15 best Instagram spots in Aveiro, Portugal

Looking for the best Instagram spots in Aveiro and near the city? Aveiro has to be one of the most scenic and picturesque cities in Portugal, so read along to find all the best photo spots you should visit in the famous Venice of Portugal!

We spent a whole week in Aveiro, Portugal, and explored as many corners of this city (and beyond) as we could! In this blog post, you will find all the Instagram spots in Aveiro with photos, descriptions, and locations on Google Maps. Happy exploring!

Read more » 21 best things to do in Aveiro, The Venice of Portugal

1. One of the most famous Instagram spots in Aveiro: the candy-striped houses at Costa Nova!

These candy-striped houses are amongst the most famous Instagram spots in Aveiro and in Portugal. I actually only wanted to go to Aveiro to see these houses and only after that I decided to explore the city (it has so many interesting places, by the way).

Costa Nova is Aveiro’s coastal village located just 10 kilometers from Aveiro center. You can get there by taxi, by bus or by car from Aveiro. We went by car and easily parked our car right in front of these houses (location below).

These houses are actually called ‘palheiros’ and originally were built by the local fishermen as warehouses to store their fishing equipment. Later they were redesigned and today some of them host restaurants, but others are actual residential properties.

Visiting these houses was one of my favorite things to do in Aveiro! They really look like a movie set for a cartoon or something like that, haha! Just walk around and choose the best photo spot! They are the cutest houses you will ever see!

Location: Fishermen’s houses at Costa Nova – Parking at Costa Nova

2. The iconic Friendship Bridge with colorful ribbons

Costa Nova striped houses is not the only colorful place in Aveiro city. One of the most unique bridges in Aveiro is called the Friendship bridge or ‘Ponte do Laços de Amizade’ in Portuguese, and it definitely is even more colorful than the houses.

The most unique thing about this bridge that you will immediately notice is that it is covered by countless ribbons in different colors. These are friendship ribbons put there by friends and couples. They are a simpler alternative to the usual padlocks.

The bridge is located in the very heart of the city next to the Forum Aveiro shopping mall. The bridge is the perfect place for watching Barcos Moliceiros boats passing by the canal and under the bridge.

If you can catch one of the colorful gondolas when it fits inside the frame together with the Friendship bridge, you will catch one of the most iconic photos you can get in Aveiro. Luckily, those boats are cruising there quite often!

If you wish, you can tie a ribbon yourself! You can buy these ribbons in many stores in the city – normally they hang them outside next to the windows so that you can see that they have them. You then have to write your names on it and tie it to the bridge.

Although this tradition started with one bridge, today there are already a couple of bridges decorated with these ribbons. If you visit Aveiro with your loved one or friends, then this cute tradition should be on your bucket list things to do in Aveiro for sure!

Location: Friendship Bridge in Aveiro

3. The scenic ‘I love Aveiro’ stairs

One of the best Instagram spots in Aveiro is the ‘I love Aveiro’ stairs. They are located just a short walk away from the historic center after a scenic walk along one of the city canals (the one with the Friendship bridge).

This catchy phrase that is painted on the massive stairs always works. Everybody loves Aveiro! You will already see the painting from afar – it is quite big! There is nothing else in the area, so if you happen to take a walk nearby, then stop by to take a photo!

Location: ‘I love Aveiro’ stairs

4. The iconic Aveiro gondolas – Barcos Moliceiros

There is only one reason why Aveiro in Portugal is called the Venice of Portugal. Aveiro city has a system of canals winding through the city that allows transportation in special boats called Barcos Moliceiros – similar to those in the Italian city of Venice.

These Moliceiro boats were once used for harvesting seaweed (moliço), but today they are mostly used for tourist purposes. The most common Aveiro boat tour goes along four urban canals – Canal Central, Canal da Pirâmides, Canal do Cojo, and Canal de São Roque.

The tour is very entertaining with very attractive guides that tell you stories about the city. Along the way, you will see such places as the Art Nouveau buildings, salt marshes, the fish warehouses, and you will pass under several bridges.

Taking a photo next to the canal with the iconic gondolas or – if you go on a tour – inside one of the boats is a must! if you don’t have a photo of these boats, you haven’t been to Aveiro, so go to the central canal (preferably in the morning before the masses) and take that iconic photo!

Location: Moliceiros Pier – Canal Central

5. The stunning Old Aveiro Railway Station

Inaugurated in 1856, Old Aveiro Railway Station is probably the most beautiful building in Aveiro and one of the most beautiful train stations in Portugal as well! This was, without a doubt, one of my favorite places to visit in Aveiro!

This snow-white building with traditional blue tile illustrations is a true hidden gem you must see during your trip to Aveiro. This building is very Portuguese and makes for some of the best Instagram spots in Aveiro.

