5 Best Sights in Vila do Conde, Northern Portugal

In the heart of the old shipyard district, the former Royal Customs House houses displays on Portuguese maritime voyages, especially those that started in Vila do Conde, and on local shipbuilding over the centuries, covering various types of vessels and construction processes. Upstairs, there are fascinating ship-related documents from the municipal archive; your ticket also also gives you access to the Nau Quinhentista—a locally built replica of a 16th-century carrack, tied up at the quay across the road. More boat-related displays can be found in the tourist office, a short walk upriver. For a few extra euros, a joint ticket can be had for all the municipal museums, including the local history displays in the "Center of Memory." 

With a superb late-Gothic portal, this church in the center of the city has a single solid tower with bells that gleam in the sun. Construction on this church began at the end of the 15th century and was completed in the early 16th. Mass is daily at 7 pm, with more services on weekends.

Created in 1919 by António Maria Pereira Júnior, the Escola de Rendas (Lace-Making School) is attached to the Museu das Rendas de Bilros de Vila do Conde. Here you can see beautiful examples of lace from the region and from around the world.

Colorful tents on the clean and coarse sand of the craggy beach Praia de Mindelo create a shield from inconvenient winds. From Vila do Conde, take the EN13 for 7½ km (4 miles) south to reach the beach access at the small fishing village of Mindelo—a drive of about 10 minutes. From Mindelo metro station, it's a 30-minute walk to the beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee). Best for: walking; windsurfing.

This part of the coastline is where you'll find the Mindelo Ornithological Reserve, which became Portugal's first protected area in 1957. One of the few remaining swaths of undeveloped land in the region around Porto, it has 1,500 acres of dunes, fields, and wetlands. It's home to more than 80 bird species and is an important haven for amphibians. The reserve is a 20-minute drive from Vila do Conde; you can also take the metro to Varziela or Espaço Natureza, from where it's a 15-minute walk to the marked trails—or to the boardwalk along the dunes.