Visit and discover beautiful Aveiro in portugal

You’d be forgiven for thinking it might be photos of Venice in Italy. However the colorful city of Aveiro on the west coast of Portugal has its own beauty and mystery. Let’s start with your holiday adventure in Portugal:

Aveiro is set along a lagoon called Ria de Aveiro. Beautifully painted ‘gondola-like boats, called ‘Barcos moliceiros’, navigate the canals in and around the lagoon.

When visiting Aveiro a Moliceiro tour on the lagoon is simply a must. You’ll notice the lovely Moliceiros have beautiful paintings on them. These panel motifs are sometimes of religious or historical nature but can also be paintings depicting the owner’s personal skills or something they love. Traditionally these boats were used to harvest seaweed, but now it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in town. This picturesque scenery is what gave Aveiro the nickname of “the Portuguese Venice”.

Where to stay in Aveiro Portugal

Popular Hotels in Aveiro

How to get to Aveiro

Traveling (by car) from:

Lisbon to Aveiro: 2 hr 28 min (255,3 km) via A1
Porto to Aveiro: 46 min (76,0 km) via A1
Viseu to Aveiro: 1 hr 18 min (128,0 km) via A1 and A25

Aveiro is the perfect weekend getaway destination in Portugal. So you’ll need about 2 days to enjoy and explore the city.

Nearest airport:

The closest international airport is Francisco Sá Carneiro International (OPO) in Porto.

Easily book a ready-made holiday

When booking one of these holiday packages you know almost everything is included. So you just have to book your flights. However you can decide if you want a private or small group, fully guided, partially guided or self guided and book what you love.

Aveiro Holiday Packages

Combine places like Porto, Lisbon and Aveiro for a fabulous holiday adventure.

Search and Book the Best holiday packages

Things to do in Aveiro Portugal

Visit the sandy beaches of Aveiro

Visit the sandy beaches of Aveiro: Take a ferry from Aveiro to São Jacinto and spend a day on the beach, surfing or taking a long walk along the coast. Or go down to Praia da Cost Nova with its charming colourfully painted houses. At Barra beach you’ll find the tallest lighthouse in Portugal: Barra Light.

Sightseeing for free

Sightseeing in Aveiro is easy and budget friendly as you can borrow bikes for free from BUGA (made available by the municipality). The bikes are available at the BUGA shop in Manuel Firmino Market. You leave your identification card and take a bike and off you go. You can explore the whole city on a free BUGA-bike.

When you visit the Museu de Arte Nova, you can get a map of the Art Nouveau buildings in Aveiro, so you can do your own sightseeing.

Cathedrals, Churches & Parks

Visit the Cathedral of Aveiro with its prominent bell tower and take a walk in the Parque Dom Pedro Infante: a beautiful city park and place where you can relax and enjoy nature.

The the 15th century Convento de Jesus is also a beautiful and very special place to visit. Definitely worth the visit.

More things to do

Booking any of these adventures or tours with GetYourGuide, means you can enjoy your holiday on your own, but join a fabulous guided tour or adventure when you’re ready: