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Last updated on April 16th, 2025 at 08:26 am
Aveiro is one of the best places to visit on a day trip from Porto and if you’re wondering what to do in Aveiro, the suggestions you’ll find in this guide are sure to keep you busy and happy for a full day.
Often called the Venice of Portugal (we’ll explain why in a bit although some photos in this article might be giving this away), Aveiro is a quaint, easy-going Portuguese town, ideal for a glimpse into the country’s small-town life.
Although you could spend several days in Aveiro, a day trip from Porto is enough to explore all of its charms at a leisurely pace. So, buckle up. You’re about to find out what to do in Aveiro in a day.
Where Is Aveiro
Set near Portugal’s western coast and caressed by the Atlantic Ocean breeze, Aveiro is a small city south of Porto. Aveiro is located halfway between Porto and Coimbra making it a popular destination for a day trip from Porto.
Why Is Aveiro The Venice of Portugal?
Aveiro’s network of canals and the gondola-like vessels that traverse their tranquil waters earned the quaint town its nickname: Venice of Portugal.
However, each place is unique and beautiful in its own way.
Therefore, although Aveiro is a very charming town that’s absolutely worth visiting, don’t expect the degree of wow factor that awaits you in Italy’s one and only Venice.
Is One Day in Aveiro Enough?
As advocates for slow and sustainable travel, we always favour staying as much as possible in a place.
After all, the more time you spend at a destination, the more memorable the experience you get at the end of your trip, and the more meaningful your impact will be on the local life and economy.
So, for us, one day is never enough in a place. But if you’re short on time and want to plan a day trip from Porto, then, yes, Aveiro is worth visiting even for one day.
Moreover, Aveiro is so compact that one day gives you plenty of time to check out everything Aveiro has to offer without even rushing.
How To Get To Aveiro From Porto
If you’re visiting Porto and want to plan a day trip to Aveiro, there are several ways to get there.
By Car
If you plan to rent a car to travel across Portugal on a road trip, Aveiro is less than an hour’s drive from Porto. Also, its location is convenient if you want to squeeze Coimbra in the same day trip.
However, we don’t recommend adding Coimbra and Aveiro to the same day trip as you wouldn’t have enough time to fully appreciate both places.
By Train
If a rental car isn’t in your plans, an easy way to get to Aveiro from Porto is by the urban train. Urban trains from Porto depart frequently (around every hour) from the magnificent Sao Bento Train Station in the heart of the charming city.
The train to Aveiro also stops at Porto Campanha Station in case your hotel in Porto is closer to this train station.
The train ride to Aveiro from Porto takes between one and one and a half hour. Although the bus is quicker than the train, we recommend taking the train.
This way, you’ll be able to check out the Aveiro Train Station, which is one of the best things to see in Aveiro in its own right.
Aveiro is in Zone 9, so you need tickets for this zone. You can buy your tickets from the vending machines at the station and top them up whenever needed.
You can see the zones and train prices here.
By Bus
Another great way to get to Aveiro from Porto is by Flixbus. The bus ride takes less than an hour. Consider buying a bus ticket in advance as they sell out fast.
Keep in mind that buses to Aveiro depart from Campanha Bus Station in Porto.
On a Guided Tour
Besides the above, the easiest and most hassle-free way to get to Aveiro from Porto is by joining a guided tour.
The tour includes a round-trip bus transfer from Porto to Aveiro and back, a guided tour of Aveiro and Costa Nova Beach, a moliceiro cruise and free time to explore the city on your own.
Watch our YouTube video about what to do in Aveiro
What To Do in Aveiro – One Day Itinerary
If you decide to visit Aveiro on your own rather than join a guided day trip, here’s our suggestion on what to do in Aveiro, including all the places of interest we visited and in the order we visited them.
This one-day Aveiro itinerary is meant to help you make the most of your time for an unforgettable day in Aveiro.
Aveiro Train Station
As mentioned above, the reason we recommend taking the train to get to Aveiro from Porto is the splendid Aveiro Train Station.
Once you arrive in Aveiro, start your exploration from the old historic building right next to the modern train station.
With its impressive blue-tiled facade featuring locals, traditional activities and regional landscapes, the gorgeous 19th-century building should be your first stop.
Costa Nova
If you’re wondering what to do in Aveiro in a day, a visit to Costa Nova should be an unmissable part of your day trip.
Stunning stretches of white sands and dreamy dunes, rows of iconic striped beach houses and wooden boardwalks that seem to lead to heaven, Costa Nova offers a setting of unfathomable beauty.
If you think that there isn’t enough time for both Costa Nova and Aveiro on the same day trip, we guarantee that you’ll have ample time to enjoy both. The trick is to start from Costa Nova rather than Aveiro itself.
Therefore, before making your way to the historic centre of Aveiro, we recommend going straight to Costa Nova instead.
The breathtaking coast with its impressive sand dunes is a short drive from Aveiro Train Station. The best way to get to Costa Nova is to take a taxi or Uber from the station.
Save this spot and make sure you set it as the destination in your taxi app. The famous street with its colourful striped houses is the best place to start your exploration of Costa Nova, just like we did.
These beautiful constructions that have now taken over Instagram are the former residences of the area’s fishermen.
The latter would paint brightly coloured stripes on the walls of their homes to identify them from afar. Especially on a misty day. Gradually, these striped houses became summer beach houses.
Take your time admiring them and then head to the beach. There, wooden boardwalks await you for a mesmerising stroll along the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, hearing nothing but the waves crashing on the shore.
While walking along the beach, you’ll have the ocean to your left and the picture-perfect colourful houses to your right.
