Aveiro: Best Things to Do in the ‘Venice of Portugal’

Aveiro is a small coastal city in central Portugal. It is known as “the Portuguese Venice” for its canals and waterways, similar to those in Venice, Italy.

The top experiences in Aveiro include taking a boat tour through the canals, strolling through the city center, indulging in local pastries, and venturing beyond the city center to the salt flats and Costa Nova do Prado.

Aveiro is a popular day trip destination in Portugal. About a half day is all you need to see the main sights. We visited Aveiro on the drive from Coimbra to Porto, spending the middle part of the day in town.

In this guide, we take you through quick walking tour of town to experience the best of Aveiro. The visit concludes with a drive west, to see the salt flats, the colorful houses in Costa Nova do Prado, and views of the Atlantic Ocean.

This can be done as a day trip from Coimbra or Porto or you can do what we did and visit Aveiro on a drive through Portugal.

Table of Contents

A Quick Overview of Aveiro

Aveiro is a coastal city in central Portugal. It sits about 75 km south of Porto (a little less than an hour drive and about an hour by train). For those with extra time in Porto, Aveiro is one of more popular day trip options.

With its series of waterways and canals, and colorful boats called Moliceiros that resemble gondolas, Aveiro is called the “Venice of Portugal.” Taking a boat tour of these canals is one of the best things to do in Aveiro.

Another extremely popular thing to do is to combine your visit with nearby Costa Nova do Prado, a beach town famous for its vibrantly painted houses and long stretch of sand.

If you will be road tripping through Portugal by car, including Aveiro is very easy to do. There is a handy parking garage in the center of town, Parque Mercado Manuel Firmino Telpark by Empark. This is an undergound parking garage and just steps away from the canals.

Aveiro also has a train station, making it easy to travel here from Porto and Coimbra. The train station is just outside the historic city center.

To get to Costa Nova by public transportation, there are public buses that leave from the city center. By bus, it takes about 45 minutes to travel to Costa Nova. Having a rental car is a big advantage here, as that same journey takes just over 10 minutes. You can also use Uber or Bolt.

Best Things to Do in Aveiro & Walking Tour

With one day in Aveiro, you have plenty of time to visit both the city of Aveiro and journey out to the beach. This is the same itinerary that we followed, starting in Aveiro and ending in Costa Nova do Prado.

How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to “Your Places,” click Maps, and you will see this map on your list.

I Love Aveiro

If you are traveling by car, you can add on this quick visit to see the “I Love Aveiro” staircase. It is located about 1 km outside of the city center, so it is bit far to walk here to see it, and best done before parking. It is marked on our map above.

Stroll along the Canals

Start next to Mercado Manuel Firmino. If you parked in the underground parking lot, you’ll emerge next to the canal. If you arrived by train, it is a 1 km walk (about 12 minutes) to get to this spot.

This is a very pretty area. Several bridges cross the canal here, with Ponte dos Laços de Amizade being the most photogenic, as it is covered in colorful ribbons.

Ponte dos Laços de Amizade | Things to Do in Aveiro

Walk west along the canal, past a shops and cafes, until you get to Praça General Humberto Delgado, a car and pedestrian bridge that crosses the canal. This is also a very picturesque spot, with a wonderful view of the canals and the gondolas.

Take a Canal Cruise

One of the best things to do in Aveiro is to take a canal cruise in a moliceiro. These boats can hold about 20 people and a canal cruise takes 45 minutes. The cruises start next to Praça General Humberto Delgado and costs about €10 per person.

You can pay for the next available cruise (there is a chance that you might have to wait an hour or two for the next available cruise) or book your ticket online in advance through GetYourGuide.

Try the Pastries at Confeiteria Peixinho

Many Portuguese towns have their signature sweet treat (such as Pastel de Nata in Lisbon and travesseiros in Sintra). In Aveiro, Ovos Moles are the pastry to try.

A mixture of egg yolks and sugar are put into a rice or wheat flour casing, similar to communion wafers. These are shaped into shells, boats, and fish. A few locals we met in Portugal raved about them and recommended we try them at Confeitaria Peixinho, the oldest pastry shop in town.

Confeitaria Peixinho is located on Rua de Coimbra near Praça General Humberto Delgado.

Ovos Moles

Confeiteria Peixinho

Take a Quick Stroll on Rua de Coimbra

From the pastry shop, it is a quick walk up to the Church of Aveiro’s Mercy (blue tiles cover the interior and exterior walls of this church), and Praça de Republica (a beautiful cobblestoned square).

