Villa Calheiros

Villa Calheiros sits peacefully, high on the hills above the stunning Lima valley, just fifteen minutes drive from Ponte de Lima. Ponte de Lima is one of Portugal’s oldest towns. It offers an atmospheric ambience and a wonderful cultural experience. It is the home of the famous vinho verde wine. The Ponte de Lima Bridge is 277 metres long, stretching over the beautiful Lima River. The Romans built the first five arches and it was then fortified and extended by fifteen arches during the medieval period. Ponte de Lima boasts two magnificent churches, Igreja da Misericordia and Igreja de Santo Antonio which sits across the river with its baroque styling. Largo de Camoes Plaza is the town’s bustling square with wonderful views of the Lima River and a good array of cafes, bars and restaurants. Torre da Cadeia Velha is a tower which is part of the old Ponte de Lima wall. It is used for exhibitions and tourist shops. Ponte de Lima sits in glorious countryside with fabulous viewpoints. These include Miradouro of Saint Catarina which offers views of the river, Miradouro of Magdalene which enjoys views over the town and surrounding landscape and Miradouro of Bola da Pena which enjoys 360-degree views of the entire area. The gastronomy in the town is amazing with excellent local Portuguese dishes. Some restaurants enjoy gorgeous riverside settings. Ponte de Lima is an excellent centre for adventure activities such as the Ecovia cycling route, kayaking along the Lima River, river bathing in Labruja, mountain biking or hiking in the Serra D’Arga or birdwatching in the Lagoas de Bertiandos.

Visitors enjoy kayaking and rafting on the Minho rivers. The beach is equally exciting with thrilling Atlantic waves. Caminha’s Foz do Minho Beach next to the River Minho is a wonderful area of great natural beauty, Vila Praia de Ancora is an excellent beach loved by families, Praia de Moledo is a true wonder and Praia do Cabedelo is another favourite.

The gorgeous town of Caminha boasts the ancient Torre do Relogio de Caminha, the clock tower which forms part of the old city walls built in the 12th century and is a national monument. You can climb to the top of the tower to enjoy fabulous views of the town. The Rua Direita or Ricardo Joaquim de Sousa Street is the cobbled main street in the historic centre. Another historic monument is the Igreja Matriz de Caminha where you can admire tiles from the 17th century. Visitors can take a ferry over to Galicia from Caminha.

It is very easy to pop over the Minho River into Galicia. The Spanish town of Tui boasts a beautiful historic centre and an excellent range of gourmet dining as well as excellent shops. Tui is located south of the Pontevedra province and sits on the edge of the Minho River, opposite the Portuguese town of Valenca. The towns are connected by a nineteenth century bridge. Valenca do Minho is located on the hillside overlooking the left bank of the Minho and on the main road that links the Spanish Santiago de Compostela with Porto. Tourists flock to the town to buy embroidered tablecloths and sheets, the speciality of the town.

You should also consider a visit to the historical Viana do Castelo. Its compact historic centre boasts extravagant religious buildings, delightful cafes, elegant plazas and narrow shopping streets which open onto the banks of the Lima River. The pearly white, neo-Byzantine Santa Luzia Church presides over the city, sitting high on the hilltop. Ponte de Lima is 52 miles from Porto so you could also consider a day trip there.

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 >>