Getting to Aveiro
Where is Aveiro? Aveiro is about an hour south of Porto and neighboring Vila Nova de Gaia and an hour north of Coimbra. You could easily visit Aveiro on a day trip from Porto or Coimbra. We visited from Lisbon. It takes about two and a half hours by car or by train to get from Lisbon to Aveiro.
We intended to take the train from Lisbon to Aveiro (tickets booked well in advance cost 64 EUR per adult round trip). We ended up renting a car and driving instead since there was a train strike in Portugal for the month of April.
While I definitely prefer relaxing on the train to driving, having a car made it easier to get around once we arrived in Aveiro.
Beware that parking can be a bit tricky in Aveiro. We got lucky and someone pulled out a minute after we arrived.
The metered parking in Aveiro cost 2 EUR a day at the time of writing but is free on weekends and holidays. We spent 1 EUR in total on parking since we visited Aveiro for the Easter weekend (arriving Thursday afternoon and departing Monday morning before the meters kicked in again).
Parque de estacionamento, Cais do Paraiso is a reasonable parking lot to shoot for although it can be difficult to turn around and get out of the parking lot if it's full. This lot is outside of the historic core but within walking distance to Aveiro's main tourist attractions.
There are also parking spots that are relatively easy to access along Jardim do Alboi.
Where to Stay in Aveiro
Things to do in Aveiro at a Glance
- Stroll Along Aveiro's Canals
- Photograph Aveiro Architecture
- Stop for Ice Cream
- Explore Aveiro's Chruches
- Visit Aveiro's Historic Train Station
- Enjoy Dinner at O Bairro
- Take a Ride in a Moliceiro
- Grab a Coffee at the Aveiro Museu de Arte Nova
- Tour the Aveiro City Museum
- Sample Ovos Moles, Aveiro's Signature Sweet
- Watch Your Step: Check out Aveiro's Calçadas Portuguesas
- Stop for Lunch at Casa Novo Cervejaria
- Take a Walk in Parque Infante Dom Pedro
- Hike the Boardwalk at Cais da Ribeira de Esgueira
- Enjoy Italian Food for Dinner at Restaurante San Marco
- Visit the Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo e Aquário dos Bacalhaus
- Seek Out Lunch (and Flamingos!) Gafanha da Encarnação
- Visit the Vista Alegre Museum
- Dine at Granturino Steakhouse
- Visit Farol da Barra
- Photograph the Striped Houses of Costa Nova
- Walk the Aveiro Lagoon
- Stop for Lunch at Mimo II Gusto Italiano in Costa Nova
- Explore the Sand Dunes and the Beach in Costa Nova
- Enjoy a Salt Inspired Dinner at Salpoente
Things to do in Aveiro in Detail
1. Stroll Along Aveiro's Canals
I could immediately see why Aveiro is known as the Venice of Portugal. You'll find an endless stream of colorful boats (moliceiros) plying the canals.
Climb the staircase to the plaza above Ria Cafe to get unobstructed views of the canal and historic facades in Aveiro without a bunch of traffic in your way.
O Marnoto, the statue of the man responsible for harvesting salt with wooden instruments, is a landmark on the bridge spanning the canal. This is a popular spot for photos and is particularly lovely at sunset on the way to dinner.
In this area, you can get a closer look at the artwork on the bows of the Moliceiros. Note that you may blush... These colorful boats often feature risque themes.
2. Photograph Aveiro Architecture
Aveiro is known for its early 20th century Art Nouveau style. Grab a map of historic buildings from the Tourist Information Office or keep an eye out for markers on the pavement as you stroll around town.
I absolutely love doors and the door game in Aveiro is definitely strong. I was stopping every two seconds to take pictures. The Art Nouveau doors are especially striking.
There are lots of historic facades in Aveiro that have seen better days. Slowly but surely, new life is being breathed into these once glorious buildings.