Praça de Republica | Things to Do in Aveiro

A Few More Things to Do in Aveiro

Next, cross the canal. There are a few museums and shops on this side of the river that you have the option of visiting. We visited several of them and we think they are skippable, but we still want you to know about them.

Oficina do Doce. At this sweet shop, you can purchase more Ovos Moles and other pastries. They also offer a class where you learn how to make Ovos Moles (this needs to be booked in advance and the classes are in Portuguese only).

Museu de Arte Nova. This small museum is about Art Nouveau in Aveiro. There is a small fee to enter. We weren’t too impressed with this museum. The best part is seeing the façade of this building.

Museu de Arte Nova | Things to Do in Aveiro

Aveiro City Museum. This small museum covers the history of Aveiro. Again, we weren’t too impressed and it is only worth it if you want to learn more about Aveiro. Many of the exhibits were in Portuguese.

Praça da Milano

Walk along Rua Domingos Carrancho, a pedestrian street lined with shops and restaurants. Praça da Milano is famous for its gelato, if you want another sweet treat while in Aveiro.

Travel to the Salt Flats and Costa Nova do Prado

Walk back to your car at the parking garage, or make your way to the bus stop to travel out to the coast, or hire Uber or Bolt. If you are parked in the garage, just before entering the garage, look for the Costa Nova shop. This is a great place to purchase Portuguese pottery.

Salt Flats & Costa Nova

The Salt Flats (Salinas de Aveiro)

The salt flats are where salt is extracted from the Aveiro Lagoon. We heard it was a beautiful spot to visit but again, weren’t all that impressed. If you are traveling by car, you can pull over and take a look, but I don’t think it is worth going out of your way to see this.

Costa Nova do Prado

Costa Nova is a narrow peninsula with a small fishing town and a long sandy beach.

The most popular thing to see here are the palheiros houses, a row of small, colorfully striped houses. These are located on José Estêvão Avenue.

Praia da Costa Nova and Praia da Barra are two beaches located on the peninsula. Farol da Barra is the tallest lighthouse in Portugal.

You can spend some time on the beach and/or have lunch here. We ate at Bronze Seafood & Lounge Bar, a beachfront restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Another option is Restaurante Clube De Vela da Costa Nova, a restaurant with views of the lagoon.

This concludes the visit to Aveiro and Costa Nova. In total, this can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, depending on several factors, such as how many places you choose to visit, if you plan to sit down to lunch, if you want to spend time on the beach, and if you are traveling by bus, which is slower. We spent about 5 hours in Aveiro and Costa Nova.

Best Tours of Aveiro

Aveiro is a popular day trip destination from Porto.

This day trip from Porto includes Aveiro, the Paiva Walkways, and the Arouca 516 Footbridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, so it is a great option for active, adventurous travelers.

This day trip tour from Porto includes Aveiro and Costa Nova.

Take a private day trip to Aveiro and Costa Nova from Porto, traveling by car.

This 2-hour tour of Aveiro includes a canal cruise and a city walking tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Aveiro worth it?

Aveiro, with its canals and colorful boats, is known as the “Venice of Portugal.” It is a pretty city but not an absolute must-see in Portugal. It’s worthwhile if you have a lot of time in your itinerary (at least 2 weeks on mainland Portugal) but on quicker trips, there are better places to put your time. These include:

We also really liked Monsanto and Sortelha, more so than Aveiro.

How much time do you need in Aveiro?

To see the main sights in Aveiro, take a canal cruise, and visit nearby Costa Nova, you need a minimum of 4 hours, or about half of a day.

What are the best things to do in Aveiro?

The best things to do in Aveiro include taking a canal cruise, eating Ovos Moles (Aveiro’s signature pastry), going for a stroll along the picturesque city center, and visiting nearby Costa Nova.

If you have any questions about the best things to do in Aveiro or how to plan your visit to Aveiro, let us know in the comment section below.

More Information for Your Trip to Portugal

BEST OF PORTUGAL: Portugal Bucket List: 25 Best Things to Do in Portugal
PORTUGAL ITINERARY: Two Weeks in Portugal: By Car & By Public Transportation
PORTO: How to Plan a Trip to Porto: The Ultimate Guide to Porto
NAZARÉ: 14 Amazing Things to Do in Nazaré, Portugal
ÓBIDOS: 15 Wonderful Things to Do in Óbidos
LISBON: 2 Days in Lisbon: How to Plan the Perfect Lisbon Itinerary

We have TONS more information about Portugal in our Portugal Travel Guide, including Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, the Algarve, the Douro Valley, and Madeira.

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