Aveiro Travel Guide

Costa Nova Beach sits on Portugal's Atlantic coast just west of Aveiro, famous for its palheiros — fishermen's storehouses repainted in candy-coloured vertical stripes and now converted into holiday cottages and restaurants. The ocean side is wide, windblown and popular with surfers; the other side meets the calm waters of the Ria de Aveiro lagoon. For lunch, try polvo à lagareiro, octopus roasted in olive oil and garlic. Buses run from Aveiro roughly every twenty minutes, making it an easy day trip from the city's canal quarter.

The Museum of Art Nouveau occupies a glazed-façade mansion, showcasing the early-20th-century style that adorned Aveiro with organic curves — the key to reading the architecture of the 'Venice of Portugal'.

The Museu de Aveiro, also known as the Santa Joana Museum, occupies the former Convent of Jesus in the heart of Aveiro, the canal-crossed 'Venice of Portugal'. Its star exhibit is the ornate tomb of Princess Santa Joana, the 15th-century royal who lived and died within these walls in 1490; her gilded monument, ringed with sculpted reliefs, is a masterpiece of Renaissance carving. The convent's tiled cloisters, original kitchens and elegant rooms display Portuguese sculpture, goldwork and azulejo panels, while a private chapel preserves the princess's story. Tranquil and rich in local devotion, it is a calm counterpoint to the colourful moliceiro boats gliding on the canals outside.

The Aveiro Lagoon is a saltwater lagoon on Portugal's west coast, where brightly painted 'Moliceiro' boats glide through canals — earning Aveiro the name 'Venice of Portugal' and a natural stage for flamingos.