Viana do Castelo Pousada

In 1927, according to The National Geographic Magazine, few views could compete with those at Hotel de Santa Luzia. “Perhaps only those of Rio de Janeiro and Funchal”, said the publication. In 2019, the Spanish newspaper El País seconded the opinion, highlighting the hotel’s panoramic views as some of the world’s finest. Standing on the balconies of what is now the Viana do Castelo Pousada, enjoying the vistas of the river Lima, beaches, sea and mountains, we can understand the reporters’ fascination. 

Construction began on this charming hotel in 1903, when Domingos José de Moraes, a local entrepreneur who had made his fortune in Brazil, decided that Viana do Castelo could become the kind of seaside resort to rival Biarritz. The project was designed by the architect Miguel Ventura Terra, who was inspired by the Parisian Beaux-Arts school, adhering to the neoclassical and cosmopolitan style of the time. That said, the hotel would only open in 1921, thanks to the Porto capitalist Bernardo Pinto Abrunhosa, who took charge of the work after de Moraes died.

Over the decades that followed, much would happen to the building. It was nationalised by the State in 1946, refurbished in the 1980s, then became part of the Pousadas de Portugal network in 1996. While the rooms were made more spacious and the entrance extended, certain features have endured, such as the arcades, the dining rooms (now home to the restaurant) and lounge (with seating for the bar).

The latter boasts one of the pousada’s most impressive features: a tapestry designed by Almada Negreiros (1957) and reproduced by Fábrica de Portalegre. The building is also decorated with other pieces by renowned artists, such as paintings by Armanda Passos, Cargaleiro and Darocha.

Although the pousada retains its sumptuous original details, the approach to service is friendly and informal, which makes guests feel very much at home. In Viana do Castelo, it’s traditional for marrying couples to spend their wedding night at the pousada. “Even today it’s known as the bride and groom’s hotel,” explains Sérgio Monteiro, head of reception. After all, is there anything more romantic than waking up to one of the world’s most gorgeous views?