The lovely city of Viana situated on the Northern bank of the River Lima at its estuary is well covered in all the major guide books and the local tourist office publish a very good guide in English. Apart from the superb beach (on the opposite side of the river) the town offers a host of other attractions from the basilica high above the town to its cathedral, Main Square and riverside gardens. The maze of streets in the centre is bisected by the wide Avenida dos Combatentes, constructed at the same time as the railway to facilitate movement of goods between the station and the riverside quays.
It is a lovely town for shopping with an excellent selection of small shops as well as a large Continente supermarket on the edge of town which will provide for all your day to day needs. Within the town centre itself there is also a smaller Pingo Doce supermarket, both of these are part of chains found throughout the country and are always a safe bet for shopping. The town is especially busy on Fridays when its large weekly market is held. The area outside the municipal market in the centre is transformed into a field of vegetables, fruit, flowers and small animals all laid out on the floor. Whilst at the other end of town the open market sells everything from 3 piece suites to 3 piece suits!

The delights of Viana can be appreciated by walking around its back streets and by doing this you will soon realise how many restaurants there are. It is difficult to confine the list of recommendations. Virtually everywhere serves a good value dish of the day at lunchtime which can cost as little as 500$ including a drink. As a suggestion try the following:

Valentims in a side street near the open market and not immediately visible, this restaurant is unusual in that it is a fish restaurant and nothing else, serving Grilled fish, Fish rice and Caldeirada, a mixed fish and vegetable casserole.

Três Arcos, along the riverside gardens has a smart restaurant with plenty of starched linen and a “sit at the bar” area serving the same food but cheaper. Daily change of menu with good variety.

Bandeira in Rua Bandeira, the main shopping street an excellent lunch time stop with four or five dishes of the day in enormous portions for only 500$.

Maria de Perre. Just off the main avenue at the bottom end. An old granite building with a split level interior creating an unusual setting. A fado night is held on the last Thursday of the month where the diners are provided with instruments and encouraged to join in.

Foz Café. This modern café/restaurant is actually on the other side of the river near the beach. Enormous portions at very reasonable prices. Also serve a wide variety of pancakes as a dessert or snack.
For deeper pockets the following two are worth a visit:

Casa das Armas at the bottom of the avenue, turn right, this up market restaurant has many regional specialities and very attentive service.

Tres Potes A lovely old stone building which features a folklore night on Friday and Saturday during the summer. Good food with some regional specialities and awarm friendly atmosphere.


NORTH OF VIANA

There are further excellent beaches north of Viana at Carreço, Afife and Vila Praia de Âncora. Carreço, has two beaches separated by the hill and lighthouse of Montedor. The more northerly beach, Paçô, is particularly attractive with its small fort. Afife, a further 4 kilometres, is a beautiful village with a superb 3 km stretch of beach excellent for surfing. Finally Vila Praia de Âncora is very much a small resort town with an excellent beach divided by the River Âncora which is clean and safe for younger children. Many of the beaches in the area are designated Blue Flag beaches and proudly fly the flag every day.

Both Afife and Âncora have a good selection of restaurants:

Restaurant Praia, Afife Beach. This rather large somewhat impersonal restaurant has the advantage of being situated virtually right on the beach with an abundance of window tables. Good helpings of food with the roast kid (cabrito) being recommended as is the Cozido Português a mixed meat and vegetable dish popular on Sundays.

Quinta S. Roque, Afife. At the south end of the village alongside the railway. A superbly converted old farmhouse with plenty of character and an outside eating area under the trees. A selection of regional dishes with a difference as well as simple grilled chicken for the less adventurous.

The seafront at Âncora is lined with a number of restaurants. The speciality here is a mixed, grilled fish platter (parrilhada).

Rias Baixas and Verdes Lirios along here are both to be recommended with good seaviews if you are early or lucky enough to get a window seat. In a street behind here you like might to try A Tasquinha. Despite its location in a modern building block the proprietors have successfully created a more rustic atmosphere inside with plenty of regional crockery and decorations adorning the walls. Plenty of variety on the menu with grills and other dishes. Good lunchtime dish of the day and a surprisingly good and reasonably priced wine list.