Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Valongo, Portugal

The town of Valongo is situated in the hills 10 kilometers from the center of Porto. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in all that Norte’s capital has to offer and subsequently retreat to a tranquil residential community, surrounded by forested mountains and vineyards, featuring a limited number of local attractions.

In June, one of Portugal’s most distinctive traditional celebrations unfolds in Valongo, alongside an autumn magic festival that attracts up to 200 performers, many from international locations. Moreover, Valongo serves as an excellent base to explore attractions in Porto’s outskirts that are often overlooked by tourists, such as the medieval Leça do Balio Monastery, which was constructed as a fortified structure.

Let’s delve into the best activities to experience in Valongo:

1. Porto’s Riverside

With Porto just a 15-minute drive away, it is only natural to gravitate toward this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Explore the historical core at Ribeira, characterized by its vividly painted houses lining the Douro riverside.

This lively district is bustling with various bars and restaurants.

From the waterfront, one can admire the stunning view of the Dom Luís I Bridge, which facilitates road, pedestrian, and tram traffic over the Douro via its dual levels.

On the left bank of the Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia, one can find renowned port lodges, along with spectacular viewpoints overlooking the river that provide insight into Porto’s beauty.

Additionally, one can embark on a brief excursion on a rabelo, the traditional vessels previously used to transport wine downriver from the eastern wineries.

2. Porto’s Museums and Sights

Although exploring all of Porto would require several days, there are numerous essential sites that every newcomer should experience.

The Baroque Clérigos Church features a 76-meter tower that dominates the skyline, accessible via 240 steps to its summit.

Another highlight is the remarkable Palácio da Bolsa, which boasts 19th and 20th-century interiors, with each hall presenting a unique style, including the exquisitely ornate Arab Room.

Praça da Liberdade offers an elegant open space bordered by impressive municipal buildings and grand residential apartments, reflecting 18th-century design.

Furthermore, the cathedral and numerous smaller churches (such as Igreja do Carmo and Igreja de São Francisco) are adorned with lavish gilded woodwork and intricate glazed tiles.

3. Museu Municipal de Valongo

The Museu Municipal de Valongo is housed in a Neoclassical structure that formerly served as the town hall and dates back to the early 19th century.

After its conversion into a museum in 2001, some of the interior decor was restored to its former brilliance, while other sections were transformed into vibrant modern exhibition areas.

This museum offers insights into Valongo’s history, featuring exhibits on its historical slate-mining and linen processing industries, as well as cultural displays about the Bugios (Christians) and Mourisqueiros (Moors) who parade through the streets on June 24. Additionally, visitors can appreciate artworks, religious artifacts, trilobite fossils, and Roman relics from the gold mines located in Valongo’s mountains.

4. Galeria Museológica do Fórum Cultural de Ermesinde

The cultural center in Ermesinde is exceptionally innovative.

Converted from a local tile and brick factory established in 1910, the facility underwent a comprehensive renovation to incorporate an auditorium and gallery, while retaining significant portions of the original industrial structure.

Art exhibitions are frequently hosted in the old furnace, utilizing its vents for natural lighting and temperature control.

Since its inception, this gallery has showcased works from distinguished contemporary Portuguese artists such as Cruzeiro Seixas, Albuquerque Mendes, and Jaime Isidoro, alongside emerging talent from the Porto region.

5. Museu da Lousa

Valongo was once a hub for slate mining, a legacy that still lingers in the town today.

The Museu da Lousa displays three historic slate houses, constructed using traditional methods.

The first house vividly conveys the miners’ difficult living conditions, including cramped quarters and a small workshop where women of the family crafted slate pencils for extra income.

The other two structures exhibit mining machinery, photographs, and informative displays about the extraction of slate and its various uses.

6. Centro de Interpretação Ambiental

As you venture beyond Valongo, the urban landscape of Porto begins to recede, giving way to the Santa Justa and Pias mountain ranges.

These modest peaks are enveloped in natural woodland and eucalyptus forests, along with a tributary of the Douro River running through them.

Before embarking on a hike in this picturesque environment, visitors can stop by this interpretation center, which provides valuable information about the flora and fauna inhabiting the area and the fossils discovered within the landscape.

7. Festa da Bugiada

The eve of St. John’s Day is a significant occasion in the Porto region, with each municipality exhibiting its unique traditions to mark the event.

The celebrations in Valongo occur on the 24th and are so distinctive that they may soon gain UNESCO recognition. This event is centered around a reenactment of a conflict over a miraculous image of St. John the Baptist, owned by the Christians (Bugiadas) and desired by the Mourisqueiros (Moors) for their king’s daughter’s healing.

