Comments Pousada in Viana do Castelo
The National Geographic magazine wrote ‘Santa Luzia is blessed with one of the world’s finest panoramas, perhaps bettered only by those of Funchal and Rio de Janeiro, both in Portuguese speaking countries’. 
The Pousada is on a hilltop above the old sailing port of Viana do Castelo in Costa Verde. The views are over the port and the river estuary and the long sweep of the sandy beaches of Cabedelo. In the foreground is the dome of the temple of Santa Luzia.
Below are some comments of guests who recently stayed in Pousada in Viana do Castelo.
Here is a video from Pousada in Viana do Castelo
The only thing we agree with from the prior reviewer was the cmneomt about the pool area, which was of no concern to us. We found the room at least adequate, and the breakfast area and the common areas really quite pleasant. The breakfast was plentiful and varied. The best part, however, was the staff at the pousada who helped us with directions and advice about touring Braga and really made our visit terrific.
we had a wndferoul time at pousada santa luzia in may 2011. It was our first time at this pousada it will not be the last. It is an excellent location with stunning views.I can only echo what other travellers have to say . As an added bonus , guests may ride the funicular from the pousada down the mountain to the city of Viana and not worry about parking.
We thoroughly enjoyed our overnight stay in Pousada Monte St. Luiza in late October. The location of this hotel is awesome, right at the top of the mountain with amazing views in all directions. We were immediately made to feel welcome on arrival followed by instant help with our luggage. The whole building has been very tastefully restored to its early 1900′s grandeur. We thought the bar and lounge area were so inviting–just wanted to relax on the comfy, colourful sofas! The dining room,closeby but in a completely different colour scheme was equally inviting. We especially loved the window blinds that looked very elegant at dinner but then took on a different and less formal look at breakfast–certainly a sign of a good interior decorator. At dinner we especially enjoyed meeting Luis who is a most attentive waiter at dinner but also was so informative about the area which we would be driving the next day. We found it amazing to have such a significant archeological site as Ruinas da Cidade Velha nearly in the grounds of the Pousada. As well we spent time touring the Temple of the Sacred Heart Basilica and took many photographs from the Church courtyard. All in all Pousada Monte St. Luiza was a wonderful place to stay and we just wished we could have spent longer there.
we had a wonderful time at pousada santa luzia in may 2011. It was our first time at this pousada it will not be the last. It is an excellent location with stunning views.I can only echo what other travellers have to say . As an added bonus , guests may ride the funicular from the pousada down the mountain to the city of Viana and not worry about parking.
Wir verbrachten drei wunderschöne Tage in dieser ausserordentlich schönen und sehr gut geführten Pousada. Vom ersten Moment des Empfangs an fühlten wir uns wie First Class Gäste, der Service ím Speisesaal und die Pflege und Ausstattung der Zimmer, das Ambiente im Garten und die einmalige Aussicht nahmen uns ganz in ihren Bann und das sehr freundliche Personal gab sein Bestes, uns unseren Aufenthalt so schön und angenehm wie möglich zu machen. Im Vergleich zu zwei weiteren Posodas, die wir auf unserer Reise besuchten, war St. Luzia die einsame ” Number One ” . Nur zu empfehlen- Obrigado aos Exmos. empregados para a vossa amicade!
This was one of the best Hotels we ever stayed in. The location of this Hotel is truly spectacular surpassed only by the kindness of hotel staff. We can truly say that the staff at this Pousada was first class, and very friendly. We have nothing but praise for them. We will recommend this Hotel without hesitation to all our friends.
Peter and Mary
Absolutely fantastic place to stay. As it is one of the more expensive pousadas my expectations were high, but they were indeed adhered to.
Kind helpful staff, Wonderful views, clean spacey rooms, excellent food (breakfast and dinner were enjoyed)
Pool area very inviting (unfortunately weather was not too kind but hardly fault of the hotel)
From here we visited Braga (incl. the Bom Jesus site) Guimares (very nice city and not noted in many travel guides!!—secret tip??) and Ponte de Lima. Beaches across the water from Viana de Castelo are very clean and nice (not sure whether we were unlucky with a coldish wind or whether this is a general issue with the west coast??)
We drove up further up the west coast towards the Spanish border, stopping in Affife and Caminha. Caminha is well worth a visit, with its quaint town and main square.
One slight problem of Viana de Castello…Timing of Dinner!!…We found many places in town did not open until approx 9 so between 5-9 (when many people are hungry) it is a huge problem. The Shopping Mall near the station can help as they have a food court!
Enjoyed my stay very much…thankyou. Gary Hudson
Overall a wonderful place to stay! But how petty to charge for bottled water in the room in a place of this standard. And somebody should give one particular male waiter some training in anti-arrogance, a Parisian waiter is nothing compared to what we experienced one evening in the restaurant!
Although not really old and authentique like many others, this Pousada in Viano do Castello is a wonderful place to stay: lovely views, good sized and clean rooms, very kind and helpfull staff, very good atmosphere by styling and furniture. We enjoyed our 5 day stay very much.
One point of comment concerns the restaurant: some meals (e.g. 2 different chicken meals) are below the standard you would expect. Besides, we missed radio /radio function on the TV. Like in many hotels the only music option is that terrible MTV channel.
