2026 Amarante Travel Guide: must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transport & travel experiences (updated in January)

#mytraveldiary Amarante in Porto District, Portugal, is a charming town that captivates visitors with its scenic riverside setting and rich cultural heritage. The iconic São Gonçalo Bridge stretches gracefully across the Tâmega River, offering postcard perfect views of the historic center. The Church and Convent of São Gonçalo stand nearby, blending religious devotion with architectural beauty. Strolling through the old streets reveals elegant houses, lively squares, and a welcoming atmosphere. Amarante is also known for its vibrant festivals, especially those honoring São Gonçalo, filled with music, tradition, and joy. Local gastronomy shines with irresistible pastries and fine wines from the surrounding region. Surrounded by green hills and tranquil landscapes, Amarante offers an ideal balance of history, spirituality, and natural charm, making it a memorable destination.

#dreamdestination This dessert shop is located in Amarante. It is a dessert shop with a grand shop like a restaurant. The building is a beautiful ancient building. It is a famous shop that is popular with both locals and tourists. Since the shop is located on the Tamega River at the foot of the Ponte de São Gonçalo Bridge, there are both seats inside the shop and seats on the terrace by the river where you can sit and eat while enjoying the river view. It is very pleasant. There are dozens of desserts here, all of which are local Portuguese desserts. When I tried them, they were all very sweet. The sweetness level is similar to our Foi Thong (which in Thailand, we actually got Foi Thong from Portugal). But when you see that they are really skilled, the pie crust is crispy and thin, the filling is smooth. The name of the Amarantinos dessert makes you guess that it must be a local dessert of this city. It looks like a half cake, half Foi Thong (round orange pieces). It is soft and juicy and not too eggy. If you visit this city and want to try local Portuguese desserts other than egg tarts, I recommend you stop by and try it.

#dreamdestination The São Gonçalo Bridge is a bridge across the Tâmega River and is a prominent historical landmark of Amarante. This is an old city with a Roman Road still remaining. This bridge was originally an old bridge from the 13th century, but collapsed in 1763 due to flooding. The granite bridge that you see today is a new bridge built in the 18th century. The bridge itself is not very big, but the surrounding scenery is quite beautiful. On one side of the bridge is the Igreja de Sao Goncalo Church, and on the other side are shops and restaurants along the river. It's fun to walk around. In addition to being a place worth stopping to take pictures of the beautiful river view, the story that made this bridge an important part of Portuguese history happened during the Peninsular War during the Napoleonic era, when the French marched through this city to reach western Spain. But they encountered the Portuguese army that had settled at the bridge and resisted the French army for almost 2 weeks, allowing the allied British army to march through to Coimbra and Oporto. Although the French soldiers eventually won and took hundreds of Portuguese prisoners, the Battle of the Bridge of Amarante made the bridge and the heroism of the Amarante people remembered to this day.

#dreamdestination The Igreja de São Gonçalo is the church of Amarante. This small and lovely town is located near the big city of Porto and is on the way to see the Douro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So, we had to stop by. The name of this church is after Saint Gonçalo, who was a monk in the 12th century. His remains are in the Chapel to the left of the altar. In addition to the church being beautiful and decorated with Renaissance art, it is also rumored that if a single woman touches the wooden statue of Saint Gonçalo here, she will get married within 1 year. And if you want to see the result even better, after touching it, you must eat the doce de São Gonçalo pastry, which looks like a Thai amulet. This pastry is sold all over Amarante and has become the city's signature pastry.