Póvoa de Varzim (pron. IPA: 'pɔβuɐ dɨ bɐɾ'ziŋ]) is a Portuguese city in the Northern Region and sub-region of Greater Porto, with a 2006 estimated population of 66,216 in its municipality and 42,396 in the city proper. It is located in a sandy coastal plain surrounding Cape Santo André, halfway between the Minho and Douro rivers.
Permanent habitation in Póvoa de Varzim dates back to around four to six thousand years ago; around 900 BC, unrest in the region led to the establishment of a fortified city. The ocean has always played an important part in its culture and economy, initially through maritime trade, and later through fishing, leading it to acquire a Foral in 1308 and consequently to become, in the 18th century, the main fishing port in northern Portugal. Since the late 19th century, its large beaches have helped it become one of the main tourist areas of the region.
Póvoa de Varzim is one of the few legal gambling areas in Portugal, and has significant textile and food industries. The town has a rich seafood cuisine, and retains ancient customs such as the writing system of siglas poveiras and the masseira farming technique. Póvoa is home to three national monuments: the thousand-year-old Church of São Pedro de Rates, one of the main medieval Romanesque buildings in Portugal; the Aqueduct of Santa Clara; and the Manueline pillory of Póvoa de Varzim, built in 1514 to commemorate the municipal emancipation of Póvoa de Varzim.