The Paradores of Spain - Paradores de España - Paradores Nacionales de España - The Pousadas of Portugal
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Pousadas by Region:
The Pousadas of Porto and 
the North of Portugal
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ALIJÓ
Alijo - The council of Alijó has a lot to see and experience, in a variety of forms and in the different seasons of the year varying from one village to another.  Walking through the main town Alijó gives us a good picture of this variety.  The architectonic heritage is vast. Next to the town hall, in the ancient part of the town, is the Pillory – classified as Building of public Interest. Some of the other monuments to visit are: the Parish Church built in the 18th century, dedicated to Santa Maria Maior; the fountain in front of the church; the square in front of the Town Hall; the monument in honour of the Douro Man –witnesses by this council his historic vitality and main activity: the art and struggle of wine growing.
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Pousada de Alijó - Barão de Forrester, Alijó *** 
Barao de Forrester Pousada is located in the countryside with large quintas or farms and small estates where the vineyards are terraced down the mountainside. From the Pousada you can take part in the traditional sports of the area, including wild boar hunting and fishing. The Pousada Barao de Forrester has 21 rooms with en-suite bathroom and air conditioning. There is a swimming pool and tennis court onsite too for your leisure.
AMARES
Amares - Between the city of Braga and the Gerês mountain range, stands Sta. Maria do Bouro Pousada, the result of the restoration of a former Cistercian Monastery, one of the most characteristic of that period in Portugal.  In accordance with the monastic severity, but with a comfortable and modern decoration, this Pousada is an absolute must to discover the cultural sites of Minho.
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Santa Maria do Bouro Pousada, Amares  ***
In accordance with the monastic severity, but with a comfortable and modern decoration, this Santa Maria do Bouro Pousada is an absolute must to discover the cultural sites of Minho.  Between the city of Braga and the Geres mountain range, stands Santa Maria do Bouro Pousada, the result of the restoration of a former Cistercian Monastery, one of the most characteristics of that period in Portugal.  The hotel has 32 guestrooms that are equipped with standard amenities and provide comfort to its guests.  The hotel provides refined ambience, which is known for its superior quality, offering the guests an unforgettable experience. Enjoy a stay in the Convent where you will have all the comfort of modernity.
BRAGANÇA
Bragança  - The city is ideally located near the border between Spain and Portugal.  In Bragança, with its strategic position, has token place many constructions of fortresses before Fernão Mendes, brother in law of D. Afonso Henriques, demanded the creation of the city walls in 1130.  It has been Brigantia. In its interior is the castle of D. Sancho I, established in 1187, with donjon and vigil towers, which have many tragic legends that say they were the refuge of Dona Sancha, the unhappy wife of Fernão Mendes. The legends also say that other wives were kept prisoners in those towers.  Between the city walls, it’s also the pentagonal Domus Municipalis from the 17th century, that is the unique model still remaining of the Romanic civil architecture in Portugal.
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Pousada de Sao Bartolomeu Braganca  ***
Being situated on the top of a hill of the Nogueira mountain range, offering superb panoramic views over the capital city and the beautiful surroundings. The property perfectly combines its architecture, decoration and gastronomy with the regional culture.  The hotel has 28 guest rooms, with each having a balcony that offers beautiful views to the pool and the walls of the Braganca Castle. All the rooms are wide and have a decoration adapted to the Pousada's surroundings, with simple and functional furniture.  Guests can dine at the onsite restaurant and later enjoy a drink at the bar, which is an ideal place to relax after a tiring day.  There is also a swimming pool available onsite for you to enjoy.
GERES/CANICADA
Geres/Caniçada  - With a unique location in the heart of Peneda/ Gerês National Park, this Pousada has a breath taking view over the river Cávado and the peaceful Caniçada dam.  These are landscapes to remember, while appreciating a delicious appetizer on the Pousada's terrace, looking down at the beautiful sunset reflected on the water.
