Villa Ava

Nestled in the fabulous rural landscape of Minho, yet so near to so many thriving towns, Villa Ava is in the ideal spot to explore both the fascinating history and sublime view of the region, situated in Ponte de Lima, one of Portugal’s oldest and most historic towns, with a delightful range of shops, bars and restaurants among the colored squares and cobbled alleyways, and a significant market on the river bank every other Monday.

The country’s only National Park, the high nature reserve of Peneda Geres National Park is only 25-30 minutes away, and hosts prehistoric remains, walking trails and rugged hills as well as deer, wolves and golden eagles!

The delightful market town of Barcelos is just a 40-minute drive away, while the beautiful historic centre of Viana do Castelo is just 30 minutes away, where there are even sandy beaches! While the town of Braga, the capital of the district, is also only around half an hour away and hosts many relics of the region’s diverse history.

With so much on your doorstep, you can visit a new historic and beautiful town every day! Minho is a fantastic, mostly rural region on the northernmost Atlantic tip of Portugal, bordering the Spanish region of Galiza, with which it shares many attributes.

Minho is perhaps most famous as the home of the Vinho Verde, a crisp, dry white wine (although as the name suggests, it is, in fact, green!) best enjoyed with a local fish dish.

Portugal itself is a small, fascinating country at the most Western point of mainland Europe. The capital, Lisbon, is known for its lively nightlife, with endless bars and clubs full of fun-loving locals and tourists alike, but also has plenty of fascinating history (check out Belém, jam-packed with monuments!) and undulating terrain, famously termed the ‘city of the seven hills’.

From Lisbon, it is rapid to travel by the domestic high-speed train line to the city of Braga, which will connect you reasonably quickly to Villa Ava.

With a vast coastline with the mighty Atlantic Ocean, Portugal is a real paradise for the keen surfer, or indeed even those looking to try it for the first time. And for those less keen on surfing, the beaches of Portugal are still well worth a visit for their beautifully clear waters and beautiful sands.

Read more about Minho

Please be aware that the location tab shown on the website is not based on the property's exact location; therefore, all location amenities are an approx of facilities, restaurants, and villages/towns you might find around the property. The property's exact location will be provided to you before arrival and might come along with some recommendations about the area and what to visit.

ABOUT MINHO

The areas of Minho extend from the Spanish border in the north, south to Porto and east to the mountains of Vila Real. It is a green and fertile area of rolling hills encompassing the great rivers Minho, Lima and Douro, and the National Park of Peneda Geres. The countryside of the region is typified by long, sandy beaches bordered by pine woods, picturesque villages nestling among vine-covered hills, and historic towns such as Amarante, Guimaraes, Barcelos, Ponte de Lima, and Viana do Castelo.

The area encompasses a range of postcard-worthy landscapes and features that could almost be Portugal in microcosm: dreamy river scenes, high mountains, rolling vineyards, beautiful historic towns, dramatic Atlantic beaches, ancient religious foundations and mysterious archaeological sites.

Then there's the bold, sharp and fruity Vinho Verde to consider. This young wine is fashioned from the fruit of kilometres of vineyards that wind along rivers, over foothills and into Minho mountain villages.

But while you're enjoying one of our fantastic villas in Minho, you may well want to take some time out from all that sun worship to explore everything else the region has to offer – so we've put together this handy travel guide to give you a little help and inspiration!

Check out our Minho Travel Guide >>