Costa Nova beach

Times have changed and Costa Nova has changed with them. It has created a special connection with the sea which lives by its feet and it became a special place, full of tradition illuminated by warm and vibrant colours.

From a fishermen beach to a seaside resort

As the population of Costa Nova increased and the haystacks became increasingly comfortable to summer visitors, there was a growing demand for sea baths at Costa Beach, often motivated by its great iodine concentration which was beneficial to people’s health. Throughout the 19^th century, Costa Nova gradually changed from a fishing community to a summer resort, which led fishermen to move south in order to run away from bathers who came from the city. From then on, the structure of the haystack changed. Some were taken away from the place where they had been originally built and rebuilt somewhere else, the stakes which supported others were reduced in order to make the structure stand directly on the sand and the outside of many others became vertical to symbolize the economic power of their owners.

If you are in Costa Nova, you should visit the Fishing Market. This is one of the few markets where freshly caught shellfish from the Lagoon – such as edible crab, goose barnacle, coast shrimp or whelk – is prepared immediately, a procedure which guarantees that the seafood is fresh and full of flavour. This way, you can have your seafood already cooked and then taste it while you rest at Cais dos Pescadores.

From a fishermen beach to a seaside resort

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