Portugal Diary: Day 3 - Aveiro 🇵🇹
After day 1 & 2 in Portugal, I decided to go on a day trip to Aveiro, this time I didn't book any tours ahead, I just booked a bus from Lisbon to Aveiro and then for the way back on the same day. Now Aveiro is a city located on the west coast of Portugal along Ria de Aveiro Lagoon known as the "Portuguese Venice". This city is distinguished by its canals that are navigated by colourful boats which are traditionally used to harvest seaweed.
Check 10 Top Things to Know Before Traveling to Portugal + Cultural Do’s & Don’ts
Chapters
​1, How to Get Your Visa for Portugal | 5. Best Time to Visit Aveiro |
2. Day 3 Diary | 6. Accommodations in Aveiro |
3. How to Get to Aveiro | 7. Best Cafes & Restaurants in Aveiro |
4. How to Move Around Aveiro | ​ |
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So, I got up early in the morning to take the bus at 7:45 in the morning from Lisbon to Aveiro. Now I have to mention that as a solo female traveler I feel safer when I plan my trips ahead, and by that I don't mean every single movement I do, I mean planing the transportation of each place I got to as well as accommodation and create a list of the places that I want to visit or see in that city. Also, whenever I'm in a country and going to different cities there, I would plan how I get from each city to the other as well as the order to make the trip easier. So, initially I am staying in Lisbon but planned to stay in Porto for the last 2 days, now the first day I stayed in Lisbon then the next day I went on a day trip to Sintra & Cascais which are just outside of Lisbon so it was easy to get there. Now for some reason I booked my trip to Aveiro from Lisbon and I don't know why I did that because on the way to Aveiro I realised that Porto is so much closer to Aveiro and I was gonna go to Porto, so realistically it makes sense to go to Aveiro from Porto and not Lisbon cause it's easier, it takes less time, and it is cheaper.
Check Why You Should Visit Portugal: 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Portugal
As excited as I was going to Aveiro I was so pissed at myself for not realising that mistake because it takes 3 hours to get from Lisbon to Aveiro in comparison to the few minutes it would take from Porto to Aveiro. But I didn't let this ruin my day, As I made it to Aveiro where it was so hot, I went from the rain and cold in Lisbon to blazing hot Aveiro which luckily I was prepared for. So, I made it to the bus station and then took an Uber to the Museum of Aveiro where I was able to get a walking map of the city as well as recommendations on where to go and what to do.
Aveiro is a city where you can easily explore it by simply walking, and that map was so helpful, or you can easily get a BUGA bike for free and explore the city that way. I decided to take a tuke tuke tour around Aveiro, which was a smart decision since it was so hot and the sun was burning, and also I got to have a local guide who explained the history of all the locations that we visited. We saw the railway station (Estação de Comboios), Fonte Nova Lake (Lago de Fonte Nova), the Municipal Assembly (Assemleia Municipal), we walked through the fish market which was easy with a tuke tuke, we saw the Chapel of S.Gonçalinho and the theatre (Teatro Aveirense), we also looked at the building and the pavements which had the traditional Portuguese Pavement (Calçada Portuguesa) which consist of small flat pieces of stones arranged in a pattern or image, and then lastly we saw the Cathedral (Sé de Aveiro). I enjoyed the tour and enjoyed going around the city and exploring it.
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After the tuke tuke ride, I had to take a boat trip, this is a must in Aveiro since after all it is distinguished by its canals and also it is called the "Portuguese Venice". The boat ride was kind of similar to the tuke tuke one in terms of the places we saw, because the majority of the city in build along side the river. After the boat trip I found a restaurant and had lunch there and then didn't have anything left to do since as I mentioned before the city is small so I was done with exploring. After lunch I made it back to the bus station and had about 2 hours left before taking my bus back to Lisbon which I was dreading cause I remembered that it was dumb to go from Lisbon and not Porto.
Check Portugal Travel Guide: The Ultimate 1-Week Travel Itinerary
After arriving back in Lisbon; I didn't have much to do and the day was almost done so I just stayed at the Airbnb cooked lunch and chilled, and I made sure to go to bed early because the next day I had to catch a bus to Porto at 6:00 am and I always make sure I am not exhausted specially when I am traveling solo.
Check 5 Top Places to Visit in Portugal
How to Get to Aveiro
Aveiro is located between Lisbon and porto, so you can easily take a bus from one of these cities to get to Aveiro, but keep in mind that Aveiro is closer to Porto that Lisbon. A bus ride from Lisbon to Aveiro takes around 3h 30mins and it costs around 22€. A Bus ride from Porto to Aveiro takes around an hour and it costs around 12€.
You can also take the train from Lisbon which would take 2h 20 min and the ticket price ranges between 29 and 40€. As mentioned, Aveiro is closer to Porto so a train ride from Porto would take 1h for 3.55€. In Porto take the train from Campanhã or São Bento stations and take the yellow line, trains run every hour.
I like to use Omio to find either buses or trains in Europe, and if I am looking for a flight I would use WayAway to find cheap flights. You can also use this promo code - TP-385219 - for WayAway Plus or you can directly visit this link! (You will get 10% off WayAway Plus subscription!)
How to Move Around Aveiro
It is easy to walk nearly everywhere in Aveiro as everything is located near the city centre. The only things you will need to take the bus for are Costa Nova and Praia Da Barra, Or if you love cycling then you can get a BUGA bike and explore the city that way, these are free bikes as well and you will only need to provide an identification document and then the bike is yours for 2 hours for free within the city limits. Also, if you feel like it you can explore the city by booking a tuk-tuk tour.
Best Time to Visit Aveiro
The best times to visit Aveiro would be between March and September, the weather is nice and sunny during that period. You need 2 days to stay in Aveiro so it would be great if you want to go during the weekend. If you plan to visit between September and March, be aware that it gets cold at night in Aveiro as well as windy.
Accommodations in Aveiro
Aveiro has gained a lot of international exposure during the past few years, most options can be found in the city centre but keep in mind that most hotels as well as family-run housings are a bit overpriced. You can find a lot of great Airbnbs in Aveiro and that would be my favourite option, but in comparison to Lisbon and Porto, Aveiro is slightly more expensive.
Best Cafes & Restaurants in Aveiro
Cha & Bolachas (Gluten-free options, vegan friendly, Mediterranean cuisine)
M Bakery (Gluten-free options, vegan friendly, Portuguese cuisine)
Cais Do Pescado (Gluten-free options, vegan friendly, Mediterranean cuisine)
Musgo (Vegan restaurant)