"Aveiro: An Unforgettable Experience" Top 5 Page for this destination Aveiro by global84

"Próxima estação Aveiro. Vamos chegar no horádio previsto."

Finally, the train was approaching Aveiro, the city I have always want to come. The city of canals, boats (moliceiros), and salt... My heart began to pound since I finally got a chance to see this city that I have always pictured on my own.

I got off the train, and walked along Avenida, a wide avenue stretched to downtown. But my plan was not to just go into the center straight, but to make a turn so I could walk along one of the canals. So I did, and there indeed was the canal I was looking for, and the Forum Aveiro, a huge and very modern shopping mall where I made a pit stop for lunch.

The city had so much to offer. Although I only had about 4 hours to take a look in Aveiro, I was absolutely amazed how well-maintained the city center was, how beautiful all the azulejo panels on façades of low-lying buildings were, and how canals and moliceiros were giving a special, unique character to the city. The open-top bus tour for about 50 minutes gave me a better sense of Aveiro's industrial history, the wealth accumulated from salt and seaweed for many centuries.

When I was there, the city was full of tourists, both domestic and foreign alike, and both backpackers and budget travelers alike. This is not a city where you can do monument- or museum-hopping, but to really enjoy the city with a nice salt-flavored breeze coming from the Atlantic Ocean.

If you have enough time in Portugal, I highly recommend you to go there, and see what this Portuguese version of Amsterdam really looks like. It is also a very safe place, too.

While in Aveiro, do not miss the following. Make sure to take a full advantage of everything the city has to offer!

1) Canal do Cojo - The canal along the Forum Aveiro, with a few pedestrianized bridges
2) Praça Humberto Delgado - The "very" center, the liveliest area of the city
3) Canal Central - The canal in the center of the city where one can see a number of moliceiros
4) Downtown - North of Canal Central, where Aveiro shows people that the city is not just about canals
5) Forum Aveiro - Well, it is not a normal shopping mall you would think, but an example of a great modern architecture with a garden at the top
6) Old Station - Next to new station building, there is an azulejo-filled old station building, which is still used for ticketing services

For the pictures, check out my travel tips.

Aveiro, as a transportation hub of the coastal Beiras region (Beira Litoral) with Coimbra, it offers various options of getting there. Being in the southern end of Porto's suburban train networks makes it even more convinient to visit. I would recommend trains over buses, because the city does not have a central terminal that has frequent services from other parts of Portugal. Trains are much faster and more reliable.

From Lisbon:
The high-speed train service called Alfa Pendular connects Santa Apolónia and Oriente stations in Lisbon with Aveiro almost hourly everyday, which takes about 2 hours 25 minutes. There are also occasional Intercidade services on the same route, which take a longer time.

From Coimbra:
The regional services connect Coimbra-B, the main station in Coimbra, with Aveiro several times a day. It can be a little slow, but will not take too long. A good way to enjoy the view of the countryside between these two major cities of Beiras Litoral.

From Porto:
If you are on a time schedule, I recommend you taking Alfa Pendular from Porto's Campanhã station to Aveiro. However, if your schedule is flexible enough, save your money by taking Linha Porto-Aveiro, which connects Aveiro with both Campanhã and São Bento in Porto.

Linha da Vouga:
This rather infrequent local service goes along with Rio Vouga. It goes all the way to Águeda. If you have a few days in Aveiro, try this route to enjoy beautiful scenery along Rio Vouga.

• Pros:Beautiful canals, boats, buildings, especially Azulejo panels!
• In a nutshell:Your trip to Aveiro will be a truly unforgettable experience!