Caminha

At the broad estuary of the Rio Minho, and straddling the Rio Coura, CAMINHA was a thriving port in the seventeenth century, but is now a sleepy provincial town that is certainly worth a few hours’ exploration. Reminders of more prosperous days remain, principally in and around the main square, Praça Conselheiro Silva Torres, known locally as Largo Terreiro.

The nearest beach is just 2km west at Foz de Minho – an idyllic wooded peninsula where the broad Minho flows into the Atlantic. You can swim at a sheltered river beach, or head five minutes through the pines to a great Atlantic beach, with Spain opposite and the little fortified islet of Ínsua offshore.