Penafiel in 3D

Penafiel is a municipality in the Porto district, in the Tâmega e Sousa sub-region, lying between the Sousa and Cavalum rivers, both tributaries of the Douro. It received its charter (foral) from King Manuel I in 1519 and was raised to city status in 1770, when the former Arrifana de Sousa took the name Penafiel. It has 28 parishes and, according to the 2021 Census, 69,687 inhabitants.

For travellers exploring the Douro from Porto, it is a land of hills, valleys and rivers: the municipality highlights the Douro gorges and the Tâmega reservoir in its tourism, alongside Romanesque heritage, archaeology, thermal springs and food and wine built around vinho verde.

What to see and do

• Museu Municipal de Penafiel, on Rua do Paço, in a restored 18th-century manor house. The permanent exhibition has five galleries (identity, territory, archaeology, traditional crafts, land and water), and the museum has four sites: the Castro de Monte Mozinho, the Moinho da Ponte de Novelas, the Engenho de Sebolido and the Aldeia de Quintandona. Guided tours are available by prior arrangement.
• Castro de Monte Mozinho (Oldrões/Galegos), a fortified settlement of about 22 hectares, occupied from the turn of the era until the mid-5th century.
• Romanesque heritage: the Benedictine Monastery of Paço de Sousa, home to the tomb of Egas Moniz, the Igreja de S. Gens (Boelhe), the Igreja da Gândara (Cabeça Santa), the Igreja de S. Miguel de Entre-os-Rios (Eja) and the Ermida Memorial (Irivo).
• Preserved villages: Quintandona and Cabroelo, with traditional rural architecture.

Rivers, nature and thermal springs

The municipality promotes hiking, mountain biking, climbing and canoeing, and lists river beaches as part of its nature offer. You can find the Praias Fluviais de Penafiel and the Praia Fluvial de Boelhe, on the Tâmega. For wellness, the municipality points to the S. Vicente Thermal Park and the Torre thermal springs in Entre-os-Rios.

Food and wine

According to the municipality, the local table includes lamprey (prepared à bordalesa or with rice, in season), roast kid and vinho verde, which is produced in the municipality.

When to go

The municipal calendar includes the Feira de S. Martinho, traditionally from 10 to 20 November and linked to new wine and chestnuts; AGRIVAL, an agricultural fair held in August; and, in spring, the Corpus Christi festivities, with a tradition of around six hundred years. On Maundy Thursday the Endoenças procession takes place. Always check the dates in each year's programme.

Neighbouring municipalities

Penafiel borders, among others, Marco de Canaveses and Castelo de Paiva, both with lodging in the Douro region.

Where to stay

Our catalogue lists 18 places to stay in Penafiel, 15 of them in the locality of Penafiel. See the list of accommodation on this page; the ratings shown come from Booking.com guests.