Pousada Viana do Castelo

The view from the Pousada Viana do Castelo is one of Portugal’s outstanding hotel vistas, thanks to its enviable location on the Monte de Santa Luzia.

The hotel was the brainchild of Portuguese industrialist Domingos Jose de Morais (1846-1903) – born in nearby Viana do Castelo, Morias saw the city as a potential beach resort to rival Cannes or Biarritz. Architect Miguel Ventura Terra was employed as designer: one of the country’s most prolific, and arguably eclectic architects, Ventura was also responsible for the design of the famed Santuario do Sagrado Coracao de Jesus, built almost in tandem with the hotel on the very brow of the Monte.

The Pousada Monte de Santa Luzia, as it was originally named, opened its doors to the public in 1921. Although initially successful thanks to its striking location, its popularity waned as the ruling Estada Novo regime enforced a policy of austerity to pull the country’s economy out of a nosedive, and leader Salazar’s deliberate isolation of Portugal from the rest of Europe deterred the foreign travellers Jose de Morais had hoped to attract.

Following the Carnation Revolution in 1974 and as the country wrestled with its reinstated freedoms, the hotel was rescued from dereliction by the fledgling Pestana hotel chain. They’re now known for their sympathetic restorations of Portugal’s historic buildings, and the rescue of this pousada was at the beginning of that journey. Pestana worked hard to preserve the spacious feel of the shared spaces, guest lounges and restaurant, retaining the flood of natural light which the floor-to-ceiling south facing windows provide. Our favourite rooms also face south – across the Santuario with the Atlantic Ocean disappearing into the distance. And there’s modernity where it’s required: in the ensuite bathrooms, the contemporary fixtures and furnishing, and with the free wi-fi.

It’s a short walk through the pousada’s peaceful gardens and the outdoor pool, down to the Santuario itself. The hotel’s clean, understated exterior is quite a contrast to the ornate basilica, with its revivalist mix of styles and its mesmerising, off-geometric brickwork. It’s an impressive view across Viana do Castelo and the mouth of the wide River Lima, and the nearby Elevador de Santa Luzia will take you down into the busting heart of the Minho region’s most-important port city.