Mercado do Peixe de Aveiro

On the edge of the canal dos Botirões, in the old waterfront quarter of Aveiro, the Mercado do Peixe is one of the city’s landmarks. Its iron structure, from the early twentieth century, still holds the daily fish trade, and the square around it — the Praça do Peixe — has become one of the liveliest corners of the city.

History and identity

The market, opened in 1910 as the Mercado José Estêvão, belongs to the generation of iron-and-glass market halls built across Portugal a century ago, and it kept its trade through the city’s transformations. The renovation of the square and the market gave new life to the old waterfront, without losing its working character.

What to find and discover

• The fish hall, with the catch of the Ria de Aveiro and the coast.
• The restaurant above the market, looking over the square.
• The Praça do Peixe, lined with cafés, restaurants and bars.
• The canals and moliceiro boats of the old quarter around it.

Products and specialities

Aveiro’s lagoon provides fish and shellfish — including the clams and eels of the ria, at the heart of the city’s cooking — and the market is the place to see the day’s catch arrive from the boats.

Nearby

The market is in the historic centre of Aveiro, close to the Museu de Aveiro and the city’s canals.

Visiting

The market is at the Largo da Praça do Peixe, in central Aveiro, reached on foot from the canals. It opens daily except Mondays, with morning hours; check with the municipality before your visit.

Information: cm-aveiro.pt.

Image credit: Praça do Peixe, Aveiro, by José Luis Filpo Cabana, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.