Vila do Conde - Póvoa de Varzim

The relationship between the territory of Vila do Conde with the Ways of Saint James is long and apparently simple, due to the strong tradition of pilgrimage that has existed in the county since the Middle Ages. The medieval bridges, the parish whose patron saint is Saint James, the monasteries with a pilgrimage tradition and even royal pilgrimages – that of D. Manuel I and that of Filipe II of Portugal, attest to this. The path enters Vila do Conde via Aveleda, coming from the D. Goimil bridge, and from there it goes north towards Santiago de Labruge Church, continuing relatively close to the beach and crossing the Mindelo Bird Reserve. In Vila do Conde it is mandatory to pass by the Matriz Church, built in an area that, at the turn of the 15th to the 16th century, became the political, administrative and religious center of the village.