Costa Nova, fifteen minutes from Aveiro on the seaward bar of the lagoon, owns one of Portugal's most photographed streetscapes: a line of palheiros — former fishermen's haylofts and net stores — painted in bold candy stripes of red, blue, green and yellow against white.
The stripes face the calm Ria, where the morning fish market and seafood restaurants keep the village honest; across the dune, the Atlantic side runs wide Blue Flag sand with serious surf and summer lifeguards. Between the two, the village makes an easy half-day: photographs at the striped houses, lunch on clams and grilled fish, beach or boardwalk after.
Buses and taxis run from Aveiro through the bridge at Barra, whose lighthouse — Portugal's tallest — guards the lagoon mouth next door.
Highlights
- Candy-striped palheiros along the lagoon front
- Blue Flag Atlantic beach across the dune
- Seafood restaurants and morning fish market
- Portugal's tallest lighthouse next door at Barra
- Fifteen minutes from central Aveiro
History & context
A fishing settlement of the 19th century, Costa Nova grew where the 1808 opening of the Barra channel fixed the lagoon's mouth; the striped palheiros, built for nets and hay, were adopted as summer houses and protected as the village's identity.
🗓️ Best time to visit
Morning for soft light on the stripes and the fish market; summer afternoons for the beach.
⏱️ Duration
Half a day
♿ Accessibility
Flat village front; boardwalks cross the dunes to the beach.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the houses striped?
Fishermen painted their wooden palheiros in bold stripes to find them in coastal fog — practicality that became Portugal's most photogenic paint job.
Can you swim?
Yes — the ocean side is a wide Blue Flag beach with lifeguards in season; the lagoon side is for boats and photographs.