Porto

Aveiro day trip from Porto

Aveiro, Portugal's canal town, is seen best from a moliceiro, one of the wooden boats that once worked the lagoon. Little more than 50 are left, and UNESCO lists the craft for urgent safeguarding. Art Nouveau houses stand along the canals, and 10 km away are the striped houses of Costa Nova. The train from Porto takes about 1h07.

Last updated: 25 October 2026

Day tours

Day tours from Porto

If you'd rather not plan the trip yourself, these guided days take care of it.

Photos courtesy of Tiqets

The moliceiro boats on Aveiro’s canals

The painted prow of a moliceiro boat on a canal in Aveiro, with other moliceiros moored along the bank — On a moliceiro, on the canals of Aveiro Photo: Ray Swi-hymn, CC BY-SA 2.0

Moliceiros take their name from moliço, the water weed they once gathered to spread on the fields. In the 1970s about 3,000 were registered on the Ria de Aveiro, the lagoon around the town, and today their main use is taking visitors round the canals.

They’re also close to disappearing. Little more than 50 are left, half of them in tourism, and only five master builders still work, four of them over 60. In December 2025 UNESCO put the craft on its list of heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

Most rides leave from the Canal Central, in the middle of town, and last about 45 minutes. The tours below include one.

Art Nouveau houses and ovos moles

The white Art Nouveau façade of the Museu Arte Nova, with carved stone balconies, among other houses on the canal front in Aveiro — The Museu Arte Nova, on the canal front Photo: Hugo Ferreira, CC BY-SA 4.0

Along the Canal Central, look up at the house fronts. Aveiro has a whole route of Art Nouveau buildings, and it starts at the Casa Major Pessoa, now the Museu Arte Nova. It’s one of the municipal museums, which close on Mondays.

To get around town, the free BUGA bikes are lent against an ID document, to be returned by 19:00.

Two ovos moles on a plate, one whole in its white wafer and one cut open to show the orange egg-yolk filling — Ovos moles, the sweet of Aveiro Photo: 69joehawkins, CC BY-SA 3.0

Aveiro’s sweet is ovos moles, egg yolk and sugar in a thin wafer, from a recipe of the town’s convents. The town’s pastry shops sell it, and in 2009 it became the first Portuguese pastry with protected status from the EU.

The striped houses of Costa Nova

A row of houses painted in red, green and blue stripes, with white balconies, on the seafront at Costa Nova — The palheiros of Costa Nova Photo: Michael Gaylard from Horsham, UK, CC BY 2.0

Costa Nova is about 10 km from the centre, by the beach. Its palheiros are painted in stripes, and the oldest, the Palheiro José Estêvão from 1808, keeps its original red ochre.

Local buses run out to the beaches at Barra and Costa Nova. In summer the roads fill up, and the bus sits in the same traffic.

Porto to Aveiro by train

The urban trains from Campanhã cover the 68 km in about 1h07 on the faster ones, which leave on the hour.

Porto–Aveiro train

From: Porto Campanhã, CP urban trains
Journey: About 1h07 on the faster trains
Trains: One or two an hour, from 4:50
Fare: €3.95 one way (2026 fares)
Last back: 23:26 from Aveiro
Andante: Doesn't reach Aveiro

Not every train on the line goes all the way: some end at Espinho or Ovar, so read the destination before you board.

Aveiro tours from Porto

The Aveiro and Costa Nova half day includes the 45-minute moliceiro ride and time on the beach at Costa Nova. The other half day swaps the beach for an ovos moles tasting.

The full-day Taste and Traditions adds an ovos moles workshop, the Noeirinha salt pans and a photo stop at Costa Nova.

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Frequently asked questions

How long is the train from Porto to Aveiro?

About 1h07 on the faster trains from Porto Campanhã, which leave on the hour. The last one back leaves Aveiro at 23:26, and there's no need to book. Check the board, as some trains on the line stop short at Espinho or Ovar.

How much is the train from Porto to Aveiro?

A single on the urban trains costs €3.95 by CP's 2026 fare table, and you buy it at the station. Aveiro is outside the Andante network, so the Porto metro and bus tickets don't work on this trip.

What are the moliceiro boats?

They're the wooden boats of the Ria de Aveiro, the lagoon around the town. About 3,000 were registered there in the 1970s, and little more than 50 are left, half of them taking visitors on the canals. UNESCO lists the craft for urgent safeguarding.

How do you get from Aveiro to Costa Nova?

Costa Nova is about 10 km from the centre, and local buses run out to the beaches at Barra and Costa Nova. The Aveiro and Costa Nova half-day tour from Porto includes it, which is easier if you only have a few hours.

Are Aveiro's museums open on Mondays?

No. The municipal museums open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 18:00, and also close on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December.