Miramar is a small seaside village near the towns of
Gulpilhares and
Arcozelo, in the municipality of
Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia (; ), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a populati ...
, in the subregion of
Greater Porto,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
(
Grande Porto
Grande Porto () or Greater Porto is a former Portuguese NUTS3 subregion, integrating the NUTS2 region of Norte, in Portugal. It was abolished at the January 2015 NUTS 3 revision.
It corresponded to 11 municipalities out of 16, the other 5 in ...
).
About
It is an upmarket
residential area
A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.
Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...
south of the river
Douro
The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...
, most known for its beach – ''Praia de Miramar'' (Miramar Beach) – and the small
chapel called ''Senhor da Pedra'' (Lord of the Rock), which forms the central attraction of a yearly festival.
This chapel is also featured in the film clip "San Simon", directed by Richard Tomes with music by the Pikoul Sisters. Indeed, Miramar is home to a number of artists and intellectuals, including Marina Pikoul and David Wyn Lloyd among others. There are many large houses and mansions in Miramar, as well as in the nearby
Praia da Aguda and
Praia da Granja. Along the beach, there are several cafés ("esplanadas"). Despite its pleasant location, Miramar is not an international tourist destination. However, during the warm summer months, many Portuguese from the surrounding areas of
Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
, Gaia and
Espinho spend their days at the beach of Miramar, and also at neighbouring beaches of the
Costa Verde.
Sports
Along the beach of Miramar, there is a small 9-hole golf course called Clube de Golf de Miramar.
There is also a private sports club called Sport Clube Alberto de Sousa, best known for its tennis courts.
Restaurants and Cafés
The biggest café/restaurant along the beach of Miramar is the "Areal", which has a café and kiosk facing away from the sea and a restaurant with a view of the beach.
Train
Miramar (short walk to the village and the beach); suburban trains to
Valadares, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto to the North and Granja, Espinho,
Esmoriz
Esmoriz () is a Portuguese city located south of Porto. It is a ''freguesia'' ("parish") of the municipality of Ovar, and part of the Região de Aveiro. The population in 2011 was 11,448, in an area of 9.17 km². Esmoriz was given city statu ...
,
Ovar
Ovar ( or ) is a city and a municipality in Aveiro District, Baixo Vouga Subregion in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,398, in an area of 147.70 km2. It had 42,582 eligible voters (2006). The municipality includes two cities: Ovar (16 ...
,
Estarreja
Estarreja (, ) is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 26,997, in an area of 108.17 km2. It had 22,746 eligible voters in 2006. The only city in the municipality is Estarreja, which is in the urban parish of Beduido. The ci ...
and
Aveiro to the South.
{{coord, 41, 04, N, 8, 39, W, region:PT_type:city, display=title
See also
*
Tourism in Vila Nova de Gaia
References
Populated coastal places in Portugal
Villages in Portugal