North Portugal Tourism Guide - Amarante

Amarante, Douro, Portugal

Amarante lies east of Porto between the city and Vila Real. It sits right on the picturesque River Tamega over which the Sao Goncalo bridge gives you stunning views of the town and leads you to the striking 16th century Convento de Sao Goncalo. Sao Goncalo, as you can already tell, is a significant figure for the town as its patron saint and the patron saint of marriage. He was a 13th century hermit upon whose reputation the church was founded. He is credited with founding the town and building the town's first bridge, the granite Ponte de Sao Goncalo, a symbol of Amarante's defiance against the French. However, the present day bridge was actually built in 1796 after the original Goncalo bridge collapsed in a flood in 1763.

It is said that if those searching for a loved one touch Sao Goncalo's statue on the outside of his tomb that lies in Mosteiro de Sao Goncalo they will have their wish granted. It is obviously a tradition that has been followed by many a single person as the face, toes and fingers of the statue have all but been rubbed away by hopeful romantics.

During the celebrations of Sao Goncalo's Day on 13 January and the beginning of June another interesting and up-front tradition remains in which phallic shaped cakes, falus de Goncalo, are given as a sign of affection!

There is a wide choice of accommodation in Amarante with plenty of bars and cafes on the south side of the river. The tourist information office is next to the museum on Alameda Teixeira de Pascoaes. Open between 9 am-12.30 pm and 2-5.30 pm. Tel: 351 255 420 426. Email: turismarao@mail.ptelepac.pt

Amarante Historic Sights

The convent and church of Sao Goncalo were founded in 1540 by King D Joao III but the buildings weren't finished until 1620. Its tiered Italian Renaissance side portal and arcaded gallery give the building its distinctive character. The gallery contains 17th century statues of all the kings who ruled during the monastery's construction.

Other attractions include Museu Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso named after one of the best known Portuguese cubist artists of the 20th century who came from the town. The museum contains a range of his work as well as portraits and landscapes by Antonio Carneiro and Jaime Azinheira.

A striking reminder of the French rampage is the burned out skeleton of an old manor house above Rua Candido dos Reis.

Amarante Family Activities

For the kids there's the Amarante Water Park two kilometres southwest of the centre that has swimming pools and waterslides for a change to walking around the historic town. (A downloadable map is available from the link to the right).

You can also hire boats for a spot of paddling about on the river.

There is also a golf course and swimming pools. The "Porto Card" gives discounts at all these attractions.

Terras de Basto and the Vinho Verde Route

The region around the River Tamega encompassing the towns Celorico de Basto, Mondim de Basto and Cabeceiras de Basto form the district known as Terras de Basto. This a fertile, rural area dotted with smallholdings and vineyards that produce the strong Vinho Verde (Green wine). These are semi-sparkling wines that are picked early and drunk young. You can see the vines as you travel around the area that are kept clear of the ground by draping the vines on trees or trellises around the fields. The red is preferred by the Portuguese while the whites are more frequently exported.

There is plenty of beautiful scenery throughout the Terras de Basto area from the neatly managed farmland and its picturesque towns straddling the river, up to the stunning mountains of the Alvao Natural Park and the Serra do Marao. There is a more relaxed, traditional way-of-life here with festivals throughout the summer, gardens and parks and some well-preserved historic towns such as that at Mondim de Basto.

You can follow the Rota Vinho Verde - the Green Wine Route either independently or through organised trips throughout the Vinho Verde region that stretches from south of Porto north to the Spanish border. The Vinho Verde website (links right) is a useful source of information for finding out more about the wine, the region and for planning a route.

There is a tourist office at Mondim de Basto on Praca 9 de Abril, Tel: 351 255 381 479, Email: turismo@cm-mondimdebasto.pt and turismarao@mail.telepac.pt as well as one of two offices for Alvao Natural Park at Lugar do Barrio - Sitio do Retiro - 4880-164 Mondim de Basto, Tel/Fax: 351 255 381 209.