Vila do Conde

Vila do Conde is a town and municipality in the Porto district, situated at the mouth of the Ave river on the Atlantic coast. The town has a rich architectural and cultural heritage centred on the Convento de Santa Clara, a royal convent founded in 1318 that dominates the hilltop above the river, and its associated aqueduct, an eighteenth-century engineering work of 999 arches that supplied the convent with water from the hills inland.

The town is also nationally known for its tradition of bobbin lacemaking, a skill taught and practiced here for centuries, with the Escola de Rendas maintaining the craft. The beach, the Ave river mouth, and the historic centre give Vila do Conde a layered identity combining maritime, religious, and artisan traditions.

For pilgrims on the Camino Português, Vila do Conde is one of the most historically rich stops on the coastal variant.