The little fishing town of Póvoa de Varzim (altitude: sea level) straggles along the Atlantic coast 20km/12mi north of Oporto, almost merging with neighboring Vila do Conde. Because of its 2km/1.25mi long, broad beach it is a popular seaside resort, particularly with the Portuguese themselves. Póvoa de Varzim is the birthplace of the great
Portuguese novelist Eça de Queirós (1845-1900), who is commemorated by a monument outside the Town Hall. The local specialty is a fish stew caldeirada à Póvoa.
Townscape
Póvoa de Varzim's skyline is dominated by innumerable imposing apartment buildings, and the businesses that have sprung up around the center have also made Póvoa de Varzim look less like a seaside resort. The Municipal Museum, the Museu Municipal de Etnografia e História, contains interesting material on local history and folk traditions.