PORTUGAL – Vila Nova de Cerveira (En)

Last Thursday we arrived in Portugal after a trip full of fog where we got lost around Vigo. We arrived at the motorhome area in Vila Nova de Cerveira a town in the district of Viana do Castelo in Portugal, between the river and the mountain, located on the left bank of the Minho river. The area is big and next to the town centre and the park in the river, we were all motorhomes and some campers.

The town has a castle from the 14th century and lies on a small hill that rises next to the Minho river. the Castle still preserves the old wall shield as well as some gates. Inside the walls, it is possible to find the old Town Hall from the 16th century, the Misericordia church from the 17th century and the old barracks and warehouses. The town church is called Matriz church and was built in the 18th century and is dedicated to San Cipriano, the patron Saint of the town. You can also see the Solar dos Castros, a manor house of the Castros family, a remarkable 18th-century structure and one of the most important buildings in town which currently houses the municipal library.

While we were visiting the town we saw a little bar where the locals were eating and we went there to have lunch. An amazing choice as the menu was only 8 euros and included two jugs of wine, bread, soup for a starter of potatoes, carrots and leeks, really nice and for a second I had entremeada grelhado grill belly pork and Ben had the typical cod Portuguese dish called pataniscas de bacalao that is cod in a kind of french omelette. Included also was the dessert and coffee but we couldn’t eat dessert too full, and all for only 8 euros!

After lunch, we finished visiting the town and we went to rest in the motorhome until the evening.

In the evening we went to the Lazer do Castelinho Park next to the river where you can rent a catamaran with its captain for 20 euros. The park goes all the way to the next town by sea and has amazing views of the Dear Lookout which has a dear statue on the top and the Lovelhe Fort. There is a little island that you can go crossing a little bridge and we saw the sunset.

Yesterday Friday we arrived at the Peneda-Geres National Park in the north of Portugal, a beautiful place with lakes and waterfalls where we are now and where we just have discovered that we have a flat tyre! and we are in the middle of a natural park! We will let you know what happens in the next post.