Aveiro Day Trip from Porto: Canals, Moliceiros and Costa Nova

Colourful boats gliding along canals, Art Nouveau facades and, just down the road, a beach village of candy-striped houses: Aveiro is one of the easiest and most cheerful day trips from Porto. It’s often called the “Venice of Portugal”, which oversells the canals a bit, but it’s a lovely, relaxed day out.

Quick answer: take the train from Porto (about 40 minutes to 1h20, from around €4), ride a moliceiro boat on the canals (about 45 minutes), try ovos moles (sweet egg treats), then head to the striped houses of Costa Nova and the beach. Half a day for Aveiro town, a full day with Costa Nova.

Getting to Aveiro from Porto

By train (best)

• Urban (suburban) train: from São Bento or Campanhã, about 1h10–1h20, for around €4. Frequent, and no need to book.
• Intercity or Alfa Pendular: from Campanhã, about 40–60 minutes, for a bit more. Book on the CP website or app, where early promo fares can be cheap.
• Look at the station: Aveiro’s old railway station is covered in beautiful blue-and-white azulejo tiles. It’s a short walk from the new station, and a 15-minute walk into town.

By car

About 45–60 minutes on the A1 or A29. Parking is easy in the car parks around the centre. A car makes it easy to add Costa Nova and the Barra lighthouse. See our driving in Portugal guide.

On a tour

Tours from Porto usually include a boat ride and Costa Nova, which saves juggling buses. See Aveiro tours from Porto.

Things to do in Aveiro

Ride a moliceiro boat

The brightly painted moliceiros were once used to harvest seaweed in the lagoon. Their bows are painted with cheeky, colourful scenes. Today they take visitors on a 45-minute trip around the canals, leaving from the central canal near the Rossio. Just turn up, or book a boat ride in summer.

Admire the Art Nouveau

Aveiro has some of Portugal’s best Art Nouveau buildings, especially along the main canal. The Art Nouveau Museum is in one of the finest.

Eat ovos moles

Aveiro’s famous sweet: a rich egg-yolk and sugar filling in thin wafer shells shaped like shells and fish. Very sweet, so share a few. You’ll find them in every pastry shop.

The Aveiro Museum

In the former Convent of Jesus, with a gorgeous gilded baroque church and the tomb of Princess Joana, Aveiro’s patron saint.

The cathedral, the fish market and the salt pans

Wander from the cathedral to the lively area around the old fish market, full of bars and restaurants at night. On the edge of town, the salt pans (salinas) still produce salt, and some offer tours or salt-water floats in summer.

Eat seafood

Try eels (enguias), a local speciality, or a seafood rice. The restaurants near the fish market are good for lunch.

Costa Nova and Barra

About 15–20 minutes from Aveiro, Costa Nova is famous for its rows of striped wooden houses (palheiros), once fishermen’s sheds and now the most photographed street in the region. Behind them is a huge Atlantic beach with fine sand and good waves.

Next door is Praia da Barra, with Portugal’s tallest lighthouse. Local buses run from Aveiro to Costa Nova and Barra (check the latest timetable at the tourist office), or take a taxi, Uber or Bolt. The roads are flat, so cycling is an option in good weather too.

Vista Alegre

A few minutes from Costa Nova in Ílhavo, Vista Alegre has made fine porcelain since 1824. Visit the museum, the factory shop for bargains and its pretty workers’ village. Great for a rainy day.

A perfect day

1. Morning: train from Porto, coffee and ovos moles, then a moliceiro boat ride.
2. Late morning: walk the canals, the Art Nouveau buildings and the fish market area.
3. Lunch: seafood in Aveiro or at Costa Nova.
4. Afternoon: Costa Nova’s striped houses, the beach and the Barra lighthouse.
5. Evening: back to Porto, or stay the night.

Staying overnight

Aveiro is a calm, good-value base between Porto and Coimbra, and it’s lovely in the evening. See places to stay in Aveiro.

More from Porto

Aveiro pairs well with Coimbra if you’re travelling south. See all our best day trips from Porto, plus 2 days in Porto and Lisbon to Porto by train.

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