Póvoa de Varzim

Póvoa de Varzim has a long beach, but the town has little of Vila do Conde's charm—except, perhaps, for the many shops and roadside stalls that sell similarly beautiful and reasonably priced hand-knit sweaters. It is, instead, a major resort, with high-rise hotels used mostly by vacationing Portuguese. The sandy beach is pleasant, but can become quite crowded in summer—possibly because not many people stay long in the water, where the summer temperature is usually about 16°C (60°F).