Penafiel is known for its vinho verde wines and charming old villages like Cabroelo and Quintandona. In the latter, wander through homes built from granite and admire pretty wooden granaries and water mills.
Find plenty of things to do in Penafiel Portugal for all types of travelers. Low-cost capsules, serviced apartments and luxury hotels near historical neighborhoods supply sightseeing experiences and nighttime activities.
1. Visit the Castro of Monte Mozinho
Penafiel is a mid-sized town with a surprising amount of things to do. Whether you’re looking to explore the streets of pre-Roman Penafiel, or Romanesque churches from before Portugal became a country, this town has something for everyone.
The Castro of Monte Mozinho is one of the most important archaeological sites in this area. It was occupied from the end of the 1st century BC until the 5th century AD and consisted of family houses as well as daily life support structures, such as stone ovens.
From here, you can also see the ruins of the Burial Necropolis. It contains several tombs and a small church. Also on the site are a number of ramps, and a sculptural figure called the Serpe.
2. Visit the Salvador de Paco de Sousa Monastery
The main monastery in the Sousa valley has an impressive history and a profusion of medieval religious architecture. This makes it a key stop on the Romanesque trail, with 21 churches built before Portugal became a nation.
Amid this rolling landscape is a wine producing region, with vineyards covering many hills. The area is also rich in pre-historic remains with dolmens and necropoli dotted across the countryside.
The Municipal Museum (Museu Municipal de Penafiel) is a major attraction, having won awards for the quality of its exhibits. Its collection is divided into five rooms: Identity Room, Territory Room, Archaeology Room, Crafts Room and Earth and Water Room.
3. Visit the Igreja de Sao Gens de Boelhe
The Igreja de Sao Gens de Boelhe is one of the smallest Romanesque churches in Portugal, classified as a National Monument since 1927. Tradition ascribes its founding to the daughter of King Sancho I, Princess Mafalda, or to her grandmother, Queen Mafalda, wife of King Afonso Henriques. The church as it stands today is the result of a profound restoration campaign that took place between 1929 and 1948.
Penafiel offers a wealth of things to do, whether it’s exploring the castle and surrounding countryside or reinventing your artistic aesthetic at your new favorite gallery. Experience it all with budget hotel packages, discounted tours and admission tickets, and local experiences. This is a region that’s waiting to be explored. Are you ready?
4. Visit the Magikland amusement park
With a theme of folklore and legend Magikland is the place to be for kids. Its mascot is Bakunawa, the dragon who eats the moon, and it adapts traditional local culture in a fun, modern way.
The landscape is supremely idyllic, with the Tamega and Douro rivers gliding through high green banks and vineyards stretching across bucolic hills. But Penafiel also offers a big helping of history and culture, from the streets of a pre-Roman city to a Romanesque trail with churches dating back before Portugal became a nation.
Explore the Paiva Walkways on foot, or enjoy a relaxing swim at the waterfalls. Then sample the region’s vinho verde wines and feast on local dishes like lamprey, roasted kid goat and sopa seca (dry soup). In genteel parks that were once retreats for upper-class families the wrought-iron gazebos and tall century-old trees remain, while the Misericordia Church’s 17th-century interior has been restored with Baroque and Neoclassical elements.
5. Visit the Jardim do Sameiro
The Jardim do Sameiro is a pretty park back in town and a pleasant place to spend an hour or so. It includes a 17th-century fountain with the saint whose name it bears.
It’s also close to Penahotel, the oldest hotel in town, and to the town’s museum in a 17th-century mansion with an innovative addition. The exhibits include rooms dedicated to the city’s identity, territory, and archaeology.
The Castro of Monte Mozinho is the most important archaeological site in town. With over 22 hectares of walls this hilltop village is fascinating for its range of building styles and is the largest Roman castro in the entire Iberian Peninsula. It was excavated in the 20th century to reveal entre systems of homes and defences.
