Aveiro
Discover Aveiro
Aveiro is the provincial capital city of Beira Litoral province, nestled next to a ria, (a salt water lagoon) and the Vouga River delta on the Atlantic coast of Central Portugal. Its origins go back to pre-Roman times. From the 8th until the 11th century, the region was under Muslim control. The charter elevating the town to city status was conferred in 1759 by King João I. Aveiro (ah-VAY-roo, /ɐ.ˈvɐj.ɾu/) was already a major salt producer in Roman times and continued to be so until the 1970s, mainly due to the age-old salt cod industry. It also played a major role in ceramics, ship building, metal working and machinery manufacture, as well as being a natural shipping port for centuries. Next door to Aveiro, the city of Ílhavo still has remnants of the cod fishing and salt cod industry. A famous porcelain and cut glassware factory was established there in the early 1800s and is still in operation today (guided tours are available).
Famous Beaches
Taste of Aveiro...
The city is doted with many eating places ranging from local inexpensive "snack-bars", "pastelarias" and small neighbourhood restaurants to fancy and upmarket eateries. The Forum and Glicīnias shopping centres have food courts serviced by various cheap to reasonable priced fast food outlets specialising in different types of cuisine. Some global fast food brands are also available. The area with the most restaurants is found between the Old Neighborhood (Bairro Antigo) and the fish market plaza (Mercado do Peixe). There are also some decent restaurants and seafood places at Barra, Costa Nova and Vagueira. The most famous area for night bars is Praça do Peixe (fish plaza).Here you will find a good variety of bars typically open til 03:00 in winter, and 04:00 in summer. Note that all the bars in Praça do Peixe have free entrance. Clubs are best on Friday and Saturday nights from 01:00 to 05:00. Women usually pay no admission fees, but for men it is usually around €5. Drinks are fairly cheap, around €4 or €5. Try a caipirinha with strawberries (morangos). As a result of Aveiro University founding in the 1970s, Aveiro's nightlife has developed an eclectic and colourful mix of establishments to rival the best nationwide.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe city is connected to highway A1 which is the main north–south axis road of the country, but also a toll road. You can easily reach Aveiro through highway A17, which is linked to highway A8 from Lisbon and the west–east axis highway A25, linking central Portugal via Vilar Formoso to rest of Europe through Spain. And also by the main canal in Rua do Clube dos Galitos near the moliceiro embarking jetty by the Rotunda das Pontes. If confused, just go inside any business near the railway station and ask, Onde é a estação dos autocarros regionais? ("Where's the regional bus station?") The "Aeródromo Municipal de Aveiro" is actually the former military airbase of São Jacinto, and is planned revert to civilian use, pending certification. As of May 2018, this has not happened yet, because of bureaucratic minutiae. Its 1,372-metre runway and buildings serve private pilots and house small aircraft and the Aveiro Aeroclube. Aveiro is easily navigable on foot....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Aveiro is easily navigable on foot. The local bus terminal can be found about 15 minutes walk from the canal zone. Aveiro is a cyclist friendly city. There are many exclusive cyclist dedicated paths throughout the city and connecting all the way from the city to the beach areas. A very convenient way to see Aveiro if you like to go cycling but don't have a bicycle, is to use the BUGA (Free-use Bicycles of Aveiro) service. There are 2 BUGA shops (lojas) spread about the city. If there are bicycles available, you simply have to give to the BUGA shop employee your ID and you'll have a bike to take a free ride. Bikes can be used within a certain BUGA area of the city, delimited by signs. When you are finished with the bike, just return it to the shop (loja) and take your ID back. You have until 19:00 to return your bike to the BUGA shop you took it from, nice, free and easy! The city of Aveiro has thirteen bus lines operated by Aveiro Bus, who have no English website.
Where to Stay
If you are a camping or caravanning holiday maker, the Barra and Costa Nova camping grounds are a short walking distance to the beach, offer well serviced secure plots with controlled access. Summer season rates are costlier and may require advance booking. The best kept secrets are the extensive soft sand beaches that reach from Mira in the south to Espinho in the north, coupled with the less costly accommodation and food when compared with further south Portugal and the Algarve, this unique environment tucked between the Ria and the Atlantic has well kept amenities to do water sports, sunbathe, swim, enjoy fresh fish, and seafood meals, bicycle or stroll along and watch wonderful summer sunsets from Costa Nova and Praia da Barra with its imposing lighthouse dominating the horizon or take the ferry boat across the Ria to explore the São Jacinto dunes and Torreira beach town.
Money & Budget
The city is doted with many eating places ranging from local inexpensive "snack-bars", "pastelarias" and small neighbourhood restaurants to fancy and upmarket eateries. The Forum and Glicīnias shopping centres have food courts serviced by various cheap to reasonable priced fast food outlets specialising in different types of cuisine. Some global fast food brands are also available. The area with the most restaurants is found between the Old Neighborhood (Bairro Antigo) and the fish market plaza (Mercado do Peixe). There are also some decent restaurants and seafood places at Barra, Costa Nova and Vagueira. The most famous area for night bars is Praça do Peixe (fish plaza).Here you will find a good variety of bars typically open til 03:00 in winter, and 04:00 in summer.