Exploring Portugal

I've been touring northern Portugal for a week, and it's been a pleasure. Few tourists, inexpensive food and hotels, and great weather set the tone. But when I travel by car, I always look for a good place to use as a base to explore a region. In northern Portugal's Minho region, Ponte de Lima is just that place. Just north of Braga, it features a plane tree shaded esplanade running along the river, lots of hotels and restaurants, great public squares, and is easy to get in and out of, unlike larger cities. Ponte de Lima is like a large town that's really small, and to me that's a good thing. For more on Portugal, see our Portugal Links or our Portugal Map and Travel Essentials.