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Pousada de Geres / Canicada - S.Bento  ***
With a unique location in the heart of Peneda/Gerês National Park, this Pousada has a breathtaking view over the river Cávado and the peaceful Caniçada dam. These are landscapes to remember, while appreciating a delicious appetizer on the Pousada's terrace, looking down at the beautiful sunset reflected on the water.
GUIMARÃES
Guimarães   - Although is essentially a mediaeval town, Guimarães has its origins in the distant 10th century. It was at this time that the Countess Mumadona Dias, widow of  Hemengildo Mendes ordered the construction of a monastery which became the focal point for a settlement. For its defence she ordered a Castle to be built on a hill a short distance away, thus creating a second nucleus of development. A street grew-up linking one to the other - the Santa Maria Road.  Later the monastery acquired great importance due to the privileges and donations bestowed on it by kings and nobility.  It became a famous centre for pilgrimage attracting the prayers and promises of the faithful drawn from all quarters.
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Nossa Sra. da Oliveira Pousada, Guimarães  ***
Formally an ancient manor and birthplace of King D. Afonso Henriques, the N. Sra da Oliveira Pousada boasts vital place in Portuguese history. All rooms in the hotel are well equipped with modern amenities. Guests will appreciate the restaurant's fine cuisine as well as the friendly nature of the staff at the pousada. The hotel also offers a spacious parking lot for your convenience.
Pousada de Guimaraes - Santa Marinha, Guimarães  ***
Set near the historical centre of Guimaraes, the Santa Marinha Pousada with its small gardens, balconies, magnificent cuisine and wines, make you to stay for a very long time. Located on a hillside overlooking the dazzling valley and city, the Santa Marinha Pousada is close to the historical centre of Guimaraes. This property devoted to Christian religion, probably dates back from the beginning of the Christian Reconquest.  This property boasts 51 guest rooms and suites that are equipped with all the required basic amenities to ensure you a comfortable stay. Healthy appetites are superbly catered at the onsite restaurant that serves scrumptious cuisine and fine wines.  At Santa Marinha Pousada your wedding or event can take place in a fully historic and traditional ambience. During leisure, you can a refreshing dip in the swimming pool or indulge in outdoor activities such as mountain biking, horse riding, country walks and much more.
MARÃO
Marão - Amarante so to say, comes into existence when a preacher with the fame of a saint visits this place. This was in the 13th century.  The preacher falls in love with place, builds a hermitage and begins to create conditions for a village to take shape. He begins by throwing a bridge over the Tamega which encourages peoples to settle there.   Later on, the very fame of Gonçalo's holiness keeps drawing more and more people to the place. The religious element is very much present in the creation of this city. Some road from Santiago to the South, would pass close to Amarante, and the peregrines, knowing the fame of the preacher saint could not help making a small detours to came and see and listen to him in person.
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Pousada de Marão - Sao Goncalo, Marão  ****
Set in the Marão Mountain Range, the Sao Goncalo Pousada Marão is just 20 kilometres from the town of Amarante. It is a perfect place to enjoy the beauty of the mountains and the Tamega valley.  Guests can take advantage of this unique location to explore the surrounding wilderness, or they can stay back and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Pousada. All the 15 guest rooms are well equipped with modern amenities that cater to your needs.
MESÃO FRIO
Mesão Frio - The Solar was built in the 18th century on the terraced vineyards leading down to the river Douro. At that time the view would have been to the fast flowing river but now it is a long lake with hotel boats making a tranquil cruise across the breadth of Portugal to the Spanish border. The perfect way to arrive at this hotel must be to take one of the boats going upriver from Porto and see the magnificent scenery with the terraced vineyards and the white farms and solares standing proudly in the middle of their estates.
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Pousada de Mesão Frio - Solar da Rede, Mesão Frio  ***
Solar da Rede Pousada is located in the midst of the wine region of Douro, with a breathtaking view over the River Douro. It incorporates 31 guestrooms and a cosy restaurant and bar. Also present is a beautiful garden and a swimming pool and tennis court. This 18th century manor, today offers guests all the comforts of modern life including conference facilities for business travellers. 
