23km (14 miles) W of Braga; 365km (226 miles) N of Lisbon

Barcelos is a sprawling river town that rests on a plateau ringed by green hills. The town doesn't feature any single major attraction -- though its outdoor markets are famous -- but it is responsible for why the Portuguese national icon is the rooster. According to legend, a pilgrim passed through Barcelos in the 16th century, only to be wrongfully accused of theft. The pilgrim swore his innocence, and then went on to say that the judge's dinner that night would declare him innocent, too. Sure enough, a rooster was cooked and about to be served as the main course in the magistrate's dinner, when it crowed. The pilgrim was consequently set free.