AVEIRO and COSTA NOVA + Church of Válega and Mr. da Pedra from Porto
Description
Immerse yourself in the region’s beauty and culture on this private tour that combines tradition, art and unique landscapes. We start in Aveiro, the “Portuguese Venice”, where you will board a molicee boat to sail through its canals while the Guide shares curiosities about the city. Following is a guided tour of the historic centre, exploring the connection to the salines and the elegant Art Nouveau architecture. You will also have free time to taste local cuisine at one of the typical restaurants and taste the famous soft eggs. In the afternoon, we head to the Costa Nova, famous for its iconic houses with colorful ribs and the peaceful atmosphere by the sea. The itinerary continues with a visit to the impressive Church of Válega, known for its vibrant tiles and unique facade, and ends in the unique Chapel of the Lord of the Stone, in a unique setting over the Atlantic, perfect for unforgettable photographs.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pick-up of customers at the hotel/accommodation, with travel towards Aveiro
Embark on a traditional mudboat for a tour of the city’s canals while the Guide shares local curiosities and stories.
Guided walking tour of the centre, with highlight to the salines, Art Nouveau architecture and main points of interest. Free time for lunch at a typical restaurant and to taste the famous soft eggs.
Visit the famous colorful houses of Costa Nova do Prado, which are located approximately 10 minutes by car from the city center and are certainly the most photogenic houses in Portugal. Located in Ílhavo, just a few meters from the beach, the houses are nowadays used for tourism, mainly during the summer season. In the past it was a fishing village and these houses were mainly used to store fishing equipment.
Stop for a visit outside (or inside, if open) of the impressive church coated with traditional Portuguese tiles.
Visit to the unique chapel by the sea, in a unique setting over the Atlantic.
Return trip to Porto, with drop-off at the clients' hotel
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The guide will contact the client to arrange a pick-up time at the accommodation/hotel
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(16)
This was a fantastic tour, visiting some beautiful sites outside Porto that we would never have seen. Highlights included a canal boat ride and walking tour through the town of Aveiro, the beautiful beaches and striped houses of Costa Nova, the impressive church with beautiful tiles at Igreja Matriz de Santa Maria de Válega, and finally at another beautiful beach to see the Stone church. Gisele was an awesome tour guide and a great person to spend the day with. Thank you for the great day!
This was a fantastic tour, visiting some beautiful sites outside Porto that we would never have seen. Highlights included a canal boat ride and walking tour through the town of Aveiro, the beautiful beaches and striped houses of Costa Nova, the impressive church with beautiful tiles at Igreja Matriz de Santa Maria de Válega, and finally at another beautiful beach to see the Stone church. Gisele was an awesome tour guide and a great person to spend the day with. Thank you for the great day!
My husband and I booked the private tour option to Aveiro and Costa Nova with Wonders Tours. Our tour guide was Gisela. This was one of the best tours we've booked, and Gisela is a big part of that. She was communicative, on time, is a great driver and has a wonderful sense of humor which we really loved. We felt like we were on a tour with a local friend. We highly recommend this tour! It's easy to get sucked into Porto and its charm, but there is so much to see outside the city! Worth. Every. Penny.
Our tour guide Vasco was fantastic. So knowledgeable, friendly and very focused on what our interests were so he could tailor the experience!
Vasco was a fun and entertaining guide. He showed us around Aviera and the nearby ocean and served as photographer extraordinaire for my group of friends. Would totally recommend him.
The peaceful and quaint towns of AVEIRO and Costa Nova were delightful. Our guide , Vasco, was knowledgeable and accommodating, as well as charming. The restaurant he found for us was delish and he made the translations of our needs and wants so easy. The Chapels were icing on the cake. Thank you Vasco and Viator.
We spent a wonderful devil day with our tour guide David. He was prompt, attentive, informative and our small dog in a carrier was welcome to join us. We saw the favorite spots in Aveiro and Costa Nova, had a delicious Portuguese lunch at a restaurant David suggested, and took a gondola ride on the Aveiro canals. My husband and I highly recommend this tour; and, ask for David😄
We had a lovely day with our guide David. He was so knowledgeable and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. We got to try a local treat, and saw the beautiful towns of Aveiro and Costa Nova via boat, walking, and car.
This was amazing tour. We were picked up at our hotel by Vasco and right away felt like we were going sightseeing with a friend. We talked and found out about each others lives, we what we wanted to see, what it was like at home, etc. Vasco first took us to a place to eat a quick breakfast. It was a little pasteria outside of Porto where a lot of locals go. We then got back in the care and headed for Aveiro. Vasco was knowledgable and answered all of our questions along the way. We got to Aveiro and did the river cruise. It was fascinating to see such an old fishing village on one end of the canal and watching it turn into modern building all the way on the other end. We learned about the history of Aveiro and how fishing was one of the main sources of income even still. Afterwards, we went to see the striped houses of Costa Nova and stopped at the beach to just look around and see the beauty. We went to the fish market which on one hand was incredible as if you want fresh seafood, they literally had everything and it was fresh. We even saw moving octopus tentacles that had just been freshly removed. YUCK! :-) Anyway, Vasco asked what we liked to eat and took us to a place that that had the best pork sandwhiches and then we strolled around old town Aveiro. Again, Vasco answered all of our questions and we had a great time chatting and learning about each others lives. Finally, Vasco let us know there was one place we had to stop on the way back to the Porto and it was not part of the normal tour. It was this amazing cathedral IN the ocean. You read that right. At high tide, the whole thing is surrounded by ocean and you would have to swim to get there. It was SO beautiful, serene and peaceful. The beach had rocks and large waves. The kind you see in the movies. We then headed back to our hotel in Porto. I am so serious when I tell you that Vasco made us feel so welcome and the whole day we felt like we were being given a tour by a friend from the area and not a guide. He is intelligent, knowledgeable, friendly and the kind of person you just want to hang out with. This tour was worth it by itself, but if you can go with Vasco, I highly recommend it as it will be a day to remember.
This is a 5star tour ! David , our tour guide was thoughtful, informed and interesting storyteller of history . Aveiro is beautiful town much larger than the touristy canals and old striped houses of fishing villages , we did the boat ride its optional and why not you are in Portugal ! Do it all The restaurant was a delicious recommended suggestion great , people are charming and the historic churches , chapel museums of St Jaō are so worth going seeing . The history of Dominican order nuns started here It was rainy day but David did a great tour of making it enjoyable and fun , we missed nothing . We are not wine drinkers so this was great alternative to going to a vineyards in Porto . We even went to the lighthouse and the beach . Do everything your in a private tour and can customize it your needs . The car was a new Mercedes coupe very comfortable and elegant . Maria M 🤩 Definitely a must TIPS : Wear sneakers / hybrid hiking shoe Not intense hills but all cobblestone Light rain jacket and hoodie windy by beaches Weather changes so rapidly in Portugal
