The gently flowing Lima and its tributaries are fringed with sandy beaches both in the towns, where you may find rowing boats and pedaloes, and in the quiet of the countryside. The port and resort of Viana do Castelo lies at the mouth of the Lima, a little over half an hour from Ponte de Barca (and the properties we offer); it is a lovely old town, made rich in the late Middle Ages, and famous for its annual fiesta, the Pardon of Our Lady of Sorrows, in August. The coast both north and south of Viana is a happy mixture of rocks and sand; the Atlantic doesn’t warm up much even in high summer but it is invigorating on a baking hot day and the beaches are pretty and unspoilt.