Known as the Venice of Portugal, Aveiro is surrounded by salt-flats, beaches and lagoons and dominated by the Central Canal running through town. Once a big sea port, Aveiro lies in a region of valleys cut by mountains and fertile lagoon plains.

The city of Aveiro is crossed by canals, which give it quite an individual character, and in the old quarter tourists can see the quaint whitewashed houses of the fishermen and visit, early in the morning, the Mercado do Peixe, an auction of the fish caught during the night. Of all the boats seen in the area, the moliceiro is the most elegant, being perfectly lined, painted with bright colours and with often ingenious and humorous decorations.

The fine beach of São Jacinto lies close to woodland and the São Jacinto Dunes Natural Reserve, with well preserved dunes and varied fauna and flora