Beira Mar District

The Beira Mar district, in Aveiro

The Beira Mar district is the oldest and most authentic of Aveiro, criss-crossed by canals in the heart of the city. The Aveiro audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this suburb born between the fifteenth and the sixteenth century with the rise of cod fishing, former land of the families of fishermen and salt workers, with its low houses covered with ceramic.

History

Deploying its canals among the houses, like a ramification of water, the Ria is inseparable from Aveiro: without it, the route would not have the same appearance, nor this omnipresent maritime scope, especially here. Here we are in the sinuous alleys of Beira Mar, the most authentic and oldest district of the city. Its origins go back to the fifteenth or sixteenth century, when Aveiro develops as a sea port specialised in cod fishing. This flourishing activity leads to a rise in the population and the creation of new housing zones outside the ramparts of the medieval city: thus is born the Vila Nova district, the current Beira Mar. Close to the salt marshes and the shore, it becomes the welcoming land of families of fishermen, whose houses adopt the same appearance, low, narrow, covered with ceramic, with a door framed by two small windows, like that of number 15. Sign of confidence between neighbours, the dwellings once remained constantly open. Time has passed and habits have changed, but the Beira Mar district has kept its popular soul and its maritime charm.

What to see

Here you wander in the oldest and most authentic district of Aveiro, born between the fifteenth and the sixteenth century from the rise of cod fishing; criss-crossed by canals, former suburb of the fishermen and salt workers, it aligns its low houses covered with ceramic with a maritime charm. The Beira Mar district is the soul of Aveiro. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Beira Mar district extends in the heart of Aveiro, along the canals, reachable on foot. It is a historic district in free access, that concentrates a great part of the attractions of the city, restaurants and traditional houses. You discover it during a walk in its alleys.

What is the origin of the Beira Mar district in Aveiro?

It was born between the fifteenth and the sixteenth century, when Aveiro developed as a cod fishing port: the rise in the population imposed building outside the medieval ramparts the Vila Nova district, the current Beira Mar, land of the families of fishermen and salt workers, with its low houses covered with ceramic, still visible today.

Where is the Beira Mar district in Aveiro?

In the heart of Aveiro, along the canals, in Portugal.