Coimbra and Aveiro in One Day with Kids: a Library, Little Portugal and Striped Houses

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We started the day in Coimbra, a university town that was Portugal’s capital until the 13th century. Then we followed the Age of Discovery in a park built at a child’s height, pictured an old fishing village in front of the striped houses on the coast, and ate dinner in a modern canal city before driving up to Porto. Here is the day’s route first.

Coimbra’s university hill, seen through the car window

The University of Coimbra was founded in 1290 and settled in Coimbra in 1537. It is the oldest university in Portugal, and in 2013 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site (University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia).

We left the hotel that morning and drove up to the hill where the university stands. Pastel-painted houses lined the road up. The mood reminded me of St. Gallen, the Swiss university town, and the pastel colors of Bo-Kaap in Cape Town, a neighborhood well known for its brightly painted houses.

We passed a shop selling university uniforms. Students here still wear a black cape as part of the uniform, as the tradition goes. J.K. Rowling moved to Porto in late 1991 to teach English, lived there until late 1993, and wrote the opening of the first Harry Potter book. There is a story that these black capes inspired the Hogwarts uniforms, but Rowling has never said so herself.

I had planned to park near the campus and look around inside. But the streets up on the hill are narrow and steep, and there were few places to park. We circled the neighborhood several times without finding a space. In the end we drove slowly through, took in the feel of a university town, and moved on.

Later I read that the Joanina Library (Biblioteca Joanina) inside the old campus is the highlight of the paid visit. It is a Baroque library of gold leaf and marble, and the story goes that bats still live inside to eat the bookworms that would otherwise gnaw the old books.

Coimbra is also known for its own style of fado. Unlike the fado of other regions, which often sings of the hard life at sea and of people who left, Coimbra fado grew out of serenades that male students sang to women, so it is said to be a little lighter and to be sung only by men. We didn’t go out of our way to hear it here. Only after we heard fado in Porto did I start wondering how the Coimbra style differs.

Getting there and parking

• The streets on the university hill are narrow and steep, and parking was scarce
• If you want to see the inside, it is easier to leave the car at the foot of the hill and walk up

Tickets and hours

Based on the university’s official visitor site (UCTour), checked October 2026

Time spent

• About 15 minutes driving around the hill

Portugal dos Pequenitos: following the Age of Discovery at a child’s height

We stopped at Portugal dos Pequenitos because we thought our kid would enjoy it. The park opened in June 1940 and doubles as a short course in Portugal. It began with scaled-down houses from each region of Portugal, then the country’s best-known monuments, all built at a child’s height. Later sections cover the architecture and daily life of the former colonies: the Portuguese-speaking countries, Macau, India and East Timor.

That last section stayed with us the longest. It traces the marks Portugal left on the world during the Age of Discovery. There were explanations by period and by person, but what struck me was that each country where they left their mark had its own pavilion. One exhibit showed at a glance where Portugal went and how. It felt as if the park wanted to preserve a splendid era. Many local kids happened to be there on a school trip.

One exhibit introduced the fruit of the cashew tree. It was the first time I had seen what a cashew looks like growing.

Inside there was also an activity room for drawing and making things. Our kid drew the São Jorge Castle (Castelo de São Jorge) we had seen in Lisbon, adding a few ideas of their own from the trip.

On the way out, our kid bought a wooden spinning top in the gift shop. Our kid carried it happily for the rest of the trip.

Getting there

• About 2 km (1.2 mi) and 6 minutes by car from our hotel in central Coimbra
• Address: Rossio de Santa Clara, 3040-256 Coimbra

Hours and prices

Hours checked on the park’s official website in October 2026. Prices come from an article updated in October 2025, so check again before you go.

Time spent

• About 1 hr 40 min from walking through the main gate to leaving
• Longer if you take your time

Good to know

• The pavilions inside have many screens and information panels, and some exhibits let you press a button to flip through screens.
• The activity room for drawing and making things is a good place to rest between stretches of walking.

Kebab for lunch across from the park

Leaving the park, we had a quick lunch at a Turkish place across the street: a döner and a dürüm kebab and a pastel de nata. Then we hurried off to Costa Nova on the coast, where our kid wanted to go.

Costa Nova, a beach village of striped houses

We added Costa Nova and Aveiro to the day because our kid loves the sea and anything with water. It rained on the way, but the deeper colors weren’t bad. By the time we arrived the rain had stopped, the sun was coming through the clouds, and it was windy.

Costa Nova is a small village on the west coast. Not just one or two: a whole row of houses, painted white with red, green, blue or yellow stripes, lines the street.

The striped houses are called palheiros. They began as huts where fishermen kept nets and gear, built on stilts so that sand wouldn’t pile up. When sea bathing became fashionable in the late 19th century, fishermen started renting them to summer guests, and the idea of painting the outer boards in bright colors is said to have come up then. One explanation says the colors were borrowed from the moliceiro, the colorful boats of this region. Another story says fishermen painted their houses to find them in the frequent fog. Today it looks as if the village is kept up with extra care for the visitors who come to see it.

