Known once as the Queen of Costa Verde, Espinho is a city on the Atlantic coastline, 19 km from Porto. It is home to a small urban municipality, with 8 km of coastline, famous for its beautiful beaches, the centennial fair, the various possibilities in the areas of tourism and leisure and the Casino.
Espinho is a modern city and a tourist resort of high level that receives thousands of domestic and foreign visitors throughout the year. There are two fundamental reasons for this: first, the fact that the city has one of the best climates in Europe; second, the fact that it is a competitive area, creates tourist attraction and development.
The construction of the city itself is also an important factor, because it has a unique geometry which consists of wide streets, with their names being numbers, making navigation extremely simple in town for any visitor.
HOW TO GET HERE
To get to Espinho, the best options are to travel by train or car. For international participants, both Lisbon and Porto airports have connections to train stations.
COMBOIO
- Discount of 25% Young People - https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/discounts-benefits/Discounts/young-people
- Promo Ticket (Buy In Advance) - https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/discounts-benefits/Discounts/advance-sales
- Group Discount - https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/discounts-benefits/Discounts/group-travel-pt
- Porto Weekly Pass - https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/discounts-benefits/Discounts/weekly-pass
CAR
The A1(E01) and A29 highways are the easiest and quickest way to get to Espinho.
EXPLORING THE CITY
Espinho is full of different attractions that you can't miss! Here are some of them:
With a coastline of 8 km, Espinho has several beaches awarded with the Blue Flag of Europe. Perfect for practicing water sports, such as surfing and bodyboard, or simply just sunbathing on the sand, close to several beach bars.
In the city beaches, you can also watch volleyball matches, the World Cup FIFA Beach Soccer Portugal and the Espinho Surf Destination.
ESPINHO'S FAIR
Since 1894, a weekly fair is held in Espinho that is now one of the largest weekly markets in the country. Besides representaing a big tourist attraction, it is the best way to dive into the de city and getting to know it in a more intimate way.
Every monday, you can find a great diversity of products, from jewllery to flowers, as well as clothing, handcrafs, fish and more.
So, the influx of Portuguese and foreign tourists is quite significant, a true living wheel of colors, smells and flavors, to not be missed!
CASTRO DE OVIL
The Castro de Ovil is a collection of archaeological ruins of a village of the II century B.C., which falls in the Iron Age of the Northwest part of the Iberian Peninsula, although it also shows traces of the Roman occupation. This hill fort is referred to in documents from the Middle Ages, being the first references found in a document dating from 897.
Castro de Ovil was identified in February 1981 in a place called the Lugar do Monte, parish of Paramos, in Espinho. The archaeological work began in the early 80s and interventions were resumed in 1994, under the action of the Office of Archaeology of Espinho City Hall. The collected pieces are primarily from indigenous ceramics, smooth or with typical decoration, of the Neolithic era.
CASINO
The Casino of Espinho has contributed to the renewal of tradition and tries to fulfill the expectations of the people who frequent it.
Open all year, the Casino is the meeting point for people from various places, attracted by their shows, renowned restaurant, conference room, art gallery and game rooms with roulette, French banking, baccarat, slot machines and bingo.
The emotions of the game and the colors of the bets alternate with the brightness of the animation.
MULTIMEIOS CENTER
The Multimeios Center is a space designed to welcome and provide the best that there is at a national and international level in various platforms of cultural interest. It also functions as a research and study center in the astronomy field, thanks to its planetarium.
Therefore, exhibitions, concerts, conferences, festivals and lectures compose the program of this reference space in current architecture, which combines aesthetics with functionality, creates a unique space reserved for both leisure and professional context of different areas.
This is the main venue of FEST, the heart of everything.
ESPINHO AUDITORIUM
The current building of the Academy of Music/Espinho Auditorium was inaugurated in 2006. This new building includes the Academy of Music and other facilities, such as the Espinho Auditorium and the room Mário Neves, with 280 and 100 seats, respectively.
The program is open to all music genres and backgrounds, as well as theater, dance, new circus and temporary art exhibitions. The Classical Orchestra of Espinho has a residence and exhibition.
The auditorium is a cultural space of artistic fruition and cultural variety.
MUNICIPAL MUSEUM / ART AND CULTURE FORUM OF ESPINHO
The Art and Culture Forum of Espinho was created as a result of the rehabilitation project of the former Fábrica de Conservas Brandão, Gomes & C. It is a space dedicated to research, cultural development and the provision of services to the community. It is assumed as a multifaceted place where knowledge, training, education and leisure are the main focus.
With one auditorium, three atriums and an interior terrace, which enhance the versatility of the space, the building hosts various cultural and social activities, as well as it includes an educational service room and training rooms, making it a community-oriented space ready to host a variety of initiatives.
The Espinho Municipal Museum is extended to the first floor by a gallery for temporary exhibitions. It also discloses the history and cultural heritage of the city, becoming a dynamic space of interaction between the past and the present.
The functionality of the Municipal Museum also involves the documentation and research center.
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