Day 9 took us to Aveiro, a fishing and salt-making town near Ilhavo that is often called the Venice of Portugal due to its numerous canals.
Statue of Joao Afonso de Aveiro in the town square.
Aveiro has a long history of salt production. The Ria de Aveiro is a lagoon system that is influenced by tides and that has vast salt marshes. Our first stop in Aveiro was the Troncalhada Museum, where salt is still extracted today.
Next we took a ride in a moliceiro, a traditional boat with big colorful prows. They were originally used to gather seaweed, which was used as a fertilizer. Today they primarily transport tourists on the canals.
We were the only ones on our boat, so the boys both got a turn at the helm!
Our guide threw some bread to the very excited ducks.
The buildings are beautiful.
A salt warehouse on the canal.
After some relaxation back at our hotel, we headed out for a late afternoon of splashing and sand-castle-building on the beaches of the Costa Nova.
The sand castle was overtaken by some big waves!
The boys promptly set to rebuilding it.
With one last seafood dinner at a nearby restaurant, it was a fitting way to end our stay in this coastal region.
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