Situated 30 km north of Porto, Póvoa de Varzim is both a traditional fishing town and a cosmopolitan summer resort for northern Portugal. At one end is the port and the Bairro Sul fishermen's quarter, where brightly-painted boats line the harbour. The northern end is a lively strip of beach-side cafés and the Casino da Póvoa on the Passeio Alegre seafront. The town's long sandy beach is good for bathing and surfing.
A small 18th-century fort guards the harbour, and the Matriz Church (1743–1757) and the Lapa Church are worth a look. The small Ethnography and History Museum is dedicated to the town's unusual fishing culture, including the siglas poveiras — the geometric marks the fishermen once used as a writing system. Above the town, the Celtic hillfort of Cividade de Terroso dates to around 900 BC. The nightlife along the Passeio Alegre beachfront is some of the liveliest in northern Portugal.