[8 days] Atlantic Route Coastal Walking Holiday Minho, Portugal

This walking tour was crafted using extensive local knowledge and designed to respect both the way of life of local populations as well as the natural environment. We firmly believe that travel should be a safe and rewarding experience for all concerned, including the destinations that you visit and the people you meet.

Environment: We wanted to highlight the beautiful and diverse coastline north of Porto on this fascinating coastal trail that passes through historical towns, traditional villages, fishing communities, nature reserves and delightful beaches and countryside. Along the 77 km of coastline that they traverse, clients will encounter a wide variety of biologically diverse natural habitats and sites of ecological interest. We took into consideration such local environmental issues when planning this route.

Because much of the trail involves boardwalks that take guests alongside the ocean or across fragile ecosystems in the sand dunes, we use our welcome briefing to highlight the traveler’s code of conduct and emphasize the importance of sticking to the boardwalks in protected areas so as to respect and protect the exceptional quality of this natural and scenic heritage.

We also provide a refillable water bottle and encourage clients to drink the excellent quality tap water instead of buying disposable bottles.

There’s no need to buy disposable batteries either as we supply rechargeable batteries and a charger for our GPS devices on self-guided walks. In a further bid to reduce the need to print documents, our route information is now available as an App.

For luggage transfers between accommodations on this linear route, we use local taxis, thus keeping driving distances and carbon emissions to a minimum.

Among the most interesting experiences along this route are the fishing communities in small coastal villages such as Angeiras, Apúlia, Castelo de Neiva and Vila Praia de Âncora. In these places full of colorfully painted boats and huts, clients can observe and engage with fishermen while they are mending nets, preparing bait or getting their boats ready to go fishing.

Of course, the best way to get the full flavor of the sea is to eat the catch of the day at one of the many specialty restaurants along the coast. At any of these eateries, clients are simultaneously contributing to the local economy and savoring the flavors alongside local people. If you like octopus, we have a great recommendation for you in Apúlia, i.e. Restaurante Paredão.

On Saturdays during the summer months, Praça da República is a riot of color and flavors as women dressed in the bright traditional costumes of the region sell local cakes. With a bit of luck, guests can experience one of the many festivities that take place throughout the year and bring an added dash of life and entertainment to the city.

As well as the fruits of the sea, this region of Northern Portugal is famous for its vinho verde, aka green or young wine. This is usually slightly effervescent and a little lighter in terms of alcohol level than a mature white wine, making a white vinho verde a very refreshing beverage in warmer months. The range of grapes and flavors in vinho verde is surprising so we recommend tasting several varieties during the week!