VALENCA DO MINHO
Valenca do Minho - Set on the highest place of the old fortified area of Valença, near the Spanish border, this Pousada enjoys a magnificent view over Spain, over the peaceful river Minho and the ancient village walls. Its cuisine delicacies are among the best of the Minho regional traditions.  The fortress is a piece of Gothic and Baroque Military Architecture. The first walls were built in the 13th century (1200). Nowadays it is a kind of bulwarked system, Vauban type, built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Placed on the top of two small hills, it is formed by two polygons: the Magistral Square and the Coroa or Coroada (Hormeveque style) separated by a ditch that protects the four Doors (Coroada, Gaviarra, Fonte da Vila and Sol).
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Pousada de Valenca do Minho - Sao Teotonio ***
The Sao Teotonio Pousada is located inside the walls of Valenca, a fortified town on the northern border with Spain. The Minho River is one of the most beautiful one in Portugal and is navigable from the Pousada down to the sea at Caminha and has many interesting towns along its banks.   The Pousada has 18 rooms, 6 of them with balcony over the garden. All rooms have en-suite bathroom. The Pousada is air-conditioned and has a bar and restaurant serving typical Minho food.
VIANA DO CASTELO (COSTA VERDE)
Viana do Castelo - Scarcely hundreds of metres away, is the Monte de Sta. Luzia (the Sta. Luzia hill) which looks over the town and the mouth of the river as far as the Atlantic.  It was here, in 1903, that Domingos José de Morais, a Portuguese man who made his fortune in Brazil, ordered the construction of a hotel which he then gave to the town.  Inaugurated in 1918, this Hotel is ideally situated and has been part of the network Pousadas de Portugal since 1979, formerly called Hotel Santa Luzia, this unit was restructured to create a more welcoming and comfortable ambiance and then reopened as Pousada do Monte Santa Luzia, with forty seven rooms, a suite, Swimming-pool, tennis court, garden and playground for children.
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Pousada de Viana do Castelo - Monte de Sta. Luzia, Viana Do Castelo  ****
Set on the hill of Santa Luzia, Monte de Santa Luzia Pousada overlooks the town of Viana do Castelo and the beautiful estuary of river Lima. From this Pousada, guests can enjoy stunning views of the vast and beautiful landscapes of the country and sea. Its surrounding gardens and woods, the magnificent swimming pool and the peaceful place where the Pousada is set, allow guests an invigorating tranquillity.  The hotel has 50 accommodation units that are facilitated with a host of modern amenities. Specially adapted rooms for the physically challenged are also available.  Enjoy a meal in the Pousada's restaurant, surrounded by the horizon of Atlantic Ocean, River Lima and the city of Viana de Castelo, is a perfect blend with the unique flavours of Portugal.
VILA NOVA DE CERVEIRA
Vila Nova de Cerveira - The consolidation of  V. N. Cerveira as a tourist destination is supported in products of great historical and cultural relevance, as the Mountain and chapel of  Espirito Santo, where there are visible remaining portions of a defensive system, seem to be of Celtic origin. Also important is the S. Cipriano Church, from the 19th century, but with previous vestiges from the 16th century, and the Chapel of S. Roque, built after the 1564 plague.
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Pousada de Vila Nova de Cerveira - D.Diniz, Vila Nova de Cerveira  ***
The Dom Diniz Pousada is set in a small walled town and is situated on the banks of the River Minho, which forms the northern border between Portugal and Spain. A bridge enables guests to take a visit to the Spanish region of Galiza to visit the city of Vigo, the sailing town of Bayona, the beaches of the nature reserve of the Iles de Cies or the pilgrimage city of Santiago do Compostela.  The hotel has 29 rooms. Some of the rooms and suites have their own courtyards and it is all contained within the old walls giving the impression of a small medieval citadel. The Pousada is air-conditioned and has a restaurant, considered to be one of the best in the town, with superb views over the river and its beautiful valley.


 

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Latest update:  August 25, 2006