How To Visit Aveiro And Costa Nova On A Day Trip From Porto

Your best Aveiro and Costa Nova travel guide. Things to do in Aveiro, including a quick day trip itinerary and, of course, the Costa Nova sunset.

An Aveiro and Costa Nova combined trip is hands down one of the best day trips from Porto. Many call Aveiro the Venice of Portugal. I wouldn’t, though.

If you are coming to Aveiro expecting miles of canals, Renaissance architecture, picturesque bridges and gondoliers, you will be disappointed. Not because Aveiro isn’t a beautiful town. It’s because it’s gorgeous in its own way and shouldn’t be compared to any other city.

Both Aveiro and Costa Nova are the kind of unique places that you will remember for a long time. As a seasoned traveller, I often visit historical towns and seaside resorts, and after a while, many of them don’t stand out that much. You can’t say that about either of these charming and super picturesque Portuguese towns. They are very different, equally worth visiting, and luckily, you can see them both in one day without feeling overwhelmed.

In fact, this day trip was one of the highlights of my travels around Portugal.

Aveiro

Aveiro is a charming and unique Portuguese town, a former fishing village located just a little over an hour by train from Porto. The town is actually around a thousand years old and developed thanks to salt production and, later, commercial shipping.

You will not see a town quite like Aveiro anywhere else in Portugal.

This former fishing village is now a quirky town rich in Art Nouveau architecture and man-made canals, which divide the town into quarters. Colourful and very original Moliceiro boats offer tourists a canal ride and a bit of a laugh.

Why the laugh? I will explain further down.

Aveiro is completely walkable and can easily be seen in a day. But visiting Aveiro and not seeing Costa Nova and its famous colourful seaside houses would be a waste. So I highly recommend combining Aveiro and Costa Nova into one magical day trip from Porto.

You don’t even have to arrive too early. I had a pretty late start to my trip and still managed to see and do everything I wanted.

If you prefer to join an organised Aveiro and Costa Nova tour, you can book one here, but I think exploring at your own pace is so much better!

Below, I’ve picked some of my favourite things to do in both Aveiro and Costa Nova and created a little day trip itinerary for you.

Costa Nova

The whole area is shaped like a narrow peninsula, so you can walk along the river promenade on one side and along the wooden walkways right by the beach on the other. Don’t miss either of them – both walks are really enjoyable and offer incredible views!

I always thought that the colourful stripy houses were located right by the beach – somehow all the photographs seem to give this impression. Is it only me?

But directly on the beach, you will actually find a few nice beach bars and long wooden walkways stretching between the dunes. The houses are located further inland but can be seen and easily found from pretty much anywhere during the walk.

What I’ve noticed during my travels is that things are hardly ever the way I expect them to be. But most of the time, they turn out to be even better, and that was definitely the case with Aveiro and Costa Nova.

Costa Nova and Barra beaches are spectacular! I stayed until sunset, and it was the best decision.

How to get to Aveiro from Porto

The train is definitely the easiest and fastest way to get to Aveiro from Porto. There is a direct train from Porto to Aveiro departing from either Sao Bento or Campanha train station. Aveiro is the last stop on this route so you won’t be able to miss it. It is also a really pleasant train journey with some scenic views of the ocean.

It takes just a little over one hour to get there and a two-way train ticket starts at €3.8. You can check here for the timetable and current ticket price.

Aveiro and Costa Nova Itinerary – what to do and see

Aveiro’s Canals and Moliceiro Boats

As you arrive at the train station, take Avenida Lourenço Peixinho, the main road that will take you directly to the town centre and central pier. From there, you can take a walk around the town and explore its canals.

Take a closer look at the colourful boats. Traditionally, these brightly painted boats were used to transport algae, but now they offer a very touristy, yet still fun, way to explore the city.

Each boat has a different and unique design identifying the owner of the vessel. If you take a closer look, quite a few of them are pretty funny, if not a little naughty!

From the main pier, you can take a boat trip, but shop around before choosing one. Different operators offer these trips, and prices may vary.

Lunch at Fish Market Square (Praça do Peixe)

While browsing around the town you will most likely come across Fish Market Square where you will find plenty of seafood and local food restaurants. This is a great place to have lunch and recharge before taking on the rest of the day. 

Unfortunately, these days establishments keep closing and reopening so I won’t be recommending any particular restaurant. But my main tip is to always choose the restaurant or bar that is busy with the locals rather than tourists.

