The adventure of being a Portuguese #Aveiro
Aveiro, the city I hadn’t heard of until the day I just bought tickets to visit. But isn’t that the idea of adventurers? To rush into the known and the unknown in the name of discovering and learning new things. Such was the case with this beautiful and sunny town.
Aveiro is located about 58 km north of Coimbra and about 68 km south of Porto and is one of the largest and most important cities in the region. The cityscape is crisscrossed by canals that can be navigated by painted gondola-style boats, known as moliceiros. And on the pier in the older part of the city are charming houses in Art Nouveau style in pastel shades.
But how can this city impress you and what makes it more special than others? Follow me and I’ll take you on my one-day impromptu walk in Aveiro.
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Walk from Aveiro
Just wandering the old-fashioned and colorful streets of Aveiro made me feel truly the city. Each building is uniquely different from the next and so one can truly enjoy the wide range of tiles and color combinations on every corner of the city.
Portugal is known for its tall and narrow buildings and beautiful tiles, and Aveiro sticks to this look. That’s why I won’t hide the fact that the best way to explore the city is to get lost on the streets, as happened to me.
Aveiro is compared to Venice because of the architecture and history it has. Yes, indeed, there is a network of canals with which everyone can ride in local boats, but there are also significant differences. As I mentioned, the boats here are called moliseiros and are painted in typical symbols and colors of the region. In the past, they were used to collect algae, which were transported to farmland outside the city for fertilization. While today they have become one of the main attractions and symbols of the city, through which you can see Aveiro from a different perspective.
Another distinctive feature of this Portuguese city are the colors with which it is painted. Here every visitor will witness beautiful combinations of bright colors, which easily become a favourite detail for everyone. I admit that I was very impressed by them, they definitely attract attention.
Costa Nova
The nearby former fishing village of Costa Nova is easily accessible by taxi or bus from the centre of Aveiro. If you want to spend part of your trip to Aveiro on the beach or experience a drastic change of scenery, then I would recommend exploring Costa Nova. This small former fishing village is famous for its interesting architecture and striped houses.
Once you take a taxi or bus, they will take you on the main road of the city and you will easily reach the beach after about five minutes walk from there. Along the beach there is a wooden path, which is dotted with various places where you can get something to eat.
The long section of sand provides endless opportunities for rest, and why not taking a sunbath. Keep in mind that we are still talking about the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, which means that the water is relatively cold, but at the right time you can always take advantage of a quick dive into the salty ocean waters.
The city is about 10-minute taxi ride away and will cost you around 12 euros from the center of Aveiro. If you prefer the cheaper route, a 2 euro bus will take you there in about 45 minutes to an hour.
This is how my short walk in Aveiro happened, which took place in November and I will not forget that it was snowing in Bulgaria then, and I was on the other side of Europe and spent a nice and sunny day, accompanied by a modest 17 degrees. Aveiro showed me the history and culture of Portugal through a different prism and I can say that there are really interesting differences between where a city is and how it has developed over the years. And this place, like Cascais, showed me how the fishing villages of the country have undergone rapid transformations.