It was built as one of the stops on the Lisbon-Porto railway line. The facade of the building is covered with 59 tile panels, so definitely walk around and check out all the different artworks on these tiles!

The illustrations include traditional activities, local landscapes, and representations of local figures. This was one of the best places to visit in Aveiro and one of my favorite places for sure!

Location: Old Aveiro Railway Station

6. Ponte dos Carcavelos – one of the oldest bridges in Aveiro

There are many bridges in Aveiro, but only a few are more special than others. One of those was the aforementioned Friendship Bridge, but there is one more special bridge that deserves to be mentioned amongst the best Instagram spots in Aveiro.

Ponte dos Carcavelos might be one of the many bridges in Aveiro, but this is definitely a special one. Built in 1953, it is one of the oldest bridges in Aveiro. And, honestly, it might as well be the most beautiful bridge in the city (in terms of architecture)!

Painted in yellow color with white balusters, this bridge also boasts a beautiful green coat of arms of Aveiro city. It has an eagle on it – the symbol of the city. The bridge was built to replace another bridge that collapsed here 11 years earlier.

The bridge spans over the São Roque canal and it is a bit outside the heart of Old Town so it gets fewer visitors making it the perfect iconic Instagram spot in Aveiro where you can go any time of the day to get a great photo!

Location: Ponte dos Carcavelos

7. The Art Nouveau facades on the riverside

Aveiro is known for one more iconic trait of the city – the beautiful Art Nouveau architectural style. You can see many buildings around Aveiro in Art Noveau style and Aveiro is even included in Réseau Art Nouveau Network – European cities with a rich Art Nouveau heritage.

Aveiro experienced a big boom during the 19th and 20th centuries with the expansion of the transportation network and the opening of artificial canals in the city which resulted in economic growth and an increase in population in later years.

The 20th century saw the construction of many of the beautiful Art Noveau buildings in Aveiro. They were mostly built by wealthy families. You can see some prominent examples along the promenade that goes next to the central canal.

There is even the Art Nouveau museum – one of the most beautiful Art Noveau examples. You can take beautiful photos by sitting on the riverside with all the buildings behind you or choose the most beautiful building and snap a photo there!

Location: Art Nouveau Museum

8. The statues of traditional figures on the bridge

Right next to the Friendship bridge, there is a big square – General Humberto Delgado Square. It also serves as a bridge over the central canal. Boats are sailing right under the bridge while cars are driving over the bridge.

The unique thing about this central square is that in each of its four corners, there is a bronze statue dedicated to traditional figures from the history of Aveiro. Their names (or rather – professions) are – A Salineira, O Marnoto, O Fogueteiro, and A Parceira do Ramo.

A Salineira is a woman whose job was transporting the salt in wicker baskets from the boat to the warehouses. O Marnoto was the man responsible for extracting artisanal salt using wooden tools. Which was a physically demanding job.

O Fogueteiro and A Parceira do Ramo come from entertainment traditions. O Fogueteiro was the one who launched fireworks during festive days in Aveiro, but A Parceira do Ramo wears traditional clothes on festive days and gives flowers to the new butlers.

These statues represent the history of Aveiro and the traditions locals had since ages ago. Choose your favorite statue for an Instagrammable shot! You can get some photos with the famous boats and the canal in the background – that would make the photo even more iconic!

Location: General Humberto Delgado Square

9. The iconic pink café – M Bakery Aveiro

M Bakery Aveiro is definitely one of the most Instagrammable places in Aveiro. Every detail including cakes, desserts, forks, spoons, chairs, and tables is well thought out. If you are a fan of pink, then this is the place to go!

We visited this café twice during our stay in Aveiro – for breakfast and for lunch. Both times food was great and I would go the third time if we stayed longer. There are tables inside and also outside. You can order food from the menu or buy pastries and cakes for takeaway.

There are many Instagrammable corners in this café. Probably the flower wall with ‘Enjoy life, eat cake’ letters could be the best spot, but you should see for yourself! Grab a coffee and a cake and explore around! Even if you don’t want a photo, the food is also worth a visit!

Location: M Bakery Aveiro

10. Colorful tile murals in the streets of Aveiro

Portugal and tile artworks is a match made in heaven. Their art never ceases to amaze me and it is always worth taking a look at some of the best tile artwork examples you have around wherever you are in Portugal.

There were two places that I liked the most in the city – one of them was right in front of the city canal next to all the boats. There was a long wall of tile illustrations depicting moments from the daily lives of people who lived here, including salt production and fishing.

Another one of my favorites was the ceramic mural located next to Praça da República Square along Rua de Coimbra Street. The wall had lots of different colorful tiles with symbols. I did not investigate more closely what those were tho, but it looks great!