What I’ve also noticed while travelling in Portugal – the less bothered the waiter is (meaning not actively inviting you to step in) – the better the food will be! That is of course if like me you are looking for a traditional and authentic experience 🙂

Art Nouveau Tour Around the City

To walk off the lunch, I suggest a fascinating walk around the city.

Aveiro, along with Barcelona, Brussels, Budapest, Glasgow, Helsinki and Havana, is a member of the “Réseau Art Noveau Network”. In itself, Aveiro is a city-museum.

Art Nouveau was a trendy international movement of art, architecture as well as applied and decorative art most popular between 1890 and 1910.

Inspired by natural forms and organic shapes found in nature like plants, and flowers, the primary intention of Art Nouveau was to break down the traditional distinction between fine arts and applied arts.

Aveiro is a perfect display of this art movement. You can view all the Art Nouveau buildings by taking a tour. You can finish the tour by visiting the Art Nouveau museum located above the Casa de Chá, a café with an outdoor garden.

The added bonus of this tour is that as you walk around the town searching for Art Nouveau buildings, you will be able to explore all its corners, charming little streets and original shops and cafes.

Exploring the town and letting myself be surprised by it, was my favourite part of the visit.

Bus from Aveiro to Costa Nova and Barra – Stay for Sunset!

Aveiro and Costa Nova can easily be combined into one day trip from Porto – and it should!

How to get to Costa Nova from Aveiro?

There is a direct bus from Aveiro to Costa Nova and Barra leaving from the train station or the town centre very near the Moliceiros Pier. I have spent a bit of time looking for it, so I have pointed the exact location for you and you can find it here. 

The journey takes approximately 40 minutes and the ticket costs €2.5 one way and can be purchased with the driver. The bus company is called Transdev and you can check the current timetable here.

You can also take an Uber or Bolt to Costa Nova. 

I recommend getting off at Costa Nova and making your way on foot to Praia da Barra for the sunset. 

Otherwise, you can get off at Barra, walk by the river promenade to Costa Nova and return by the sea to Barra. You can then take a return bus from Barra to Aveiro. This was the exact route I took.

After snapping some sunset photos, you can take a return bus or taxi back to Aveiro.

Dinner by the Canal in Aveiro – Perfect End to the Aveiro and Costa Nova Day Trip from Porto

Aveiro has plenty of restaurants, snack and tapas bar spread around the whole town. I personally really liked the spot near the smaller canal not far from the Fish Market with quite a few seafood restaurants as well as snack and tapas bars where I have eaten.

I had such a good time that I forgot to take pictures, but it’s a lovely area to settle for the evening. The below photograph shows the exact location I spent the evening before heading to the train station.

Return to Porto

A couple of additional things to do in Aveiro

In case you decided to stay a bit longer

Bike Tour – Eco Cycling Route (Via Ecológica Ciclável)

If you prefer spending your day in a more active way and have a spare day in Aveiro, I recommend taking Eco Cycling Route (Via Ecológica Ciclável) bike route which can also be walked on foot.

You probably won’t fit it in a day trip, but if you are in the area for a little bit longer, it is definitely worth considering. Or you can skip the boat ride and take a healthy bike ride instead 🙂

The track was inaugurated in 2018, and it’s a wooden walkways route that allows visitors to enjoy the beauty of Ria de Aveiro and surrounding landscapes.

It has a length of 7.5km and is actually a part of a 48km bike route connecting Estarreja and Mira. The Aveiro section starts at the end of the S. Roque Canal (under the A25 bridge), passing through the Ribeira de Esgueira Pier and ends in Vilarinho, next to the Novo do Príncipe River.

Bicycles are free to rent in Aveiro at the BUGA shop in Manuel Firmino Market, but make sure you have your own lock and be at the store as early as you can so you don’t miss out on available bikes. 

I truly enjoyed my day spent in Aveiro and Costa Nova. It’s a fantastic day trip from Porto, and if you are staying in the area for more than a couple of days, Aveiro and Costa Nova should be on your to-do list!

Where to next?

If you are looking for awesome yet off the beaten plan day trips from Lisbon then you should consider the wonderful Setubal and Troia Peninsula and of course the super charming historical Obidos! And of course dont miss the town with the best sunsets in Portugal – Nazare!

Visiting Madeira next? I have a whole Madeira chapter filled with useful information and guides here!