and a lot of the houses looked like some maintenance would be a good idea). Also, vast areas of the land is planted with spindly eucalyptus trees - grown primarily for paper pulp… and as of this time – a lot of them were lying on the ground – having fallen over in the January storms. It all looks quite “untidy”! Around Braga, we saw a much wider range of trees – which does lead to a delightful landscape. Of course, we do need to acknowledge that the coastal scenery is pretty spectacular!
Well
after winding down from the high pass between Portugal and Spain – we transited
the Graffiti Covered Border posts on each side and entered Galicia. It was nice
to be back in Spain again. On the way down
the hill we encountered a serious (elderly) cyclist – who either forgot to
bring spare tubes, or had used them all up – because he wanted a ride back to
his village of Lobios – at least 20km away from where we picked him up… and it
was nearly all down hill (for us)… so like I mentioned a “serious cyclist”!
We
dropped him in the centre of Lobios – and took this photo of the village church
and the food traditional food storage houses (providing security, freedom from predators,
and ventilation)… which reminded us of the equivalent storage houses we saw in
Norway in 2019.
Out next stop will be Lugo – but along the way… will hope to meet some peregrinos as we will be crossing the Way of St James route to Santiago de Compostella.
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