Aveiro (Sep 6-9, 2024):
History of Aveiro in a few lines:
Origins:
Aveiro has Roman roots and developed as an important fishing and salt-producing port on the Atlantic coast. Its location on the estuary favored maritime trade since antiquity.
Middle Ages:
During the Middle Ages, Aveiro prospered thanks to salt production and fishing. It was a strategic center on Portuguese trade routes.
19th Century:
In the 19th century, the city modernized with the arrival of the railroad and industrial development. Art Nouveau architecture began to define its urban identity.
Present:
Today, Aveiro is known as the “Venice of Portugal” for its canals and moliceiros (traditional boats). It is a tourist and university center, famous for its heritage, beaches, and gastronomy.
A highly recommended trip if you're visiting somewhere else, as it's beautiful but small. Or, for example, if you're planning a visit Port since it's less than 1 hour away.
Parking is very difficult and it's also a regulated zone, so it's advisable to book something with parking included.
We visited a couple more cities:
Guard: It's not worth it
Belmonte: Yeah.
Hotel: Urban City: €149, 2 people, 2 nights with breakfast. We also spent another night at Pátio da Caetana (Almeida), but only because we were passing through, so I'm not even mentioning it since the town has nothing to offer. We booked it through Booking.com.
If you're looking for location and only location, the Urban City This is your hotel. If, on the other hand, you don't want to fight to survive, you'd better choose another one 😂. I think that says it all.
At least the bed was comfortable, the pillows were awful.
Breakfast was supposed to be included, and here's what it was: a basket with apple juice, a chocolate milkshake, an apple, a bread roll, a small packet of crackers, jam, and a cheese wedge. They call this breakfast without even a measly cup of coffee.
The air conditioning/heating wasn't working; they had to bring us blankets. It was very humid.
Dirty and very small bathroom. The shower wasn't working properly; the hose kept coming off the shower head.
It was hard to find.
The city is nice, it's pretty and you can see it in a morning.
On the last day we wanted to treat ourselves and went to Marisqueira Costa Nova It's very popular there and we had to wait in a long line, but honestly, it's NOT worth it. It's very expensive and it wasn't even that delicious, not something to remember. It is worth going to Costa Nova and strolling around. Watching the sunset from a beach bar, with background music and a drink, is priceless… A real treat.
On the way there we stopped at a restaurant in an industrial park. Pao Alho Restaurant Viseu It's amazing. The food is a set menu, but it's incredibly delicious and enough for an army. It's like grandma's cooking, but for €8 you can't even afford dessert. It includes a first course, a second course, a drink, dessert, and coffee. And everyone was so friendly that on the way back we managed to have lunch there too, and it was the same pleasant surprise.
We visited Guarda, although that was because the name sounded familiar, but it really has nothing to offer.
We also visited Belmonte, which is highly recommended.
We went in our car from Madrid.
Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Passport/ID: Both are valid.
European Health Insurance Card: It's necessary, it's very easy to order online and they send it to your home. Request.
Vaccines: There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry.
International driving permit: There's no need. DGT.
Payment/exchange card: None in particular, since the currency is the euro.
Roaming: Yeah.
Note: toll road but no toll booths, we had the Spanish electronic toll system and the charge came later.
Where to eat: If you want to eat at a restaurant, there's also the app. TheFork which has many discounts. If you book with the code 7C1B79A3 When you are finishing the booking, you will get 1000 Yums = €10 discount at your next meal. In addition to other special offers they often have, or simply to accumulate points and use them for discounts on your next payments.
It operates in several countries, including Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, and Australia.
Other destinations in Portugal: 
