20km (12 miles) S of Viana do Castelo; 48km (30 miles) N of Porto; 367km (228 miles) N of Lisbon

Esposende is a beach resort town where Atlantic breezes sweep the pines and sand dunes, and cows graze in nearby pastures. The surrounding countryside is no longer unspoiled -- though you'll still see an occasional ox cart in the street, the area has been extensively developed, and a wide new road runs along the seafront. Men and women in broad-brimmed hats work the vineyards in the foothills. The beach, lining both sides of the Cávado estuary, is large and fine. Small fishing vessels plod along the river carrying anglers to the bass upstream. Archaeological digs have revealed the remains of a Roman city and necropolis, but that doesn't seem to have disturbed Esposende in the least.