I can’t lie, I planned a whole two days of our Portugal roadtrip after seeing a viral reel about Aveiro… Also known as the Venice of Portugal, this colourful town caught my eye for its pretty waterways and proximity to Costa Nova beach. While not a full destination in itself, Aveiro is a winning candidate for a dual-centre holiday with Porto or even the Duoro Valley.
Useful Tips
How to get there: The closest airport to Aveiro is Porto, which is a one hour drive away. The canal city is well serviced by train and you can commute there from Porto city centre, Porto airport or by car. We recommend hiring a car if you want to extend your trip out into the Costa Nova region as that is more difficult to reach via public transport.
When to go: We travelled in June and it was the cloudless, warm days you would expect from Portugal at that time of year. One thing to note is that the Atlantic Coast can be wild and windy – Costa Nova is a windsurfing hub and great for water sports but is not sheltered enough on a windy day for sunbathing.
Length of stay: We stayed for two-days which was ample time to explore the town itself and the dune beaches and famous striped fisherman’s huts of Costa Nova.
Where to Stay
We stayed in a fantastically located and well-appointed Airbnb for a steal of a price at £105 per night. As well as being homely and stylish, this homestay had one bedroom and an additional pull-out bed, secure parking and had a balcony overlooking the tiled exterior of the main train station. It was a handy 10 minutes walking distance from the town centre.
If you’re looking for a hotel the MS Collection Aveiro – Palacete is a grand dame of luxury a stones throw from the canals.
Where to Eat and What to Do
These are the dining hot spots you’ll want to bookmark:
- Subenshi Sushi
- Restaurante O Bairro
- Mare Cheia
- Mercantel
- Cais do Pescado
In terms of things to do there are two key activities in Aveiro: taking to the canal waterways via Moliceiros or gondola style boats and spending time down at the coast in Costa Nova.
The Moliceiros can be visited on an ad-hoc basis from the centre of Aveiro, no pre-booking needed and cost around £12 per person. The tour was an hour long and talked of the towns heritage from a bustling trading port to its art nouveau buildings.
We planned to have a beach day down at Costa Nova but wind stopped play! So we strolled along the striped Palheiros fishermans houses and took some obligatory photos. There are some lovely cafes and restaurants along here and it is a fantastic way to spend a few hours.
We absolutely loved the ornamental Dom Pedro park. It was alive with colour and tiled pergolas and was the perfect spot for a picnic.
As I said, while for us this was not a week-long holiday destination in itself, this beautiful, colourful and welcoming town is a brilliant addition to a wider trip exploring Portugal.
That Holiday Mum x