I also noticed that the azulejos come in a much wider variety of bold patterns in Aveiro than they do in Lisbon making the buildings even more interesting to photograph. For more on the history of Portuguese tiles, make sure to schedule time for a visit to the National Tile Museum in Lisbon.
3. Stop for Ice Cream
Ice cream at Milano cafeteria is definitely worth a stop. We tried sweet mango and salty flor de sal flavors which worked surprisingly well together.
4. Explore Aveiro's Chruches
There are a number of impressive churches that you can explore in Aveiro. Many of the churches look rather unassuming from the outside, but are eye-poppingly beautiful on the inside. Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Apresentação in Aveiro is worth popping into for the gilded and richly tiled interior.
Igreja de São João Evangelista / Igreja Carmelita de Aveiro is located on Praça de Pombal. It has a plain white facade which may lead you to believe it's not worth visiting, but the church is filled with gilding, tiles, and oil paintings.
Aveiro's churches are very impressive and free to visit.
5. Visit Aveiro's Historic Train Station
Late afternoon is a good time to visit Aveiro train station. The historic estação is covered in amazing blue and white tiles that light up in the afternoon.
Walk into the modern station and onto the platform to see the tiles that face the tracks. Grab a beer and some boat-shaped ovos moles de Aveiro at Tricana D'Aveiro where you can steep in the beautiful views of the station.
6. Enjoy Dinner at O Bairro
We booked a table for dinner at O Bairro in Aveiro. O Bairro is big on foam. All of our dishes were covered in it which added a certain elegance to each dish.
We enjoyed scallops with citrus and avocado to start followed by the fish of the day and shrimp with risotto. This was all washed down with a bottle of vinho branco from Bairrada.
The most memorable dish was our sobremesa: Natas do Céu. This dessert featured fluffy cream with ham flavored ice cream along with raspberries and mango. The gelado de presunto was a stroke of genius!
7. Take a Ride in a Moliceiro
No trip to Aveiro is complete without taking a ride in a moliceiro. The experience is touristy, but I think it was worth trying Aveiro's signature tourist attraction.
For 13 EUR per person, you get a 45 min boat ride through the canals. Go early to avoid the crowds and heat of the day.
Some of the bridges in Aveiro are very low and so the moliceiro drivers have to remove the tall ornate points from their boats to fit underneath.
The moliceiro tour in Aveiro takes you past iconic Art Nouveau buildings, the salt pans (salt production and harvesting takes place for 4 months in the summer), the oldest bridge in Aveiro and a circular bridge (Ponte dos Botirões) in the shape of a net used to catch eels.
Instead of love locks, people tie ribbons along the bridges over the canals in Aveiro to profess their love. The colorful effect is striking as you float underneath.
The moliceiro boat tour in Aveiro goes all the way to Antiga Fábrica Jerónimo Pereira Campos, a historic ceramics factory now turned into a town hall and civic center.
8. Grab a Coffee at the Aveiro Museu de Arte Nova
The Aveiro Art Nouveau museum is rumored to be small and not worth the price of admission. However, there is a small cafe on site where you can get a coffee and ovos moles and check out the amazing architecture and tiles without paying for a museum ticket.
9. Tour the Aveiro City Museum
Take a quick spin through the Aveiro City Museum co-located with the tourism office. For 3 EUR you get admission here and the Art Nouveau museum (we didn't realize this was a combo ticket until after the Museu de Arte Nova closed for its lunch break).
Allow about 30-45 minutes to tour the exhibits which explore Aveiro through the centuries. The first records of Aveiro date to the 10th century.
10. Sample Ovos Moles, Aveiro's Signature Sweet
We stopped into Peixinho, a 19th century confeitaria which sells ovo moles, pão de lo (popular around Easter) and other sweets. The atmosphere inside the shop was as good as the treats!
11. Watch Your Step: Check out Aveiro's Calçadas Portuguesas
Aveiro is known for amazing Calçadas portuguesas (Portuguese mosaic sidewalks). Look for cool patterns and sea creatures. You'll find the signs of the zodiac near Praça Marquês de Pombal.
