CITY CULTURE
The city of Viana do Castelo is just a few kms away and a great option is exploring it using the hotel’s electric bikes or the hotel has a water taxi that can bring you into town – they will even carry the electric bikes onboard if you’re feeling extra lazy! The old narrow streets beg to be discovered and in an innovative move the local council offers incentives for people to live in the city so ensuring there’s life in the centre rather then deserted streets in the evenings. The range of architecture – Manueline, Renaissance, Baroque or Art Deco – is a rich visual feast but to really appreciate the beauty of the area take the funicular railway to the top of the hill that overlooks the city where you will be rewarded with amazing views and get to explore the ornate 20th-century Basilica of Santa Luzia, the Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus built on the western spur of the Santa Luzia mountain that dominates the city’s skyline.