Ílhavo

The surprising city of Ílhavo is located 6 km away from Aveiro, is a landmark of contemporary architecture and a stronghold of the codfish heritage. A land of brave sailors who played a major role during the Portuguese Discoveries and the codfish campaigns in Newfoundland, Ílhavo proudly exhibits its deep-rooted maritime tradition. But this is also an exciting destination for bike and beach lovers, where travellers can find the most colourful beach in Portugal: Costa Nova, famous for its enchanting houses in stripes, along with the iconic Lighthouse of Barra beach. Let's unveil (some of) the secrets of Ílhavo!

The surprising city of Ílhavo, located 6 km away from Aveiro, is a landmark of contemporary architecture and a stronghold of the codfish heritage. A land of brave sailors who played a major role during the Portuguese Discoveries and the codfish campaigns in Newfoundland, Ílhavo proudly exhibits its deep-rooted maritime tradition. But this is also an exciting destination for bike and beach lovers, where travellers can find the most colourful beach in Portugal: Costa Nova, famous for its enchanting houses in stripes, along with the iconic Lighthouse of Barra beach. Let's unveil (some of) the secrets of Ílhavo!

Ílhavo Maritime Museum
Nominated for the European Mies van der Rohe Prize and considered by ArchDaily as one of the top 20 most spectacular museums in the world, Ílhavo Maritime Museum was design by the architects Nuno Mateus and José Mateus – Gabinete ARX.
Apart from its architectural relevance, Ílhavo Maritime Museum has 3 main rooms: the Ria Room, where you can observe the traditional boats of the region; the Codfish Fishing room with a live replica of a boat used in codfish fishing in the ice-cold North-European seas and a room devoted to local people, deeply related to the sea life.

You must visit the Codfish Aquarium and see several codfish species swimming around. It is the first in the country and the ideal place to observe this interesting species with a closer look. The Codfish Aquarium is a must-see spot of the city of Ílhavo, which so intensely promotes the preservation of sea traditions. It will certainly be a very interesting surprise!

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