About 70 km from Porto and less than an hour away by train or car lies a city where canals replace the main streets and colorful boats glide beneath flower-adorned bridges. It’s called Aveiro, has been known for decades as the “Venice of Portugal,” and the centuries-old craftsmanship behind its moliceiros has just been recognized by UNESCO.
A city you can explore by boat
Aveiro’s historic center is crisscrossed by four urban canals: the Canal Central, the Canal do Côjo, the Canal das Pirâmides, and the Canal de São Roque. It is along these canals that the moliceiros glide—the colorful boats with unique paintings on their sterns that have made the city famous. In the past, the moliceiros were used to harvest moliço, a type of seaweed used to fertilize the region’s fields; today, they are mainly used for approximately 45-minute sightseeing tours along the city’s canals.
The art that UNESCO wants to help save
On December 9, 2025, UNESCO inscribed the art of shipbuilding behind the moliceiros on the Urgent Safeguarding List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The nomination, led by the Intermunicipal Community of the Aveiro Region, was submitted to UNESCO headquarters in Paris in March 2024.
The term “urgent,” in this case, makes sense and is fitting: in the 1970s, there were about 3,000 moliceiros registered in the Ria de Aveiro. Today, however, there are just over 50 vessels remaining, with only five master builders still active—four of whom are over 60 years old. UNESCO’s recognition is specifically intended to help preserve this craft before it is lost entirely.
More than just canals: Art Nouveau and ovos moles
Aveiro is also known as Portugal’s Art Nouveau museum city and is part of the Réseau Art Nouveau Network, an international network that brings together cities such as Barcelona, Brussels, Budapest, and Havana. Through the historic center runs a route featuring some 28 buildings in this style, with facades covered in floral tiles, wrought iron, and colorful stained-glass windows.
After the canal tour, a must-do is to try Aveiro’s ovos moles, the city’s most iconic sweet: a custard made from egg yolks wrapped in a thin wafer, sold in practically every pastry shop in the city center.
How to get there from Porto
Aveiro is just over 70 km from Porto and about a 50-minute drive on the A1. By train, the trip takes about the same amount of time, with direct and frequent connections from Porto Campanhã Station. It’s one of the easiest day trips to take from Porto.
Useful Information
Where: Aveiro , Aveiro District
Distance to Porto: about 70 km (about 50 minutes by car or train)
Moliceiro boat tour: about 45 minutes, with prices starting at €12
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