Lapela

Leave Monção on N101, which now continues westward, paralleling the mighty River Minho. After 5 kilometers you pass Lapela, a tiny town clustered around its ancient defensive tower. Continue through the intensively farmed riverbank with endless vineyards and cultivated terraces to Valença do Minho, a popular border-crossing town that faces the Spanish town of Tuy on the opposite bank. There is just one way into the old town, which sits perched on a hill overlooking the newer city below. Follow signs that lead you up the hill and through the thick fortified walls into the medieval city whose vantage affords breathtaking views of the river, the Eiffel-designed bridge, the town of Tuy, and the Galician Mountains beyond.