Free walking tours in Aveiro and what to see

Must-sees

Aveiro is crossed by canals from the lagoon, and its emblem is the moliceiro boats, long and brightly painted, which once gathered seaweed and now take visitors out. The central canal, with Art Nouveau façades on both sides, is the heart of the city, and the old fishermen's quarter of Beira-Mar keeps its low houses and fish market.

The Aveiro museum, in the former Convent of Jesus, with the tomb of Princess Saint Joana, and the cathedral opposite are worth a visit. The salt pans, at the edge of the city, are still worked. About ten kilometres away, Costa Nova beach is famous for its wooden houses painted in colourful stripes, facing the lagoon.

Free tours and guided visits

There are free walking tours of Aveiro, including one at night, which cover the canals, Beira-Mar and the Art Nouveau buildings, and explain life on the lagoon and salt making. The city is small and the route is easy.

The most booked activities are moliceiro boat trips on the canals, alone or combined with the tourist train, and tours of Costa Nova and the salt pans. There are also workshops to learn how to make ovos moles, the local egg-yolk sweet.

How long to spend

Aveiro can be seen in a day: a moliceiro ride, the centre, the museum and an afternoon in Costa Nova. Many travellers visit from Porto, an hour away by train. If you sleep here, you can add Barra beach, with its lighthouse, or the town of Ílhavo, with its maritime museum and the Vista Alegre porcelain factory.

Where to stay

The centre, around the central canal and Praça Humberto Delgado, is the most practical: everything on foot and the train station a fifteen-minute walk away. Beira-Mar has more nightlife. For a beach plan, Costa Nova and Barra offer hotels and apartments facing the sea or the lagoon, about fifteen minutes away by car or bus.