The City of Guimarães sprang up in the valley at the foot of Mount Santa Catarina (Mount Penha), from the top of which it is possible to see the Atlantic.

Mount Penha a popular spot to visit in Guimarães; people are attracted both by the lure of nature and by the fun activities it offers. Amongst the possibilities to explore are monuments, grottoes, observation points overlooking a vast countryside, a campground, mini-golf, an Equestrian Centre, a tourist mini-train, picnic areas and hiking trails.

The Penha Sanctuary is a pilgrimage centre, and the faithful hear the call in large numbers in summer months.

One fun way to reach the top of Mount Penha is to take the Suspended Cable Car, a ride that affords a magnificent view of valley where Guimarães is located.

 

Located on the left bank of the Selho River, about 5km from Guimarães is São Torcato, a predominantly rural community whose natural charm and cultural heritage are of great tourist potential to the District.

The saint who gives his name to the town was one of the first men to spread Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula in the 7th century. According to tradition, after his martyrdom, his remains were found here and a chapel then erected, called the Chapel of Fonte do Santo (the Saint’s Fountain).

A community with strong links to rural life and devotion to St. Torcato, this town is rich in cultural and ethnological events that translate into festivals and processions throughout the year:
The Feast Day of the 27, (Festa dos 27) on the 27th of February
The Great Procession (Romaria Grande) of São Torcato, in July, one of the most popular in the Minho province
The Agriculture Fair , (Feira da Terra) in July
The Linen Festival, (Festa do Linho) in July
The Harvest Festivals, (Festa das Colheitas) in October

The monuments of São Torcato also testify to the faith of the local people: the imposing granite Sanctuary where the body of the saint (naturally mummified) is preserved intact, the Chapel of Fonte do Santo and the Town Museum of São Torcato.

 

The town of Caldas das Taipas is located about 7km from Guimarães.

This town has always been a pleasant stop-over, beginning at the time of the Roman Empire when the thermal hot baths here were discovered to have therapeutic benefits. Today, thermal treatments are enjoyed comfortably indoors at facilities on the banks of the Ave River where modern hydrology equipment, an indoor thermal pool, exercise room, sauna and solarium are all available.

Not far from town are the archaeological ruins of the Citânia de Briteiros, the vestiges of pre-Roman civilisation known as the “Castreja culture.”

Caldas das Taipas has a municipal park located near the Ave River with many athletic facilities: tennis court, swimming pools, running track, campgrounds, and a river beach. The primary industry is cutlery, which is not only solidly implanted in the local economy, but also a factor in local development.