Viana do Castelo and Porto host two days of meetings and field visits to advance the Atlantic Sunset project
The partners of the Atlantic Sunset Project gathered on 11 and 12 June 2026 for the 6th Steering and Technical Committee Meeting, held in the Portuguese cities of Viana do Castelo and Porto. The event brought together representatives of the partner organizations to review project progress, discuss future activities, visits some of the main spots and equipment installed and strengthen cooperation among the consortium.
The meeting began on 11 June in Viana do Castelo with an official welcome by the Municipal Councillor for Culture. Participants then visited the Museu do Traje and took part in a guided tour of the city, exploring its rich cultural and historical heritage.
In the afternoon, the delegation travelled to Carreço, a parish of Viana do Castelo where the project has installed its first panoramic interpretation table in Portugal. The visit included a tour of the iconic Montedor Lighthouse, guided by the lighthouse keeper, as well as a welcome reception hosted by the President of the Parish Council of Carreço. The day concluded aboard the historic Gil Eannes Hospital Ship, where the first part of the Steering Committee Meeting took place. Discussions focused on project management and coordination, and communication activities.
The second day was dedicated to technical and coordination activities. Partners reviewed the progress achieved within the different work packages (WP1, WP2 and WP3), assessed ongoing actions, and discussed the development of new technical activities to support the project’s objectives.
Following the working sessions, the consortium travelled to the city of Porto, where participants visited the recently installed project camera and the Virtudes Viewpoint, the location selected for the installation of the next Atlantic Sunset panoramic interpretation table.
The Atlantic Sunset partnership would like to express its sincere gratitude to the Municipality of Viana do Castelo and the Parish of Carreço for their warm welcome and hospitality. Thanks to the excellent organization of the programme by the University of Porto, participants were able to combine productive working sessions with cultural and heritage visits, including the Museu do Traje, Portuguese Coastal Way of St. James Interpretation Center (Old Hospital), Montedor Lighthouse, the Parish Council museum and facilities, Virtudes Viewpoint and several emblematic locations throughout the cities, while also enjoying local products and gastronomy.
This meeting provided an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation among project partners and continue advancing the Atlantic Sunset initiative, which aims to promote some of the most outstanding sunset observation locations across the Atlantic Area, fostering sustainable tourism through the enhancement of natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and visitor experiences.
The Atlantic Sunset project, funded by the European Union through the Interreg Atlantic Area programme, seeks to build a network of Atlantic territories that share this unique heritage of sunsets. The network includes locations in Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland and other points along the European coastline, working together in sustainable tourism promotion, scientific outreach and cultural cooperation.
The project’s partners include Fundación CEER (Coordinator), the University of Seville, the University of Santiago de Compostela, the University of Porto, the Université d’Angers, the National University of Ireland, Galway, and Wireless Galicia.
