Valença (Portugal)

Valença, also known as Valença do Minho, is a town and municipality in Portugal's Minho region. The town itself has 6,500 inhabitants (2023).

Valença lies on the Portuguese Way of St. James (Camino Portuguese). Counted together with neighbouring Tui the towns are the second most often picked starting point to do a Camino de Santiago. Over 45,000 pilgrims started in either Valença or Tui in 2024. The pilgrims choose the towns because the distance to Santiago allows them to cover the necessary kilometres to get the certificate of accomplishment.

Understand

Corbels in Igreja de São Fins de Friestas.

Valença (vuh-LIHN-suh, /vɐ.ˈɫẽ.sɐ/) municipality has 13,634 residents (2021), with 5,153 living in the city proper. Valença lies on the River Minho across from Tui, Spain.

Visitor information

Get in

The most convenient should be the airport of Porto. The airport of Vigo rather serves domestic destinations and international one-stop connections by Iberia.

As trains from Vigo are not that frequent, you can also take a bus from Vigo to the neighbouring town Tui. According to the bus schedules the bus also stops at the pedestrian bridge (Ponte Internacional) to Valença. There is no public transport between Tui and Valença. You need to walk over the bridge.

Valença is served by the A3 motorway (Autoestrada de Entre-Douro-e-Minho) from Porto and Braga. Crossing the River Minho, it connects with Spain's A-55 expressway from Vigo.

Get around

See

  • 🌍 Fortaleza de Valença (Praça-forte de Valença). This 5 km (3.1 mi), 17th-century military fortification lies along the River Minho. (updated Aug 2021)
  • 🌍 Museu do Bombeiro (Firefighters' Museum), ☏ +351 251 809 000. M–F 09:00–12:30 & 13:30–17:00 (also Sa, fortnightly). Displaying about 4,000 pieces of firefighting equipment from around the world, this museum tells the history of the "soldiers of peace", as firefighters are known in Portugal. (updated Aug 2021)

Do

Buy

In the town centre are multiple ATMs.

Near town centre are the large supermarkets Intermarché and Continente Bom Dia. There is also the mid-sized supermarket Lidl.

Eat

Budget

  • Pizzaria Joes. (updated Jan 2025)
  • Sandes & Baguetes (Pastelaria Esteves). (updated Jan 2025)
  • Restaurante As Tabernas do Caniço. (updated Jan 2025)
  • Sandes.come. offering kebab, Francesinha, Hamburger, Baguetes , Saladas, Pratos Combinados, Sopas (updated Jan 2025)

Mid-range

Drink

Sleep

Pilgrims can sleep in the Albergue de peregrinos São Teotónio.

  • 🌍 Pousada Valença (Pousada de São Teotónio), Baluarte do Socorro (within Valença Fortress), ☏ +351 251 800 260, . Check-in: 16:00, check-out: 11:00. Four-star, 18-room pousada with business centre, restaurant, room service, free Wi-Fi, and free parking. €81-140. (updated Aug 2021)
  • 🌍 Hotel Valença do Minho, Avenida Miguel Dantas, ☏ +351 251 824 211. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Three-star, 36-room hotel with swimming pool, bar, free Wi-Fi, and free parking. €36-64. (updated Aug 2021)

Connect

Go next

Portugal
Spain
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