rio Coura, green grass and a festival that made history
Some river beaches are just that: a bank, cold water, people sunbathing. Taboão is something else. The grass spreads wide along the Coura river, agricultural fields reach down to the water's edge and the birds make more noise than any speaker stack. It's the kind of place that still exists in Portugal but gets harder to find without driving a good few kilometres north.
In summer, the Praia Fluvial do Taboão transforms. Visitors swap sand for grass, children disappear into the water and the rhythm of the day becomes dependent on the Coura's current. It's a calm frenzy, nothing like the bustle of coastal beaches, but it fills the place with life in a different way.
the festival that put Taboão on the map
Since 1993 the name Taboão has been reaching people who have never set foot in Paredes de Coura. The Vodafone Paredes de Coura festival set up here and stayed, making use of the natural amphitheatre formed by the terrain and the vegetation. Artists and audiences found themselves surrounded by landscape even when the stage was lit up, and some say that changes the way you hear live music.
Outside festival time, the place recovers the calm it has always had. Walking along the bank, listening to the river, eating something at the Retiro do Taboão: this is what the Minho does best when it isn't for sale in any brochure.
what you'll find
- wide grass beside the Coura river, natural shade included
- cold water even at the height of summer
- changing rooms and a playing field on site
- the festival context, visible in the layout of the terrain even out of season
