Barcelos

Not to be confused with Barcelos, Amazonas, Brazil.

Barcelos is a city in Portugal's Minho region on the Portuguese Way path of the Camino de Santiago. In 2017, Barcelos was added the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its crafts and folk art.

Understand

A colourful garden in Barcelos.

Barcelos (/bɐɾˈsɛluʃ/, buhr-SEHL-oosh) began as a Roman settlement, and grew to become the seat of the First Duke of Bragança in the 15th century. The duke's palace was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, and is now an open-air museum.

The galo de Barcelos ("Rooster of Barcelos") has become a symbol of the entire country. Legend has it that a Galician pilgrim travelling through town was arrested for stealing silverware from a wealthy resident. The Galician pleaded his innocence, but the judge didn't believe him and sentenced the man to death. The judge was about to tuck into his roasted rooster dinner when the pilgrim said, "If I am innocent, this rooster will crow three times." When the pilgrim was about to be hanged, the rooster crowed. The startled judge released the pilgrim.

The entire municipality has over 120,000 people (2011), while the central city has under 5,000.

Visitor information

• 1 Turismo Barcelos, Largo Dr. José Novais 27, ☏ +351 253 811 882, turismo@cm-barcelos.pt. (updated Jun 2021)

Get in

Barcelos can be reached via the A3 (Autoestrada de Entre-Douro-e-Minho) and A11 (Auto-Estrada do Baixo Minho) motorways.

• 1 Barcelos Train Station, Largo Marechal Gomes da Costa. PDF timetable. Barcelos is on the Linha do Minho, with service from Porto and from Vigo, Spain. There are several other train stations in Barcelos municipality. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Bus Station (Central de Camionagem). Bus service to Barcelos is provided by Internorte, Rede Expressos, Arriva, and Transdev. (updated Jun 2021)

Get around

• Barcelos BUS, ☏ +351 225 100 100. The municipal bus service provides two routes serving various destinations within the city. €1. (updated Jun 2021)

See

• 1 Torre do Cimo da Vila (Torre de Barcelos, Postigo da Muralha, Torre da Porta, Torre da Porta Nova, Torre da Cadeia), Largo da Porta Nova 22. Medieval tower, built in the 15th century by the 8th Duke of Barcelos. It's been a national monument since 1926. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Igreja do Bom Jesus da Cruz. Baroque church built in the early 1700s. (updated Jun 2021)
• 3 Paço dos Condes de Barcelos (Palace of the Counts of Barcelos, Paço dos Duques de Bragança). Ruins of a noble palace. (updated Jun 2021)

Do

• Football: Gil Vicente FC play soccer in Primeira Liga, Portugal's top tier. Their home ground Estádio Cidade de Barcelos (capacity 12,500) is 2 km north of town centre.

Eat

• 1 Casa Dos Arcos, R. Duques de Bragança 185, ☏ +351 253 826 265, moraisapulia@gmail.com. W–M 12:00–15:30 & 19:00–22:20, closed Tu. Generous portions of Portuguese and Mediterranean food in a rustic-looking city-centre location. Mid-range. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Restaurante Pedra Furada, Rua de Santa Leocádia 1415, Pedra Furada, ☏ + 351 252 951 144, info@pedrafurada.com. M 12:00–15:00, Tu–Su 12:00–15:00 & 19:00–22:00. Portuguese home cooking featuring galo recheado à moda de Barcelos (stuffed rooster), cabrito assado em forno de lenha (wood-oven roasted lamb), rojões à moda do Minho (Minho-style "firecrackers"), and bacalhau com broa (codfish with corn bread). Mid-range. (updated Jun 2021)

Sleep

• 1 Art'Otel Barcelos, Rua da Madalena 29, ☏ +351 253 185 819, info@artotelbarcelos.com. Check-in: 15:00–20:00, check-out: 12:00. Boutique guest house in the city centre. Outdoor swimming pool and free Wi-Fi. €62-75. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Casas do Rio, Travessa de Navió 75, Cossourado, ☏ +351 969 312 585, geral@casasdoriobarcelos.com. Check-in: 14:00–20:00, check-out: 12:00. A small country hotel along the Neiva River. €68-104. (updated Jun 2021)
• 3 Quinta de Malta, Rua de Nossa Senhora de Loreto 152, Durrães. Check-in: 16:00–19:00, check-out: 09:00–12:00. Country house hotel with two pools. €70-117. (updated Jun 2021)