Aveiro Canals and Moliceiro Boats

Aveiro, on the Atlantic coast of central Portugal, is often called the Venice of Portugal for the canals that cross its centre and connect to the Ria de Aveiro lagoon. The main waterways, the Canal Central and the Canal de São Roque, are lined with Art Nouveau buildings, striped houses and pastel facades. The moliceiro, a long, flat, curved-prowed boat once used to harvest seaweed (moliço) from the lagoon, is now used for sightseeing tours and is painted with colourful and sometimes humorous scenes on the bow and stern. Tours depart from the Praça do Peixe and the Canal Central landing, usually run 45 minutes, and pass the Fish Market, the Cais dos Botirões, the Ponte dos Laços and the pinewood salt pans along the route. Guides narrate in several languages. Away from the boats, visitors walk along the canal banks, cross the small bridges, visit the Art Nouveau Museum, taste ovos moles, the local egg-yolk sweet, and view the tiled facade of the railway station. The old fishing quarter of Beira Mar and the nearby Costa Nova beach, with its striped houses, can be reached by bus or bicycle. The most atmospheric moment is late afternoon, when the light warms the facades and the water, and the quietest period is early morning. Tours fill quickly in July and August and at weekends, so waiting times at the landing can reach 30 minutes. Boats do not run during rough weather, and the trip is mostly open, so a hat helps in summer. Tickets are sold from small kiosks at the quay and from the tourist office, and city bicycles can be borrowed free for visitors, which makes a convenient way to see the lagoon. Allow half a day including walking, lunch and the boat tour.