Located very close to Porto, I could not resist the temptation to visit the city that some know as the “Portuguese Venice”. Despite being a small city, it is worth a visit, with one day being more than enough time for it.
Date of the visit: October 2020
It is very easy to get there from Porto, both by bus and by train. I chose this last option, and it takes approximately 80 minutes from the San Benito (São Bento) station. Aveiro station is modern, and since it is a small city, it is ideal to walk downtown and visit the surroundings.
The weather that day was quite unstable, going from sunny to cloudy in a matter of minutes, with quite high humidity as well. It seemed reasonable to think that it would rain at some point.
Going out the station, and heading down the avenue that leaves from it, the traveler will soon find the canals and the corresponding pedestrian bridges that cross them. Especially, a bridge full of coloured ties stands out, called the bridge of friendship ties (Ponte Laços de Amizade).
In my case, I preferred to temporarily deviate from the road to the city center to take a look at the Cathedral. It is a small temple of modern construction that is not characterized by being particularly beautiful.
Leaving the Cathedral, heading to the right you access the old area, where after crossing a cobblestone street for pedestrians, I reached the town hall square (republic square).
In one of its intersections, there is a roundabout that points to the true center of the city, and it is where the main canal is, the Aveiro Water Canal. Immediately you will see the boats that cross the city through its waters.
On the other side of the bridge, on the right bank of the canal, there are modernist houses that are a must-see. Without a doubt, this set is, together with the canal that I will describe later, the most photogenic in the city.
It was at that moment that, with a feeling of hunger, I decided to look for a restaurant. I started by inspecting the old town, which is accessed through the narrow streets adjacent to the canal, and hoping to find a typical restaurant. Crossing the narrow streets, you reach the main square, “Largo da Praça do Peixe”, full of terraces, with a small food market.
On the opposite side, the traveler comes across another canal, which seems to have entered the old town itself. The color scheme of the houses that surround it is particularly beautiful. This places is called “Cais dos Botirões”.
It was there that I decided to sit on a terrace, amazed at how picturesque the place was. However, the food did not live up to expectations, leaving a lot to be desired. At the mouth of the canal, there is a pedestrian bridge with a circular plan, of modern design, called Ponte dos Botirões, under which the canal is crossed in three branches.
Since it was going to be the only day I was going to spend in the city, I set out to look for one of the boat trips that are offered for tourists. It cost € 13 for a 45-minute route, in which the city is discovered from the perspective of the canals, in addition to having an explanatory guide. It is always an interesting experience to visit a city from its canals.
During the trip, it started to rain and the visit ended earlier than planned. However, I still wanted to taste the typical sweet of the region, the “ovos moles”. It is a wafer filled with egg yolk and sugar. For further information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovos_moles
They remind, in a way, the Yemas de Santa Teresa that can be tasted in my region:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemas_de_Santa_Teresa
Following the visit, I wanted to take a look through the streets of the old town that I had not yet gone through.
A common factor in Portugal is to find cobbled pedestrian streets and houses whose façade has been decorated with the typical tile. Without a doubt, one of his hallmarks.
Before getting dark, I went to an essential place on a visit to Aveiro, the “Dom Pedro Infante” park. It is a beautiful park, located very close to the cathedral that I had visited a few hours before. The gardens are very well cared for, and there is a beautiful pond in its central part.
After walking around a bit and taking a few more photos, the sun set and there was practically no light, so I headed back to the train station, intending to return to Porto for dinner. (For more information about how to get there, see “Useful Information” below).
On my way back, I had the feeling of having visited a beautiful, picturesque city, where the people are very friendly, thus making the day worthwhile.
Related Links
Tourism Official Sites
Aveiro in Official Portugal Tourism Site
Useful Information
Where to taste the Ovos Moles:
There are a large number of trains that connect Porto and Aveiro, either on a weekday or on the weekend. In Porto, both São Bento and Campanhã stations have trains. It is also possible to arrive from Coimbra or Lisbon.
For a day visit, it is not necessary to book tickets in advance. All this information can be obtained on the official website of the Portuguese train company (in English):
https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en
For a boat trip, as soon as the traveler reaches the docks, they will find information stands with schedules. In my opinion, it is not needed to book in advance either.
Map of Locations
Credits
All photos taken with Motorola One Vision.
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