Ponte de Lima

Ponte de Lima is one of Portugal's most beautiful little towns, on the picturesque banks of the gentle Rio Lima. The heart of town is full of cafes and riverside gardens and the outskirts are green with vineyards. Ponte de Lima is popular with Portuguese tourists, who come for long weekends every second Monday when there's an amazing market - so you need to book the best places to stay in Ponte de Lima in advance to avoid disappointment.

The 'ponte' in Ponte de Lima is a lovely, 31-arched medieval rehash of a Roman original, part of a Roman road, and most of the town's highlights are within a few streets of this bridge. Now open only to foot traffic most of the bridge dates from the 14th Century, though one end is still real Roman.

As well as the bridge, and charming cafes and boutiques and the market, Ponte de Lima has a number of beautiful mansions, some of which have been converted into hotels and some museums and galleries. Ponte de Lima also has plenty of green space, including gardens surrounding a particularly lovely public swimming pool.

What not to miss

• The market every second Monday is notoriously popular with the locals, they even plan long weekends around it!
• The 14th century bridge, which has much of Ponte de Lima's other sights within walking distance
• Many vineyards and gardens to explore in and around the town
• There are many good day trips in the local area, these include excursions to Ponte de Barc and Arcos de Valdevez.

At peak season (and during those market long weekends) the demand for lovely rooms is high, with locals and tourists alike coming to relax. So if you want to guarantee a bed in one of the best places to stay in Ponte de Lima book ahead to avoid disappointment!

The best places to stay in Ponte de Lima

For a contemporary B&B

• Casa do Rio Vez is a lovely, contemporary B&B which has been converted from a mill. There are three rooms and one self-catering apartment, all of which have terraces overlooking the river. And the whole property is surrounded by pretty gardens. Romantic and great value.

for a country house

• Paco de Calheiros is a stunning Portuguese country house surrounded by beautiful gardens. Rooms are elegant and the public spaces quite grand, with beautiful paintings and antiques.There's a pool and a tennis court associated with the hotel and then a private villa which sleeps ten and has its own pool and tennis courts too.

For an apartment or villa

• If these hotels don't quite tick all your boxes, have a look at the many apartments and villas in the area with our booking partners Booking.com

Travel Information

• Want to fly to Ponte de Lima?

• Porto International airport is around 1 hours drive away from Ponte de Lima (85km)

• For car hire prices, we recommend you visit our online partners Rentalcars

• The best time of year to go Ponte de Lima is June, July, August, and September. These summer months enjoy the least amount of rain and most amount of hot sunshine! The most rain in the area can be expected in the wettest month - January, though the other winter months can also be very wet.

Still not sure?

• Browse through our list of all the best places to stay in Ponte de Lima
• If none of these are for you, widen your search to the surrounding Costa Verde area
• Or contact one of our Gurus for further advice

Weather

Monthly Weather in Ponte de Lima