Aveiro

Day 1: Art Nouveau heart and Baroque splendour

Ease into Aveiro’s centre where ornate façades meet tranquil canals. Today is about slow looking: let the whiplash ironwork, sculpted stone and tiles reward your curiosity before stepping into the city’s gilded Baroque interiors.

• Morning: Begin at the Museu de Arte Nova (Casa Major Pessoa) for context and a self-guided map; take tea or coffee at the Casa de Chá to admire the interiors. Follow the Arte Nova route along the central canal, Rua João Mendonça and Rua Dr. Barbosa Magalhães, picking out details at the Edifício da Cooperativa Agrícola, Praça do Peixe and the more restrained Residência de Silva Rocha; photograph façades from across the water for fuller elevations.
• Midday: Lunch around the fish market quarter (seafood is freshest here) and try ovos moles for dessert. Duck into period shopfronts and cafés to spot stained glass, carved timber and original plasterwork; always ask before photographing interiors and avoid blocking doorways on narrow pavements.
• Afternoon: Explore the Museu de Aveiro/Santa Joana (Baroque masterpiece and tomb of Princess Joana), then the Sé de Aveiro and Igreja da Misericórdia with its tile-clad façade. Dress modestly and avoid flash—check Monday closures and allow time for the cool, dim interiors after the bright streets.
• Evening: Stroll the canals at golden hour (spring/autumn light is best) and, if you fancy, take a short moliceiro ride for a water-level view—then return on foot to catch the stone carving you’ll miss from the boat. Dine in Beira Mar near the Capela de São Gonçalinho; in January the local festa fills the district with music and flying cavacas.

Day 2: Costa Nova stripes and the salt pans

Head to the coast for vernacular colour and Atlantic air before returning to the calm geometry of the lagoon. The day pivots on light—bold stripes by late morning, then sunset mirrored in the salinas.

• Morning: Take the Transdev bus to Costa Nova do Prado (30–40 mins); wander among the palheiros, the fishermen’s huts turned holiday homes, now in cheerful stripes. Photograph from the boardwalks and public paths—porches are private—and pair a coffee with views over the ria.
• Midday: Enjoy a seaside lunch (grilled fish or caldeirada) and, if winds are up, retreat behind the dunes on the lagoon side. Summer sun is fierce; pack a hat, sunscreen and water, and expect strong contrasts in midday shots.
• Afternoon: Return to Aveiro and walk the Ecomuseu Marinha da Troncalhada among the salt pans; look for the small windmills and sheds that embody local utilitarian design. Birdlife is best outside high season; tread carefully on narrow levees and bring insect repellent in warmer months.
• Evening: Stay for sunset as the pans turn mirror-like—tripods are welcome on the wider paths without obstructing workers. Dinner back in town; night photography of Arte Nova façades works well after rain when pavements reflect, but keep flashes off to avoid disturbing residents.

Day 3: Contemporary campus and urban renewal

Discover Aveiro’s other architectural face: a modern university “city” curated by leading Portuguese architects, then a look at sensitive rehabilitation and post-industrial reuse back in town.

• Morning: Pick up a free BUGA bike and cycle to the University of Aveiro (15–20 mins, flat). Visit Álvaro Siza’s library (brick mass, lifted walkways and serene light), Eduardo Souto de Moura’s Department of Geosciences and Alcino Soutinho’s pedagogic complex; weekdays in term show the buildings alive and accessible in public areas.
• Midday: Picnic on the campus greens or try a faculty canteen; check for temporary exhibitions or lectures in architecture/civil engineering. Ride back via the Canal de São Roque for salt-pan views and pause at the Antiga Estação de Comboios to see its 1916 azulejo panels next to the modern station.
• Afternoon: Walk Beira Mar’s tight lanes to observe reabilitação urbana in progress—new life behind preserved tiled façades; sample more ovos moles from a traditional confeitaria. If you enjoy architectural contrasts, detour to the Fábrica Jeronymo Pereira Campos to view the evolving “O Bairro” redevelopment from the public realm (active site; observe barriers), or visit the Cemitério Central to study Arte Nova and Art Deco funerary architecture.
• Evening: A gentle farewell loop along the central canal and the Fonte Nova area, catching late sun on brick and water. Celebrate with a tea-infused cocktail back at the Casa de Chá or a simple glass of vinho verde; if it’s a chilly winter night, swap for a cosy tavern and plan a return visit for off-season calm.

By Air

• Porto (OPO – Francisco Sá Carneiro): ~85 km north.
  • Drive: 1–1h15 via A1/A25.
  • Public transport: Metro line E to Porto-Campanhã (35–40 min), then train to Aveiro (Alfa Pendular/Intercidades 35–45 min; Urbanos/Regional 1–1h15). Total 1h30–2h.
• Lisbon (LIS – Humberto Delgado): ~250 km south.
  • Drive: 2h30–3h via A1.
  • Public transport: Metro (Red line) or taxi to Lisboa-Oriente (10–15 min), then direct AP/IC train to Aveiro (about 2–2h20). Total 2h30–3h.

By Train

• Main station: Aveiro (Linha do Norte).
• From Porto-Campanhã:
  • AP/IC: ~35–45 min (seat reservation required).
  • Urbanos/Regional (incl. from São Bento via Campanhã): ~1–1h20.
• From Lisboa-Oriente (also from Santa Apolónia via Oriente):
  • AP/IC: ~2–2h20, frequent direct services.
• From Coimbra-B: ~35–45 min (Regional/IC).
• Tickets and timetables: cp.pt or CP app. Reservations required for AP/IC; not needed for Regional/Urbanos.

By Bus/Coach

• Main stop: Terminal Rodoviário de Aveiro (central; services also stop near the rail station area).
• Operators: Rede Expressos/RENEX, FlixBus (and others).
• Typical journeys: Lisbon 3h30–4h (often direct), Porto 1h15–1h45, Coimbra ~1h.
• Check providers’ sites/apps for schedules and stop locations.

By Car

• Motorways:
  • From Porto: A1 south, then A25 to Aveiro. ~1h.
  • From Lisbon: A1 north, then A25. 2h30–3h.
  • Coastal links: A17 connects Aveiro with Figueira da Foz and the Silver Coast.
• Tolls: Electronic on most motorways; hire cars usually have Via Verde devices.
• Parking: Paid on-street and multi-storey options near the centre; the historic core is easiest on foot.