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Vila Praia de Âncora

Parish of the municipality of Caminha (Caminha), district of Viana do Castelo.

Vila Praia de Âncora had 4.623 residents in the 2021 Census, 26,6% of whom were aged 65 or over, and 17,5% of the population aged 15 or over had completed higher education. It borders 4 parishes and its centroid is 6,0 km in a straight line from the centroid of the municipality of Caminha.

Population (inh.)
  • 159 – 309
  • 375 – 680
  • 725 – 897
  • 1.186 – 1.490
  • 2.373 – 4.623
Density (inh./km²)
  • 5,2 – 36,0
  • 48,1 – 77,4
  • 79,6 – 143,8
  • 169,6 – 218,8
  • 352,1 – 552,3
Area (km²)
  • 2,8 – 5,4
  • 6,4 – 8,3
  • 8,4 – 10,4
  • 10,4 – 11,1
  • 11,4 – 30,9
Quantile classes · current parish
Parish highlighted. Click a neighbouring parish to open its page. Geometry: CAOP2025, Direção-Geral do Território (simplified).

The 14 parishes of Caminha

Hover a row to highlight it on the map. Click a header to sort.

#ParishPopulationArea (km²)Inhab./km²
1Argela37510,8034,7
2Dem3096,4348,1
3Lanhelas8975,04178,0
4Riba de Âncora6808,5479,6
5Seixas1.4138,33169,6
6União das freguesias de Arga (Baixo, Cima e São João)15930,885,2
7União das freguesias de Caminha (Matriz) e Vilarelho2.3736,74352,1
8União das freguesias de Gondar e Orbacém39811,0636,0
9União das freguesias de Moledo e Cristelo1.49010,36143,8
10União das freguesias de Venade e Azevedo88111,3877,4
11Vila Praia de Âncora4.6238,37552,3
12Vilar de Mouros72510,3869,9
13Vile2882,80102,9
14Âncora1.1865,42218,8
Code (DTMNFR)
160217
Resident population (2021)
4.623
Area
8,37 km²
Density
552,3 inh./km²
Share of the municipality (population)
29,3%
Rank in the municipality (population)
1st of 14

INE, Censos 2021 (população residente por freguesia, geografia 2025, ind. 0014584); DGT, CAOP2025 (área). Population refers to the 2021 census moment, compiled by INE for the parish boundaries in force in 2025.

2021 Census in detail

Men
2.140 (46,3%)
Women
2.483 (53,7%)
Portuguese nationality
4.442 (96,1%)
Foreign nationality
181 (3,9%)
Ageing index
234,9 elderly per 100 young people
Private households
1.964
Average household size *
2,32 people
Dwellings
4.861
Classic family dwellings
4.855
Buildings
2.030
Buildings with 7 or more floors
16
With higher education (15+)
17,5% (719)
Unemployment rate *
8,20% (H 8,16% · M 8,23%)
Active / employed population
2.074 / 1.904

Population by age group

Population by age group0-14 years: 524 (11,3%); 15-24 years: 427 (9,2%); 25-64 years: 2.441 (52,8%); 65+ years: 1.231 (26,6%)0-14524 · 11,3%15-24427 · 9,2%25-642.441 · 52,8%65+1.231 · 26,6%
Residents by age group and share of the total (4.623).
Age groupTotalMenWomen
0-14 years524260264
15-24 years427211216
25-64 years2.4411.1341.307
65+ years1.231535696

Source: INE, Censos 2021 — indicators 0014630, 0014631, 0014627, 0014623, 0014621, 0014635, 0014636, 0012481, 0012328, 0014632, obtained from the INE indicators API on 24/09/2026 (licence CC BY 4.0). Parish geography of 2025 (CAOP2025). Nationality (Portuguese, foreign, stateless) is INE indicator 0014632. * Indicator published by INE only for 2013 parish geography (NUTS 2024); used because the parish has the same territory in both geographies (identical population by sex and age group). Ageing index = population aged 65+ ÷ population aged 0–14 × 100; share with higher education = residents with completed higher education ÷ residents aged 15 or over (our calculations from INE figures).

Neighbouring parishes

União das freguesias de Moledo e Cristelo · Vile · Âncora · Riba de Âncora

Straight-line distance to the centroid of the municipality of Caminha
6,0 km

Neighbourhood calculated from official boundaries: DGT, Carta Administrativa Oficial de Portugal (CAOP) 2025 (licence CC BY 4.0); two parishes are neighbours when they share a boundary segment. The distance is the straight-line (great-circle) distance between the geometric centroid of the parish and that of the municipality (in territories with islets, of the main part), not a road distance.

2025 local elections — Parish assembly

Registered voters
4.887
Voters
2.814
Turnout
57,58% (2021: 53,77%)
Seats
9
ListVotes%Seats
PPD/PSD.CDS-PP.PPM
O Concelho em Primeiro		1.88967,13%7
UVPAS
Unir Vila Praia de Âncora, Sempre		65923,42%2
PCP-PEV
CDU - Coligação Democrática Unitária		1364,83%0
Blank votes903,20%
Null votes401,42%

Most-voted list, which elects the parish-council president: PPD/PSD.CDS-PP.PPM.

Source: SGMAI — official results of the local elections of 12 October 2025 (Secretary-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration), consulted on 25/09/2026. Percentages calculated by SGMAI over total voters.

Parish-council contacts

Address
Rua Miguel Bombarda, N.º 88-A
Vila Praia de Âncora (CAMINHA)
4910-576 VILA PRAIA DE ÂNCORA
Telephone
258911546
Fax
258911546
Email
juntavpancora@mail.telepac.pt
Website
www.jf-vpancora.com

Source: DGAL - Portal Autárquico (Direção-Geral das Autarquias Locais), consulted on 25/09/2026.

More information

Coordinates
41,81694, -8,85917
Official website
www.jf-vpancora.com
Wikipedia
Vila Praia de Âncora
Wikidata
Q691329

Source: Wikidata (data under CC0 1.0), consulted on 24/09/2026. The patron saint and coordinates are those recorded on Wikidata.

Sources: INE, 2021 Census (resident population) · DGT, CAOP2025 (area and parishes) · more details · Data updated on 24/09/2026