It was mostly developed between the 1970s and the 1980s with high-rise buildings in the area of a dried-up saltwater lagoon, and it is the north expansion of the city's traditional beach district, Bairro Norte.

Early attractions include the horse track Velódromo in 1925, which later became Gomes de Amorim stadium, home of Sporting Club da Póvoa (1916-1940s), Varzim S.C. stadium in 1932, and the Póvoa de Varzim Bullfighting Arena in 1949.

Agro-Velho is bounded by Bairro Norte on the south, Parque da Cidade on the east, A Ver-o-Mar to the north, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Avenida Vasco da Gama, the south boundary with Bairro Norte, is one of the main central business avenues of the city.

58 m, 15 floors) was designed by architect Rui Cesariny Calafate, and originally it is the Vermar Hotel (1974) created by Sopete, which previously owned Casino da Póvoa.