Location: Ceramic Mural – Riverside wall of tile illustrations

11. The historic salt fields at Salinas de Aveiro

Salt exploration in the Aveiro region dates back to the times when the city didn’t even exist yet. This tradition is the essence of Aveiro and has been a part of their daily lives since the very beginning.

If you can buy one souvenir from Aveiro, then local salt is definitely one of the best things to buy. However, if you have time, you can visit the salt flats and walk around the salt pans on your own. And don’t forget to snap a photo while there! Looks cool!

We did not walk around, but we did stop at the salt flats to take a look at this historic tradition and place. You can very well see the mountains of extracted salt and all the salt ponds reflecting the light in different shades.

Location: Salinas de Aveiro

12. Agueda – the City of Umbrellas

Agueda is a city in the Aveiro district just a 30-minute drive away from Aveiro city. It is one of the hidden gems in Portugal and one of the best Instagram spots to visit in the Aveiro district if you time it right!

During the sunny season, the streets in this city are turned into a carnival of umbrellas. I counted about five streets that were covered with colorful umbrellas or other decorations. Some walls of houses and shops also had umbrellas on them.

There were colorful benches, even a decorative car on one of the streets as well as other colorful decorations. Luckily, we visited this place at the end of August so everything was in full swing.

The best streets to go to see the umbrellas are Rua Luís Camões, Rua José Maria Veloso, Rua Jornal Soberania do Povo and Rua Vasco da Gama. I also saw colorful decorations on Rua São Bento Street.

Important! These decorations are part of the Umbrella Sky Project – an international initiative that takes place in many different cities around the world. In Agueda, this project can be seen from 1st July to 30 September when they take it down.

They also create a special Christmas project that you can visit during December when the umbrellas are decorated with Christmas lights. If you want to be sure before you go, I recommend contacting Umbrella Sky Project on Instagram.

You can also check out other projects they have around the world and contact them by sending a message or asking in the comments so that you don’t waste your trip to this city just to realize that the umbrellas are not up yet or have already been taken down.

Location: Umbrella Sky Project in Agueda

13. The most colorful church in Portugal – Igreja Matriz de Válega!

Matriz de Válega church was an absolute favorite of mine and one of the most beautiful hidden gems in Portugal. The whole church is covered by tiles with colorful biblical illustrations on the facade. You can visit this church for free!

The church is located in Válega town in the Aveiro district (30 minutes from Aveiro city) and is amongst the best Instagram photo spots in the Aveiro district. Construction of the church started in the middle of the 18th century and lasted for a hundred years.

The tiles continue on the inside as well which is equally as spectacular as the outside depicting numerous biblical characters and scenes. The tile illustrations are combined with wooden panels as well as stunning altarpieces and statues.

The sides of the church are in typical blue and white tiles. There is a cemetery right next to the church for you to take a look at – you can notice some beautiful architecture there. Just check the working hours on Google Maps before you go (link below)!

Location: Igreja Matriz de Válega

14. The stunning Igreja Paroquial de Cortegaça blue-tile church

Located in Cortegaça village in Aveiro district is this wonderful sight you will remember forever – the stunning Igreja Paroquial de Cortegaça church. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful churches in Portugal.

The building that we see today was completed in 1918 and was built to replace the temple dating back to the middle of the 12th century. it looks simply stunning and is one of the most beautiful Instagram spots in the Aveiro district that is well worth a visit!

This striking church is located in a square at the end of an alley of palm trees. The incredible facade was covered with tiles between 1921 and 1923 and depicts religious figures. The church has two flanking towers topped with spires.

The pediment in the middle part is topped by three sculptures. I could only silently admire everything I saw here – it was magical. This church is definitely one of the most exquisite examples of Portuguese tile artworks and you must see it!

Location: Igreja Paroquial de Cortegaça

15. The hidden gem in Aveiro – Palace Hotel of Buçaco

Another amazing place in the Aveiro district is Buçaco Palace. The palace is actually a former convent that today houses a luxury hotel. However, in order to visit the palace, you don’t have to book a stay there – the property is accessible to the public for free!

This convent including a luxurious garden with countless species of trees was built in the 17th century. Part of that convent as well as a church is still preserved beside the palace to this day.

The Palace Hotel of Buçaco as we see it today was finished in 1907. The palace proudly boasts a Neo-Manueline architectural style that was born in Portugal. You can freely walk around the palace and the spectacular garden.

It is also possible to take a look inside, however, we did not have time to do that. The area around the palace is called Buçaco National Forest – one of the hidden gems in Portugal. It is a very thick forest with pathways, stairs, and fountains. A beautiful place for a walk!

Location: Buçaco Palace – Fonte Fria fountain