I enjoyed seeking out some excellent examples of Calçadas portuguesas. Looks like I was on a true Sidewalk Safari this weekend!
Don't forget that the calçadas can be treacherous! You'll recall that I fell and sprained my ankle during our trip to the Óbidos Chocolate Festival.
12. Stop for Lunch at Casa Novo Cervejaria
Time for lunch at Casa Novo Cervejaria. Squid rings and a tortilla with homemade chili oil hit the spot. We washed it down with a large Warsteiner (it felt a little odd to drink German beer in Portugal). Be warned, in Aveiro tortilla is served soft, just like ovos moles.
13. Take a Walk in Parque Infante Dom Pedro
Next stop? Parque Infante Dom Pedro. The park features a bright yellow water tower, Arte Nova bandstand, and Painéis do Parque Municipal, with trellises and a grand staircase. There is even a small cave at the bottom featuring stalagmites and stalagtites.
By the pond in the park, we saw a pair of ducks with ten chicks. Now that's a bumper crop!
Climb up the accessible ramp to a pathway in line with the treetops. From here you'll get beautiful views and can more easily cross the busy street.
14. Hike the Boardwalk at Cais da Ribeira de Esgueira
We took a Bolt from Aveiro to Cais da Ribeira de Esgueira (~10 min ride, 5-6 EUR). Why did we take a ride service when we had a rental car? We weren't sure about the parking situation and I didn't want to give up my spot in Aveiro city.
Here you'll find boardwalks for pedestrians and cyclists. Supposedly this is a good spot for birdwatching and rumors have it that flamingos frequent the area. Unfortunately, we mis-timed our visit to high tide and saw very few birds.
We walked a small section of one of Portugal's Grande Rotas which go on for hundreds of kilometers in some cases. The trails are well signposted with red and white lines.
X means you're off the trail. = means go straight. Left and right arrows prompt you to turn.
.jpg "Trail markers in Aveiro Portugal")
Our bird walk at Cais da Ribeira de Esgueira wasn't a total loss. We did see a Black Kite and its huge nest.
You'll find a small cafe on the pier near the parking lot. There is a bathroom, but it's for customers only.
15. Enjoy Italian Food for Dinner at Restaurante San Marco
We had walked a lot that day so decided to stay closer to our hotel for dinner. We ate at Restaurante San Marco where we enjoyed a plate of pasta bolognese and pork saltimbocca.
A Swedish couple who recently moved to Portugal struck up a conversation with us. The food was tasty and the atmosphere was casual and lively.
16. Visit the Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo e Aquário dos Bacalhaus
We took a ride to Ílhavo in the morning. Ílhavo is about 15 minutes by car from Aveiro and is home to the Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo e Aquário dos Bacalhaus.
It cost 9 EUR per adult for a combo ticket with Vista Alegre museum. Note that there are a couple of different combination tickets so be sure to ask for the correct one. The exhibits do not have English explanations, but we appreciated the opportunity to practice our Portuguese.
The Maritime Museum featured a room full of shells. There were drawers you could pull out filled with all sorts of treasures from the sea.
Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo e Aquário dos Bacalhaus (as the name suggests) also features an aquarium filled with cod. Watching the fish swim happily was another highlight of our visit.
Allow about an hour in total to see the museum at a leisurely pace.
We left our car parked at the Maritime museum in Ílhavo and walked to Ílhavo town (~10 min on foot). We spotted some cool doors and decaying architecture but the town was pretty sleepy. Skip it if you are short on time.
17. Seek Out Lunch (and Flamingos!) Gafanha da Encarnação
On a whim, we went to Smokehouse Bar-BQ in Gafanha da Encarnação, about a 10 minute drive from the Ílhavo Maritime museum. We indulged in a crispy buffalo chicken sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, and Cajun fries with 3 finos.
