Espinho

Espinho (sh-PEE-nyoo, /ʃ.ˈpi.ɲu/) became a spa town in the beginning of the 20th century due to the quality of the water on its beaches. It has one of the best gambling casinos in all of Portugal, where players from all over Europe come, and where you can see great shows.

The most interesting areas of the city are within walking distance close to the train station downtown.

• City Hall square and adjacent João de Deus city park.
• The fishermen pulling the nets to the shore using a traditional technique named xávega on early morning in the south of the city.
• City open air market, every Monday - fish, vegetables, clothes, shoes, fabric, etc.
• The City Museum at the Fórum de Arte e Cultura de Espinho in which the fishing history of the city is depicted. The museum is in the building of a former factory of canned fish called Brandão Gomes.
• 🌍 Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda (Igreja Matriz de Espinho). The city's mother church, built in the 1930s. (updated Jun 2021)

• Walk on the city-long promenade by the beach.
• Swim (be careful with the currents though) and enjoy the sun on the nice white sand beaches that Espinho offers.
• Learn to surf, or rent a board if you can already, with one of the surfing schools in the city.
• Walk on the gangway that starts in the northern beach of Espinho and takes you through the dunes with a fine sea view up to several kilometers into Vila Nova de Gaia. Another gangway built in 2013 takes you towards the southern areas of the municipality (civil parishes of Silvalde and Paramos).
• Watch a volleyball match. Espinho is the Portuguese volleyball capital. Three local clubs host matches regularly: Associação Académica de Espinho, Clube de Voleibol de Espinho and Sporting Clube de Espinho.
• Play tennis at Complexo de Ténis de Espinho.
• Rent a light aircraft (if a PPL holder) at the Aero Clube da Costa Verde and fly over the region on a clear day or take your first flying lesson with a competent instructor.
• Visit the Planetarium and watch the stars from the Observatorium at Centro Multimeios de Espinho.
• Watch a concert at the Music Academy.
• Play golf at the Oporto Golf Club, in the suburb of Paramos, south of the city of Espinho.
• 🌍 Casino Espinho, Rua 19, 85. (updated Jun 2021)

Fresh vegetables and local fish in the weekly open-air market.

Being a coastal town with deep fishing roots, Espinho has a wide variety of seafood restaurants by the beach.

• 🌍 O Peixeiro, Rua 41 265, ☏ +351 22 734 3203. M–Sa 11:45–22:30, Su 11:45–15:00. Mid-range. (updated Jun 2021)

During the summer there are plenty of bars by the beach. In other seasons, you might want to visit "Bombar" or "Doo Bop", two vibrant places by the beach where locals gather for a drink and good music late in the evening and into the night.

• Santa Maria da Feira with its Castle and its interactive science museum Visionarium is less than 20 km away and reachable by train or bus.
• Arouca and the Freita mountain range (Serra da Freita), a nice hiking spot, are less than 75 km away by car.