Halfway between Provesende and Porto (or at least that’s how it seemed riding around in the press trip van), is Amarante. Like so many of the places I visited in Portugal, Amarante was sweet, cosy and somewhat kitsch without ever crossing over into being twee or cloying.
With the others in my party needing to catch and flight (and me with a tight road trip itinerary of my own), I was really only in Amarante long enough for a short walk and (of course) a tasty snack. However, I saw enough to know I would love to return and reckon if you’re thinking about visiting Porto or the Douro Valley, you’d be wise to consider a stop in Amarante too.
Believed to have been founded in the 4th century, Amarante is home to lots of Romanesque buildings still in great condition, a little Roman bridge over the pretty Tâmega River and plenty more including at least one exceedingly stroll worthy street, Rua 31 de Janeiro, where two shops in particular caught my attention:
Adega Kilowatt: This invitingly tiny alcove of a bar has been serving up rustic charm alongside plates of charcuterie and cheese and plenty of local wine since 1929. It’s an idea setting for elbow bending sessions tinged with history. More: adegakilowatt.blogspot.co.uk
Confeitaria da Ponte: Since One of many eggs-centric sweet shops in Portugal, this one’s top of the line though and features a lovely balcony over the Tâmega and an array of traditional goodies such as pao de lo and all sorts of doçaria conventual including (what turned out to be my fave) super juicy pingos de tocha. Details: confeitariadaponte.pt
From Amarante, I was taken to the airport in Porto (a speedy and hassle-free ride) where I said a sad so long to the Discover the Origin peeps and picked up a car to use for the rest of my time in Portugal. Next stop for me was the seaside town of Aveiro, in Portugal’s scenic and central region of Centro for a couple of nights of wow before heading south to the Alentejo. More on the second leg of my trip to come. So please be sure to check back soon for future instalments of my Portugal Please miniseries.
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