Darque

Darque is a civil parish in the municipality of Viana do Castelo, situated on the south bank of the Lima river estuary directly across the water from Viana do Castelo. The parish occupies low-lying estuarine terrain shaped by the tidal cycle of the Lima mouth, with mudflats, saltmarsh vegetation, and sandy banks visible at low tide.

The Lima estuary at this point is wide and luminous, offering unobstructed views across to the Viana do Castelo waterfront and the hilltop Basílica de Santa Luzia beyond. The traditional boatbuilding industry of the lower Lima valley once operated at sites along this stretch of the estuary.

The coastal Camino Português crosses the Lima near Darque on the approach to Viana do Castelo, making the estuarine crossing one of the route’s most visually distinctive moments.