Pro tip: a small beer in Lisbon is called an Imperial. In the North of Portugal it's called a Fino.
Smokehouse Bar-BQ has a heavy metal biker vibe with friendly staff and pretty good prices! We paid 18 EUR total for our meal for two.
We'd parked on the water along Cais da Bruxa and walked to lunch. We noticed flamingos in the distance when we went for lunch.
When we got back, they were a bit closer but still out of zoom range for my camera. We drove to a quiet beach along a cycle path and got some great pictures. Flamingos make me happy!
18. Visit the Vista Alegre Museum
Onward to Vista Alegre museum. Our birding fun continued when we spotted 2 storks tending their nests atop antique smokestacks.
We enjoyed learning about various aspects of porcelain making in the Vista Alegre museum. We got to step inside a historic kiln.
There are shops on the property including a Vista Alegre outlet where I bought 2 flamingo dessert plates to celebrate our birding adventure earlier.
The 9 EUR Integrado ticket that we purchased at the Ílhavo Maritime Museum included entrance to the Capela da Vista Alegre, a small church with 17 century tiles, a spectacular ceiling and a gilded altar. This church is now a national monument.
19. Dine at Granturino Steakhouse
Back in Aveiro, we dined at Granturino Steakhouse. Filet mignon to share and a bottle of Bairrada red wine was the perfect capstone to the day. There is a rather dramatic tree sculpture in the center of the restaurant which adds to the atmosphere.
You can make a reservation at Granturino and many other restaurants in Aveiro via TheFork. We always prefer to make reservations online when we travel to avoid the awkward language barrier over the phone.
20. Visit Farol da Barra
Boa Páscoa! On Easter Sunday, we took a drive to the beaches near Aveiro. We parked near Farol da Barra (the Barra Lighthouse) and took a morning walk on the boardwalk between the beach and sand dunes. Surfers were just starting to arrive to catch some Easter waves.
21. Photograph the Striped Houses of Costa Nova
Next we drove about 10 minutes to Costa Nova, home of Aveiro's famous striped houses. While the best houses are along the water, you'll find more examples without tourists vying for photos if you walk a block or two inland.
I adored the the striped palheiros ("haystacks" where fishermen used to store their gear) in Costa Nova. You'll find palheiros in nearly every color of the rainbow.
Some of my favorites included a tiny red house wedged between two more grand homes and an elegant palheiro with green stripes. I especially loved this composition where the yellow house seems to be photobombing the more sedate neighbor in front of it.
22. Walk the Aveiro Lagoon
Keep your eyes open along the Aveiro lagoon. We spotted our local flock of flamingos again hanging out on a sand bar. Then, suddenly, they took flight in dramatic splendor!
23. Stop for Lunch at Mimo II Gusto Italiano in Costa Nova
We chanced upon Mimo II Gusto Italiano and stopped there for lunch. Salami pizza and a plate of rigatoni covered in shaved parm washed down with a glass of Alentejo red was perfect. Bonus points for the restaurant being in a stripy house!
24. Explore the Sand Dunes and the Beach in Costa Nova
Work off lunch with another walk along the dunes. There were a few hardy souls attempting to sun themselves on windswept Costa Nova beach with waves crashing behind them.
We had contemplated renting bikes for a ride on the boardwalk. Turns out that the wind causes drifts of sand to form on the pathway.
Conditions aren't really suitable for cycling. You'll get a good workout walking through the sand though.
25. Enjoy a Salt Inspired Dinner at Salpoente
The final act of our long weekend in Aveiro was dinner at Michelin recommended salpoente. We enjoyed a delicious tasting menu served in a restaurant occupying a historic salt warehouse on the canal.
The tasting menu cost 69 EUR and the wine pairings were surprisingly well-priced at 20 EUR. We appreciated the good value for money and great food to wind down our long weekend in Aveiro.
Is Aveiro Worth Visiting?
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