Winter in Viana - heated pool, fireplace and rain at the window

Northern Portugal isn't only for summer. Minho winters have a low, golden light that doesn't exist at any other time of year, and the common spaces of the house come into their own: the living room with its fireplace, the covered courtyard, the breakfast room with garden windows. The pool stays heated at 28°C - perfect after a rainy morning.

In January, Viana goes quiet. Restaurants have space for you, the Santa Luzia sanctuary welcomes you in near-silence, and the Wednesday and Friday markets sell winter cabbages, pears, local honey. From Porto airport: 60 km, 50 minutes via the A28 even in rain.

Bring boots (Viana's granite streets get slippery), a good book, and a willingness to make no rigid plans. That's what winter is for.