The scenic walk from Costa Nova Beach continues to the neighbouring Praia da Barra. On this beach, you can get a glimpse of Portugal’s tallest lighthouse, yet another red-and-white striped construction.
Aveiro Salt Flats
After Costa Nova, order another taxi or Uber to take you here for a quick visit to the Aveiro Salt Flats. Once there, wander around the open-air museum of Troncalhada and admire the breathtaking landscape over the salt ponds.
As early as the Roman times and well into the Middle Ages, Aveiro’s economy relied on salt production and commerce. Nowadays, the salt business has declined, with only a few salt pans still in use.
Old Town
It’s time to finally explore Aveiro’s picturesque Old Town. There’s no need to take a taxi or public transport to reach the city centre.
After a short walk from the salt flats, you’ll arrive at the edge of the historic centre, where you’ll come across the first canals of Aveiro. Leave these for later and head to the heart of Aveiro Old Town first.
The Old Town’s streets are paved with small black and white stones that form beautiful patterns. This traditional pavement is called a calcada in Portuguese and it’s typical of every Portuguese city, town and village.
Moreover, the Old Town is dotted with so many marvellous Art Nouveau buildings that Aveiro is also known as Portugal’s Art Nouveau capital.
If you’d like to know more and have enough time to spare, you can also visit the town’s Art Nouveau Museum.
There are also many gorgeous buildings decorated with the traditional Portuguese azulejo tiles.
While wandering around the scenic maze-like alleys, you’ll discover lively squares, such as Praca do Peixe, where the town’s fish market is located, or Praca 14 de Julho with its vibrant cafés, restaurants and shops.
A few steps from Praca 14 de Julho is the Liberty Obelisk. The latter is an early 20th-century monument commemorating those who fought during the Liberal Wars of Portugal.
Another great place to visit in the city centre is the busy farmer’s market, Mercado Manuel Firmino, near Ponte dos Lacos de Amizade.
Sé Cathedral
One of the best places to visit in Aveiro Old Town is the city’s wonderful Cathedral.
Situated south of Aveiro’s main canal, Nossa Senhora da Gloria Cathedral dates back to the 15th century.
It’s home to two impressive organs. A Baroque masterpiece from the 18th century and a modern organ that was added in 2013.
Santa Joana Aveiro Museum
Next to Aveiro Cathedral is the Santa Joana Aveiro Museum. The Museu de Aveiro is housed in the former Convent of Jesus of the Dominican Order.
The 15th-century convent is connected to the life of Princess Saint Joana, who lived there. When she died, her body was buried there, too.
If you have time, a visit will allow you to admire the monastery’s architecture, the tomb of Saint Joana and a great collection of religious artefacts.
Moliceiro Cruise
It’s time to end your Aveiro day trip in the best possible way. Joining a boat tour on board the city’s wooden traditional boats is one of the top things to do in Aveiro.
These colourful boats are called moliceiros in Portuguese. In the past, they were used to collect seaweed from the bottom of Aveiro’s canals. Nowadays, they are reserved for tourist boat rides.
A moliceiro boat tour takes about 45 minutes. During the boat ride, you sail along Aveiro’s central canals with live commentary of the city’s main attractions.
Along the way, you’ll admire several bridges and other points of interest. A couple of them that stood out for us were the so-called Lovers Bridge and the Old Ceramics Factory.
There are many companies operating boat trips on moliceiro boats. However, we can’t recommend the one that we chose enough.
Our guide would try to strike up a conversation with everyone and he was great fun to chat with. At the same time, he provided information about Aveiro in different languages. Overall, he’s the reason we would use this company again.
FAQs About Visiting Aveiro
Is Aveiro a walkable city?
Aveiro is a compact and generally flat city. Apart from getting to Costa Nova, you don’t need public transport or a taxi to see the main tourist attractions. You can explore the Old Town and the Aveiro Salt Flats on foot.
Where are the striped houses in Aveiro?
The renowned striped houses of Aveiro, once the houses of local fishermen, are located in Costa Nova. The best way to get there is by taxi or Uber.
Are there vegan or vegetarian restaurants in Aveiro?
Yes, there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Aveiro. A good place to enjoy a delicious veggie lunch in Aveiro Old Town is Raiz – O Vegetariano do Bairro.
What is the best time to visit Aveiro?
The summer months are the most popular time to visit Aveiro as they bring warm, pleasant weather and lively vibes.
That said, summer is also the busiest time to visit Aveiro. Therefore, for a more laid-back experience, it’s best to visit Aveiro in the spring or autumn when the weather is still mild but the crowds are smaller.
Which local delicacy is famous in Aveiro?
Ovos Moles de Aveiro is a local treat made of egg yolks and sugar. Traditionally, Ovos Moles were made by the region’s nuns.
Back in the day, nuns would use egg whites on their clothes before ironing them. Therefore, they had to come up with a way to use the left-over egg yolks.
That was how the Ovos Moles treats were born. Nowadays, this traditional sweet from Aveiro has a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) certification.
What museums can I visit in Aveiro?
Aveiro is home to several interesting and important museums.
Some of them are the aforementioned Aveiro Museum housed in a 15th-century former Dominican Convent, the Museu de Arte Nova, which highlights the city’s Art Nouveau architecture, and the open-air Ecomuseu Marinha da Troncalhada, which gives you a glimpse into Aveiro’s long tradition in the salt industry.
Now that you know what to do in Aveiro, we hope you consider adding this lovely town to your Portugal itinerary, either as an overnight stop or an easy yet delightful day trip from Porto or Coimbra.
WORDS & IMAGES: Katerina
EDITING: Maria