Standing in front of the striped houses, I tried to picture the village in its fishing days: boats heading out to sea, and people watching from their doors for them to come back. Huts where fishermen kept their nets have become houses this colorful.

A wide square and a lawn stretch out in front of the houses, which makes for a roomy view. Our kid couldn’t resist the fountain in the paving, and ran around until their clothes and shoes were soaked. Our kid also tried out the spinning top from Portugal dos Pequenitos and quickly got the hang of it. Meanwhile we sat at a café nearby with coffee, a pastel de nata and gelato and caught our breath.

The beach behind the dunes

We also stopped at Costa Nova Beach (Praia da Costa Nova), behind the houses. It is so windy there that the tall dune in front of the beach was covered in sand. Our kid ran down that dune and climbed back up again, over and over.

On the beach, where the waves were strong, our kid picked up something like a cuttlebone and marveled at it. Traveling with a kid, moments like this, which weren’t in the plan, are the ones we remember longest.

Getting there

• From Portugal dos Pequenitos in Coimbra to Costa Nova: about 71 km (44 mi), 54 minutes by car
• From Costa Nova to central Aveiro: about 10 km (6 mi), 11 minutes, so the two pair up easily

Time spent

• A little over an hour at the striped houses, the square and the café
• About 20 minutes at the beach and dunes

Good to know

• The beach is windy and the sand blows. A windbreaker helps.
• The fountain and the dunes make it easy for a kid’s clothes and shoes to end up wet or full of sand. A spare set left in the car makes life easier.

Aveiro, an evening in a city of canals

Late in the afternoon we reached Aveiro, a nearby city known as the “Venice of Portugal” for the colorful moliceiro boats on its canals. Four canals run through the center. I have to say we didn’t see the resemblance to Venice. The area around the canals was much more modern, and that modern feel turned out to be the city’s charm.

Modern buildings and shops lined the canals, and the parks and playgrounds were well kept. The streets were flat, so it was easy to get around on foot. It had the convenience and the calm of a small European town, and I kept imagining what it would be like to live somewhere like this.

I had often heard that many Europeans name Portugal as a place to retire. We had seen the cheap supermarket prices, the mild weather and the kindness of the people, but it was in Aveiro that the idea first made sense to us. We found ourselves saying we would like to live here when we retire.

Fonte Nova park and ovos moles

Our first stop was Fonte Nova park (Jardim da Fonte Nova). I had marked it because of a sculpture of ovos moles, the city’s signature sweet. We bought one at a nearby kiosk. Made from egg yolks and sugar, it was sweet and good. It was so sweet that more than two at a sitting was hard, but we liked it enough to buy a tin before leaving Aveiro and another before leaving Portugal.

The park has a small lake connected to the canal. A woman walking along the shore with her two sons was tossing bread crumbs to the ducks and fish, and she handed some bread to our kid, too. Our kid joined in, delighted.

Watching that, I suddenly remembered something similar from when our kid was very small, at a pond in a small German town. The clothes our kid was wearing, the slightly chilly air, the pond at dusk, the kind people, all came back at once.

Roast suckling pig, ovos moles and Pokémon cards

We decided to have dinner in the center. Many Portuguese restaurants don’t open until 7 p.m. The hours on Google Maps didn’t match reality, we made one trip for nothing, and then we found another place that was open. It was called Leitão de Levira and mostly served roast suckling pig, which tasted like the babi guling (Balinese roast pork) we had eaten in Bali.

At a souvenir shop in front of the restaurant, our kid spent pocket money on a pack of Pokémon cards. I wondered why our kid would pick Pokémon cards as a souvenir this far from home. But when we looked back over the day later, our kid named feeding bread to the fish and ducks and buying the Pokémon cards as the favorite parts. That was enough for me.

After dinner we bought a tin of ovos moles, the city’s signature dessert, and left.

Getting there

• From Costa Nova to central Aveiro: about 10 km (6 mi), 11 minutes by car
• From Aveiro to Porto: about 74 km (46 mi), usually about 51 minutes

Time spent

• About 2 hr 20 min from arriving at the park to getting back in the car
• Enough for the park, a walk along the canals and dinner

Good to know

• Some restaurants were open before 7 p.m., but not many. Some had hours that differed from Google Maps, so if you want to eat early, look up one or two backups.
• The center is flat, which made it easy to walk with a kid.

No car? Four day trips from Porto, side by side

We drove, so we didn’t book any of these, though we saw plenty of travelers doing day trips like them. If driving in Portugal doesn’t appeal to you, there are day trips from Porto that cover Coimbra and Aveiro. The four below are listed on GetYourGuide, and each card shows the same four things in the same order. In October 2026 the prices ran from about US$111 to US$235 per person.

Details from each GetYourGuide listing, checked October 2026. Itineraries, prices and availability change.

Finding a place to stay, and on to Porto

The moment we got back to the car, it started pouring. We had decided to spend the rest of the trip in Porto, and only then did we look for a place to stay. Choosing where to spend five nights in a hurry was stressful, but our criteria were clear. For a long stay we wanted a kitchen, and once we returned the car we wanted to be able to get around on foot. It was our first visit, so we preferred the Porto side to Gaia across the river, and this time we decided to book one place and stay there throughout. We picked a place that fit, booked five nights and set off for Porto.

