The Moliceiros

The moliceiros, in Aveiro

The moliceiros are the emblematic colourful boats of Aveiro, the equivalent of the Venetian gondolas on the canals of the Ria. The Aveiro audio-guided tour stops here to evoke these traditional boats, once work boats serving to harvest the moliço, a seaweed used as fertiliser, saved from decline and become the most prized attraction of the city for promenades on the canals.

History

What the gondolas are to Venice, the moliceiros are to Aveiro: a flagship symbol and a tourist showcase of the destination. At their approach, the visitors stop, observe their crossing smiling and try to photograph them as prettily as possible. True stars, of whom the history is often ignored. Originally, the moliceiro was a work boat: the locals used it for the collection of the moliço, an aquatic seaweed that, once dried in the sun, served as fertiliser to the agricultural lands of all the region. At its apogee at the end of the nineteenth century, the moliceiro underwent a strong decline in the 1960s, because of emigration, rural exodus and the use of chemical fertilisers. Unused, neglected and threatened with disappearing, the boat had however not said its last word: with the reactivation of the former shipyards, it inherited a new function, becoming a tourist boat allowing the discovery of Aveiro from the canals of the Ria. A successful bet, for these promenades are today the most coveted activity of the city. Assembled in the neighbouring town of Murtosa, the moliceiros are recognised by their panels painted in bright colours.

What to see

Here you admire the moliceiros, emblematic colourful boats of Aveiro and equivalents of the Venetian gondolas; once work boats serving to harvest the moliço to fertilise the lands, saved from the decline of the 1960s, they have become tourist boats to discover the Ria, the most prized activity of the city. The moliceiros are the symbol of Aveiro. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The moliceiros navigate on the canals of the Ria, in the heart of Aveiro, and are discovered from the quays, reachable on foot. Promenades on a moliceiro are offered by various providers, according to hours and conditions that vary. It is best to enquire on the spot.

What did the moliceiros of Aveiro originally serve for?

They were work boats serving to collect the moliço, an aquatic seaweed that, once dried in the sun, fertilised the agricultural lands of the region; at their apogee at the end of the nineteenth century, they declined in the 1960s before being reborn as tourist boats for the promenades on the canals of the Ria, the most prized activity of Aveiro.

Where to see the moliceiros in Aveiro?

On the canals of the Ria, in the heart of Aveiro, in Portugal.