There are so many places to see abroad that we always prioritize places we haven’t seen before, rather than making plans for a place we’ve been to.. Since we do not know when we will come to Porto again, we wanted to see as many places as possible on our trip to Porto.. We had 4 days in Porto; We researched where to go near Porto, and we came across Aveiro, 50 minutes away from Porto, and Braga, 1 hour away.. We took advantage of the beauty of the weather and preferred Aveiro, a coastal settlement.. Costa Nova, the coastal town we will go from Aveiro, would be the other route of this day trip.
They call Aveiro the Venice of Portugal.. Now that’s right, we don’t think it’s a place to be compared to Venice, but it’s a cute place to plan and visit with Costa Nova while you’re in Porto.. It’s not very popular in Portugal, so there isn’t a huge crowd of tourists.. It is a place that can be visited in 2-3 hours by walking, where there are picturesque streets with colorful houses, divided into two by the canal passing through the middle.. Costa Nova, the fishing village you will go to from Aveiro, is a real Instagram spot with its colorful striped houses on the coast.
PLAYS TO WATCH
If you arrive in Aveiro early, you can go to Costa Nova first and then visit Aveiro on the way back.. You need about 6-7 hours with photo breaks to see both places comfortably.
#1 Aveiro Channel:
The first thing that comes to mind when you say Aveiro channel is coming, it is obvious from the crowd how important the channel is for this place.. We can say that the Aveiro channel is kind of the center of Aveiro.. The landscape it creates with the colorful houses around it has earned it the title of Venice of Portugal.. Although we don’t think so, the area around the canal is the first place you will see here with its lively life.
Moliceiros, the gondola looking canal boats Aveiro’s most popular tourist activity is a 45-minute tour on the Canal. You can examine Aveiro’s Art Nouveau architecture and learn about the town with what the guides will tell you. Tour narration is in different languages such as Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. €10 per person, for photography it is better to take it in the morning or afternoon due to the arrival of daylight.
#2 Streets of Aveiro:
Portugal, at least A country as warm and friendly as Italy, its sincerity is evident even from its homes and streets! Aveiro’s quaint streets are filled with slender pastel-coloured houses, black and white mosaic floors, and tiled exteriors.. Strolling the streets around the canal is one of the best things to do here. After all, we’re used to falling prey to tiles in Porto!
#3 Art Nouveau Architecture in Aveiro:
If you’re interested in the Art Nouveau movement, you’ve come to the right place. ; because Aveiro is like a real open-air museum for Art Nouveau. It is already a member of the Réseau Art Noveau Network, which includes Art Nouveau examples in its architecture and cities such as Barcelona and Budapest.. You will see most of the decorated buildings in the Art Nouveau style while visiting the center of Aveiro. For more, you can get maps prepared specifically for this subject from the tourism office or the Art Nouveau Museum. There are places such as Casa Major Pessoa, which is currently used as the Art Nouveau Museum, Museu da Cidade de Aveiro, Cooperativa Agricola building, Pensao Ferro building, Architect Silva Rocha’s house and Sapataria Migueis building.
# 4 Aveiro Art Nouveau Museum:
Rua Dr.. This blue house on Barbosa Magalhães street serves as the Art Nouveau museum of Aveiro. He is one of Aveiro’s most typical examples of new art.. In fact, the eyewash we made by examining the houses on the streets was more than enough for us, but when we heard that the entrance fee to the museum was €1, we could not control ourselves and made a quick tour of the museum.. In addition to the embroideries and wrought iron details on the exterior, there are azulejo coatings made with plant and animal-themed Art Nouveau motifs in the interior decoration.. The best part of the museum; It hosts the Casa de Cha, which serves as a tea house during the day and a cocktail bar in the evening.. Its terrace is also very nice.
Address: Rua Dr.. Barbosa Magalhães, 10
#5 Aveiro Cathedral:
Aveiro Cathedral, also known as the Church of Sao Domingos, was built in Portuguese Baroque style in 1423. Compared to the Baroque examples, the church and its tower have a rather simple design.. In the category of national monuments of Portugal since 1996.
Address: Rua Batalhão Caçadores Dez, 67
#6 Museum of Aveiro:
The Convent of Christ, which was built in 1458, has been serving as the Aveiro Museum since 2011, after renovations and additions over time.. The Church of Christ inside the monastery is one of the most important Baroque examples of Aveiro with its gold-embroidered wooden decoration and azulejos.. The museum collection, which you will visit in the monastery building, includes paintings, sculptures, stone carvings and various azulejo, as well as furniture and clothes that summarize the lifestyle of the region.
Address: Avenida de Santa Joana
#7 Aveiro Old Train Station:
If you came to Aveiro from Porto by train, you will see Aveiro old train station just outside the new station where you will get off.. This building, built in 1916, creates one of the most beautiful views of Aveiro with its white color and the added blue azulejos.. If you examine the azulejos, you can take a nostalgic journey into the past life of Aveiro in the overall picture.. Canals, traditional dress and village life; we really loved it here!
Address: Rua do Dr. João de Moura, 2
#8 Dom Pedro Infante Park:
If you still have time, stop by Dom Pedro Infante Park, which is a 20-minute walk from the canal.. You can take a short walk or picnic by the green lakeside and see the detailed Art Nouveau structures in the park.
Address: Rua Luís Cipriano, 21
#9 Costa Nova:
The most enjoyable part of our Aveiro trip was undoubtedly seeing Costa Nova. Half an hour from Aveiro, this fishing village is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.. Aside from the coastline with the Instagram line houses, it’s a tiny place that can be visited quickly.. It’s actually a summer resort for those living in Porto and Aveiro, so its main season starts in the spring when the weather is nice and continues throughout the summer.. With the arrival of autumn, Costa Nova houses are emptying one by one, and most of the venues are closed until the next season.. The village is famous for its beaches, surfing opportunity and seafood as well as its houses.
We can say that we became aware of Costa Nova’s existence thanks to Instagram.. Sometimes when we go after such photogenic places and see their real state, we are disappointed; but that won’t even be the case in Costa Nova! These barns, which were once used by fishermen to store their own gear and nets, were later turned into well-kept homes for summer cottagers.. While walking on the beach, one wonders which house to photograph.. We really loved them all!
Some of the houses serve as hotels, while others serve as cafes or restaurants.. You can catch most of them open if you come on a hot day. When we went, none of them were open except for 1-2 restaurants and an ice cream parlor.. Since we knew that Costa Nova is a summer area, we expected that we would encounter such a situation, so we took sandwiches with us.. So, after the house tour, we had a nice picnic on the beach.
