Aveiro
Due to our earlier-than-expected departure from Lisbon, we decided to stay a couple of nights in Aveiro before going to Porto. Therefore, we booked an apartment while on the train. The apartment was located on a canal near the fish market, It was a short 15-minute walk from the train station. The path from the station to the apartment was down the main shopping street and through several alleys/streets in a residential area. Of course, google maps took us the scenic route as we realized later while walking around.
Aveiro is located on the west coast of Portugal on the main train line between Lisbon (2 hours) and Porto (1 hour). The location worked out well for us since we were going to Porto. Luckily with our Eurail Passes, we could change our destination on the fly without any fees. The town of approximately 80,000 is very relaxed and has a small-town feel to it, not the hustle and bustle of larger cities. The infrastructure was great with high-speed internet and all the amenities you could want were a few minutes walk away.
Apartment
The apartment was in a new modern building nestled between several other buildings that were at least 100 years old. There was a Historical marker on the wall next to the building’s entrance.
Even though I am not a fan of modern architecture, it was a nice place to stay and was in the perfect location. It was close to the moliceiros (similar to a gondola) canal tours, restaurants, pubs, and shopping. I believe we paid about $130 for 2 nights in this apartment. It was well worth it as we had a balcony that overlooked a canal.
Walk Around Aveiro
We arrived in the early evening so by the time we dropped our backpacks at the apartment, it was already 7:30 PM. Luckily we had at least 90 minutes before dark to walk around and see the town. Within a few minutes, we realized that Aveiro was a great choice for a place to stay for a couple of nights. People were extremely friendly, the streets were clean, and people were out walking around enjoying the weather. It was a very relaxed feeling compared to larger cities.
We spent about 2 hours walking around getting familiar with our surroundings before having dinner at a restaurant close to the apartment. The restaurant had excellent food and was probably above the price range we wanted to spend but was not very expensive. If I can remember correctly, it was around $60 for the 4 of us for a real sit-down meal with fresh seafood, steaks, etc.
After dinner, we walked around for another 20 or 30 minutes looking for an open store to buy some drinks for the apartment. Unfortunately, all grocery/supermarkets were closed already. It wasn’t the end of the world; we survived and walked off some of the food we just had eaten.
Bedtime for the Old Geezer
Back in the apartment I laid down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. I saw something looking down at me. The ceiling was concrete and was formed in what looked like wood forms. You could see some knots and grain marks. Nonetheless, I saw something looking at me from the ceiling. My wife and kids couldn’t see it immediately. Eventually, they did or said they did to shut me up. It couldn’t be unseen, it didn’t matter how hard I tried. It was still there. Do you see it in the picture below?
Laundry Time
The next morning I woke up early and found a bakery for some breakfast. Unfortunately, we needed to do laundry before taking a tour of the canals. We found a laundromat about 10 minutes away, so we loaded up our backpacks and headed out. About 90 minutes later we were on our way back to the apartment. Laundry is not glamorous, but it has to be done at some point when you travel for weeks at a time.
Canal Boat Tour
After dropping the laundry off we walked around a few areas we did not see the night before. There is a primary canal that runs through the heart of Aveiro; it was only 2 blocks from the apartment. This is also where canal tours start and finish, so we signed up for the next tour. The canal boat tour is about 1 hour long and takes you through the downtown area and on a couple of the larger canals around the city. While floating quietly along the canals you realize that Aveiro has a small-town feel with all the benefits of a larger city.
Exploring Aveiro
There are some beautiful old buildings in Aveiro covered in typical blue and white tiles. Fortunately, not far from the apartment there was a church that had them inside and out. The tiles inside the church also had a goldish-brown color mixed in as an accent color. After leaving the church we stumbled upon an ornate cemetery that was just a few blocks from the main canal and behind the shopping mall. It is called Cemitério Central de Aveiro and should be on your list of things to see in Aveiro.
You will see a lot of street art in Europe; many buildings have murals painted on the sides. Aveiro is no exception, as several homes near our apartment had them. Between the street art and the architecture, your eyes will be drawn to so many structures.
Getting Around Aveiro
Aveiro is a great town to explore on foot; it is fairly flat and very pedestrian-friendly. You can also rent bikes for free with your passport/ID at a kiosk near the market and the lock bridge (they use ribbons instead). My wife and kids decided to rent bikes to ride around for a few hours. Unfortunately, my daughter had a mishap on the bike and skinned her knee. Luckily for her, a Portuguese lady saw the mishap and immediately came to help her. The lady cleaned my daughter’s knee and gave her some bandages. It was only a minor scrape but this did show the generosity of the people.
After returning the bikes, we met at a pub a block away from the apartment for drinks and dinner. It was a nice end to a great day in Aveiro. Afterward, we did our normal walk around for a few minutes before heading back for bed.
Time to Leave Aveiro
Sadly, it was time to leave Aveiro and head north to Porto. We never felt like an outsider in Aveiro and it felt like we had been there before. However, this was our first time in Aveiro and Portugal.
As I had mentioned in my Lisbon post, we had seen Aveiro while doing our research on Portugal. I had completely forgotten about the old train station being covered in white and blue tiles. When we arrived at the new station next door, we were distracted looking at maps for directions to the apartment. I had completely missed the old station. However, I saw it as we arrived at the new station as we were leaving.
Unfortunately, they were renovating/restoring the old station, so we were not able to see the inside. It is supposed to be as spectacular inside as it is outside. If you’ve ever seen those little Delft porcelain buildings, imagine that life-size. However, I can’t describe it with any justice so I will let you visualize the station through the slideshow below. Tell me what you think in the comments.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, due to writing this post 2 years after the trip, some details may have been lost or the info is not complete. I will update as more details come back to me. Aveiro should be on your list of places to see. Therefore, if you are traveling between Porto and Lisbon, or anywhere in Portugal. Aveiro is a hidden gem that should not be overlooked.
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