Costa Nova

The striped beach houses of Costa Nova, by the sea and the lagoon of Aveiro.

Costa Nova, on the coast of Ílhavo, is famous for its palheiros — the wooden houses painted in bright stripes that line the avenues by the beach and the lagoon of Aveiro. Born as barns and shelters for fishermen and their boats, they became one of the most photographed streetscapes of Portugal, between the Atlantic and the Ria de Aveiro.

The palheiros

The first houses of Costa Nova were built in the nineteenth century by the fishermen of the lagoon, who used them to store hay and boats. With time, they became summer homes, and the community painted them in vertical stripes of bright colours — a tradition that survives in the rows of palheiros of the Avenida da Beira-Mar, facing the ria, and among the dunes on the ocean side.

What to see

The rows of striped palheiros along the avenues of the beach.
The beach of Costa Nova and its wooden promenade among the dunes.
The lagoon of Aveiro, with its boats, shellfish beds and birdlife.
The fish market and the daily life of the town by the ria.

Visiting

Costa Nova lies minutes from Aveiro and its canals, and reachable by public transport from the city. The ocean beach has strong currents out of the bathing season, so visitors should respect the flags and the advice of the maritime authorities, and follow the official information of the municipality for conditions and events.