The town of Viano is very nice and worth visiting. We were lucky that on Praca de Erva there was a music festival the last week of July, every night at 22.30 hrs. We recommend this destination.
We agree for more than 100% with the comment of Otto Seiter from the 10th of June 2011 here below!
We had a wunderfull time in the Pousada of Viana do Castelo, very friendly and helpfull staff. It’s a beautiful building, the rooms are clean and comfortable, also the breakfast buffet and meal was excellent. The view to the sea, to the river the church and to Viana was just great. Everything was perfect und we enjoyed our stay very much. we will come back
thanks to all the staff.
Our stay at the Viana do Castelo was simply wonderful. It is a stunning
setting high above the town and the view from every room and outside
patio is amazing. Our beautiful room overlooked the famous cathedral
with the sea in the distance. Simply breathtaking!!! The Dining Room
service was very attentive and the food beautifully prepared. We
thoroughly enjoyed our time spent in the Viana do Castelo. We would
recommend this Pousada to anyone! We LOVED Portugal!!!
Visited Viana do Castelo recently for a couple of days and found it in a stunning location – we were given a friendly welcome – allocated a tranquil bedroom with gorgeous coastal views – dined in a beautiful dining room with stunning views of the river below – ate fantastic, high quality food – tended by professional, delightful staff and at a very reasonable rate on a Golden Passport.
Would recommend it without hesitation and look forward to a second visit
We stayed at the Pousada Viana do Costelo for the first night of 14 day tour of Portugal, staying in Pousadas. The hotel is an imprssive building perched on a hilltop with magnificent views. The staff received us in an attentive and pleasant manner, gave us good rooms with views of the sea. The food and wine was well presented and good value. I can highly recommend this Pousada.
We stayed only one night at Viano do Castelo but everything we experienced matched or exceeded our expectations. The Pousada is beautifully situated above the charming town which was easily accessed by the Funicular railway. The road to the Pousada is twisty but by no means difficult.
The service at the Pousada was excellent and our spacious room overlooked the memorable view over the town and the coastline. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff and our stay was one we will remeber for a long time.
The Pousada Monte Santa Luzia was our first of seven that we visited over a two-week period and remains one of our favorites. The rooms were beautifully appointed, the staff was kind and helpful and accommodating in every respect, and the food both at breakfast and at dinner was world-class. Our favorite time was breakfast when the morning sun filtered through the jalousies and bathed the dining room in a verdant light. Anyone seeking serenity should visit this lovely early 20th century mansion. Time has stopped on that mountain top, and wars and strife belong to a different world. We cherished our stay.
We had a wunderfull time in the Pousada of Viana do Castelo, very friendly and helpfull staff. It’s a beautiful building, the rooms are clean and comfortable, also the breakfast buffet was excellent. The view to the sea, to the river and to Viana was just great. The only problem was that we had not enough time and could stay only for 3 nights and this was really to short for this nice place. But we will come back for sure to this Pousada. Thanks to the staff and we are looking forward to see you again.
We stayed at this beautiful Pousada in October. This is a wonderful location with unparalelled views of the surrounding area and the ocean. The staff was very accommodating, the rooms were very nice, the food was great….I really have nothing negative to say about the stay. Highly recommended. Even in October the Hydrangea’s and Bougainvillea’s were in full bloom!
We stayed at Monte de Sta Luzia where every thing was excellent.
Had a wonderful stay at Viana de Castelo, The staff was friendly and helpful. Imaculate grounds as well as the Pousada. We had a wonderul dinner, the food was excellent and great service. Our room had a great view of the City. But what we enjoyed the most in sitting in the patio overlooking the city in the evening, enjoying a glass of Porto. We highly recomended. Would go back.
It takes some effort to reach the pousada in Viana do Castelo, but the spectacular vistas are well worth the trouble.This was our second round trip in Portugal staying in pousadas and I must say that our first “pitstop”, Viana do Castelo, set very high expectations for the rest of the trip. We were given a very spacious, charming room overlooking the courtyard, thus not having the legendary view over the city, but we thoroughly appreciated its peacefulness, excellent facilities and light, romantic decoration. The public rooms were immaculately restored and the ambience was warm and colourful, yet stylish and graceful. We were particularly charmed by the secluded, elegant swimming pool area with stunning eagle’s nest views. An additional perk was the breakfast that started at 7.30 (in most pousadas at 8 a.m.), which was very convenient on a round trip with a tight schedule.
I just had a fantastic break in Pousada Viana do Castelo. The views are to die for..Staff very nice.. The town is small but welcoming, I recommend this destination.
Nothing to point about our stay. The location, the view, the tranquility, the kindness of the hotel’s staff, at the reception and in the bar and restaurant were excellent. It was a great pleasure and you can be sure that we will return to this Pousada.
I would also like to mention the good rate offered to us in the end of March.
We liked the people in Viana do Castelo, even more if taking into account the probable limited economical resources of the town.
From there we went to Puente de Lima and Ponte da Barca and then to Braga.
Thank you very much and I hope to return very soon
Regards