Participants dress in vibrant, coded attire, performing dances that symbolize this historical rivalry.

Additionally, the festivities include satirical plays and various traditional dances (such as Dança do Cego and Sapateirada).

8. Magic Valongo

Portugal’s oldest magic festival infuses Valongo with entertainment every October.

While this event may not be extensive, it has captured the attention of Europe’s magic community and earned recognition from the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM). This festival began in 1992 and invites numerous illusionists from around the globe.

Over the years, several FISM Grand Prix winners have participated, engaging in magic competitions, street performances, seminars, and gala events held at the contemporary cultural center in Ermesinde.

9. Museu Mineiro de São Pedro da Cova

For those seeking to explore historical lifestyles in Valongo, there is no shortage of activities.

The abandoned mining complex in São Pedro da Cova was declared a “monument of public interest” in 2010. This site has a 170-year history of coal mining, and it features significant structures, including the enormous concrete headframe, the first of its kind constructed in Portugal using this material.

Within the galleries, located in the former dormitory, visitors can enter a section of a tunnel, observe an original minecart, helmets, lamps, and learn about the geology of the coal seams beneath Gondomar.

10. Estádio do Dragão

Located on Porto’s northeastern outskirts, this stadium serves as the home ground for the region’s most prominent football team.

FC Porto has achieved significant victories in the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and European Super Cup, establishing itself as the second most successful club in Portuguese history, following Benfica.

The museum at the stadium provides insights into this illustrious heritage and can be enjoyed alongside a stadium tour.

Guests can visit the dugouts and experience the game-day ambiance from the perspective of a coach inside this 50,434-seater arena.

For newcomers, the museum details the victorious journeys of the club and showcases a legacy of former legends such as Deco, João Pinto, Jardel, and Falcão, alongside highlights of the lineups that won the 1987 and 2004 European Cups.

11. Mosteiro de Leça do Balio

A short drive through Porto’s northern suburbs reveals this church, a designated Portuguese National Monument that dates back to the early 1000s.

The site is historically significant, having hosted Roman and Visigothic temples, although none remain in the existing structure.

The Gothic redesign by the Knights Hospitallers in the 1300s remains intact.

Noteworthy features include a defensive tower with turrets, arrow loops, and crenellations that adorn the building’s walls.

The nave, despite the narrow Romanesque windows, has an airy ambiance, allowing visitors to admire intricate carved figures on the capitals and the recumbent Gothic tomb of a 15th-century friar.

12. Zoo da Maia

Visiting Maia’s zoo is an engaging experience, particularly for families with younger children; however, it also offers compelling features for adult visitors who appreciate well-cared-for animals.

This facility boasts the most extensive collection of reptiles in Portuguese zoos, including turtles, tortoises, geckos, iguanas, a diverse selection of snakes, and caimans.

The reptile exhibit shares space with the park’s scorpions, tarantulas, and piranhas.

Daily feeding demonstrations for the zoo’s sea lions and bird of prey flights are scheduled three times each day.

13. Coast

If you are yearning for sea breezes and surf, Matosinhos is just a 15-minute drive away, featuring a Blue Flag beach open to the Atlantic, cherished by surfers when conditions are favorable.

This area is also renowned for its seafood offerings, particularly around the historic fishing harbor, where grilled sardines, seafood platters (notably excellent crab), rice with shellfish, and a variety of cod dishes await.

For those seeking a more secluded beach experience, one can travel further along the coast, past the airport, toward the pristine, dune-fringed shores leading to Vila do Conde.

14. Parque Nascente

Notably, despite Valongo’s proximity to the countryside and the adjacent mountain ranges, ample shopping opportunities are readily available.

The Parque Nascente shopping center is merely ten minutes away.

This impressive complex ranks among Porto’s leading shopping venues, attracting approximately 12.5 million visitors annually, with popular Iberian brands like Oysho, Bershka, and Zara making a significant impact.

Since its opening in 2003, this extensive mall encompasses 135 stores over three levels, in addition to 35 dining options and a cinema.

For those concerned about language barriers, most English-language films are presented with subtitles rather than dubbing.

Moreover, there are several supermarkets for grocery needs.

15. Food and Drink

The baking tradition in Valongo remains vibrant, featuring several local delicacies worth sampling.

Bakery displays showcase doces brancos, a confection resembling meringues, elegantly garnished with lemon icing.

Many traditional desserts utilize leftover bread, such as sopa seca (translated as “dry soup”), which is bread soaked in port wine and sugar, infused with cinnamon, as well as pudim de pão, where the bread is blended with milk, eggs, and sugar.

In terms of beverages, the surrounding vineyards in Valongo produce vinho verde, a naturally light and refreshing wine that pairs beautifully with seafood.