- Duration:
- ~10 to 11 hours (7:30am to 6:30pm)
- Style:
- walking + boat + public transport
- Steps:
- ~18,000
- Spending:
- ~€85 to €95 for two
- Main stops:
- Aveiro centre -> Ovos moles workshop -> Canal boat trip -> Costa Nova
- Best moment:
- Spotting the patterns in the cobbles, marble cake joy, then a windy beach walk at Costa Nova.
- Verdict:
- Relaxing, photogenic, and an easy change of pace from Porto.
We got up around 7:30am, walked from Gaia to São Bento Station, bought tickets by card, and arrived in Aveiro at around 10am. Aveiro station is worth a quick pause for the azulejo panels.
The centre is decorated with patterned cobbles, little sea creatures and that sort of thing, which made us walk at about half speed because we kept stopping to look down. We went to Oficina do Doce to confirm details, then shared a croissant and a slice of marble cake for about €2.50 at the coffee shop next door. That marble cake brought ridiculous joy.
Honest verdict: mildly fun, but not worth building the day around on its own. You learn the history, mainly the part about nuns using egg whites to stiffen and waterproof clothes, which left plenty of yolks for sweets. Then you fill an ovos moles shell with pre-made filling. Interesting once, not a must-do.
Touristy, lively, and more entertaining than we expected. The guide switched constantly between three languages, using lots of gestures and jokes to keep it moving. A group of tipsy Spanish ladies on another boat singing and dancing somehow improved the whole thing. It is a good way to see the layout from the water.
We took bus 36 to Costa Nova. The driver was full character. We photographed the striped houses, then headed to the beach. It was wide, sandy, and much windier than we expected. We followed the long wooden walkway, which is exactly the kind of coastal infrastructure I like because it lets you enjoy the sea without filling your shoes with sand.
Near the lighthouse we bought two tripas de Aveiro, one cheese, one dark chocolate. I originally assumed “tripas” meant the Porto tripe stew. In Aveiro it is a sweet crepe-style pastry, and it is incredibly filling.
On the return, a group of bikers blocked the bus at one point and our driver started shouting at them in Portuguese in a half-laughing way. Back in Aveiro we tried pão de ló, a soft sweet sponge cake, and did a loop around Fórum Aveiro, which I later learned is said to be the first open-air shopping centre in Portugal. Then train home, tired.