Porto was chilly. We checked in late, bought a few things to eat and drink at a small shop near our apartment, and called it a night. Our kid spread out the Pokémon cards bought that day on the floor.

Before you go

Hours

Based on the official websites of Portugal dos Pequenitos and the university’s visitor site (UCTour), checked October 2026

Costs for the day

Place	What	Amount (USD)
Portugal dos Pequenitos	Admission, two adults and one kid	43.32
Portugal dos Pequenitos	Gift shop, wooden spinning top	5.97
Kebab shop across from the park	Lunch, döner and dürüm kebabs	15.13
Seaside café, Costa Nova	Coffee, pastel de nata, gelato	7.17
Souvenir shop in central Aveiro (listed on our card as LOJA DA TABERNA)	Pokémon cards	9.04
Leitão de Levira	Roast suckling pig dinner	27.87
Small shop near our Porto apartment	Food and drink	5.62

Amounts charged to our card, tax included; transportation not included. March 2024 prices

The five-night apartment in Porto that we booked that evening came to $566.46 on our card (March 2024 prices). Gas and tolls for the rental car will be gathered in the rental car post.

Five nights in Porto: three kinds of lodging compared

If you spend five nights in one place, you can choose between an apartment, an aparthotel and a hotel. These three are lined up with the same four rows. Every card links to Trip.com.

Details from the Trip.com listings, checked October 2026. Rooms and rates vary by date, so check the room details for the kitchen.

Q&A at a glance

Can you park at the University of Coimbra?

We circled the university hill several times and found no space, so we only drove past. The streets up there are narrow and steep, and parking is scarce. If you plan to go inside, it is easier to leave the car at the foot of the hill and walk up.

How long do you need at Portugal dos Pequenitos?

We spent about 1 hr 40 min from the main gate to leaving. That covered the miniature houses and monuments, the pavilions inside, and a drawing our kid made. If you take your time, it can run longer.

Can you see Costa Nova and Aveiro on the same day?

They are about 10 km (6 mi), 11 minutes apart by car, so they pair up easily. In the afternoon we spent about an hour and a half in Costa Nova, then a little over two hours in Aveiro from late afternoon into the evening.

Is the route from Coimbra to Porto in one day too much?

Coimbra → Costa Nova → Aveiro → Porto is about 160 km (99 mi), usually about 2 hours of driving. It was a manageable day for us.

Can you visit Aveiro and Coimbra without a car?

Yes. Several day trips leave from Porto and cover both cities in one day. We drove, so we didn’t use any of them. They differ in a few ways:

• Costa Nova included. Only tours ② and ④ list Costa Nova.
• Entrance fees. Tour ② lists entrance tickets as included; on tour ③ the library and lunch are optional extras, and tour ④ doesn’t include tickets.
• Group size. Tours ①, ② and ③ are small groups of up to 7 or 8 people.

The side-by-side comparison of all four is in the Aveiro section above.

Wrap-up

In the morning we followed the Age of Discovery in a Portugal built at a child’s height. In the afternoon we pictured an old fishing village in front of the striped houses and jumped down a sand dune. At dusk by the lake in Aveiro, a kind woman handed our kid some bread to throw to the fish. It was also the lake where we first thought we might like to live somewhere like this when we retire. The night we reached Porto, our kid ended the day by laying the Pokémon cards out on the floor. From the nata at the café in front of the striped houses to dinner in a modern canal city, it was a good day all around.

If you stay in Coimbra, Costa Nova or Aveiro

Coimbra, Costa Nova and Aveiro are all worth a night. We thought Aveiro would have made a good overnight too, but given the route up to Porto, staying in Coimbra was the right call. You could string the three together, one night each, and head north slowly, or give one town more time if you have a spare day.

Related posts

Sources checked 12

• Portugal dos Pequenitos, official website Hours, last entry, closing day(checked October 2026)
• Portugal dos Pequenitos, official website History (opened June 1940) and sections of the park(checked October 2026)
• Portugal dos Pequenitos, official website Visitor information (children under 16 with an adult)(checked October 2026)
• University of Coimbra visitor site (UCTour) Hours, ticket office, timed entry to the Joanina Library(checked October 2026)
• UNESCO World Heritage List University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia (2013)
• Idealista Portugal dos Pequenitos prices (article updated October 2025)(checked October 2026)
• EuroVelo Portugal, Costa Nova History of the palheiros(checked October 2026)
• Mental Floss Rowling’s time in Porto and the Coimbra student cape story(checked October 2026)
• Porto Secreto Aveiro’s nickname and canals(checked October 2026)
• GetYourGuide listings for the day trips, the moliceiro boat tour, the fado concert and the pastel de nata class: itineraries, inclusions, languages and group sizes(checked October 2026)
• Trip.com listings for the hotels, aparthotel and apartments: room types, kitchens, beds, streets and parking fees(checked October 2026)
• Google Maps route calculation (October 3, 2026): driving distances and times between stops