Aveiro is often called the “Venice of Portugal”, known for its scenic canals. Unfortunately, it was rainy when we arrived – our very first stop in Portugal.
We flew from Melbourne to Lisbon, then took a train to Aveiro. We decided to stay one night before continuing on to Porto.
The Aveiro train station at night ✨
Arrival wasn’t the smoothest start. The autogate at passport control didn’t work for me, so it took quite a while to get through, which wasn’t the best first impression. We reached Aveiro around 6pm and left the next afternoon, so in reality we had less than a day there.
Our first proper meal in Portugal – bacalhau (codfish) at O Garfo
The next day, we walked around the town at a relaxed pace. It was quite cloudy, which gave everything a quiet, calm feel.
If the weather had been better, we would have considered taking a boat tour to explore the canals from the water.
We tried ovos moles, a traditional Portuguese sweet made with egg yolks wrapped in a soft wafer shell.
We had them in two cafés in Aveiro – Confeitaria Peixinho, one of the oldest and most famous pastry shops in the city, and Pastelaria Ramos.
To be honest, I’m not a big fan as they’re a bit too sweet for me 😅
Confeitaria Peixinho
Pastelaria Ramos (ovos moles on the top left)
This wall is so cute – is it teaching us how to make ovos moles?
Ovos moles are so famous in Aveiro that there’s even a spot with a few statues of them. Although I’m not a big fan of ovos moles themselves, I still enjoyed taking photos with the statues – they’re so cute 😄
After that, we took a train to Porto. Since we still had some time before departure, we grabbed a coffee at a café overlooking the station. I have to say, the Aveiro train station is really beautiful!
Having coffee while waiting for our train.. lovely view of the train station 👍
As this was my first time in Portugal, I almost said “gracias” (thank you in Spanish). Later, I learned from a tour guide that this is the fastest way to offend Portuguese, as it’s a completely different language 😅 Luckily, I didn’t say it, and I quickly learned to say “obrigado” (thank you in Portuguese) instead.
Unfortunately, we had too little time to explore Aveiro properly, and it was quite rainy during our stay. I think I would have fallen in love with it if we had more time and better weather.
That said, it was a good stopover. Without it, we would have arrived in Porto very late. Staying a night in Aveiro also gave us a chance to rest and recharge after a long flight.
Next destination: Porto
