Praia da Costa Nova

Praia da Costa Nova, or Costa Nova do Prado, is the beach most people picture when they think of Aveiro. The village sits on a narrow sandbar with the Atlantic on its western side and the Ria de Aveiro lagoon on its eastern side, so in a few minutes you can walk from ocean surf to flat lagoon water. Ílhavo council describes it as a meeting point of two waters, and children tend to find that easy to grasp once they’re standing on the dune.

The famous sight is the palheiros: wooden houses painted in stripes of red, blue, green or yellow on white. They began as fishermen’s sheds and are now holiday homes, and the council’s tourism office traces the village’s look back to the second half of the 1800s. The best row is along Calçada Arrais Ançã, facing the lagoon, and it’s a good place to let children choose a favourite before heading to the sand.

The ocean beach is a long strip of fine, pale sand. The Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) describes it as an exposed Atlantic beach with the whole of its 750-metre bathing front backed by the village. That means proper Atlantic waves, which is why surfers and bodyboarders come here. It also means the water is not a gentle paddling pool: the tourism office gives summer water temperatures of about 18°C, and the waves can knock over a toddler at the edge.

Most young children are happiest digging on the wide sand above the tideline, running in and out of the foam with a parent close by, and hunting for shells. Older children can take surf lessons from the schools that work on the beach, since surf, bodyboard, windsurf and kitesurf are all listed by the council as activities here.

If you have a toddler who wants to sit in the water, the lagoon side of the municipality is calmer. Two supervised lagoon beaches nearby, Jardim Oudinot in Gafanha da Nazaré and Meia Laranja near the Barra jetty, are listed by the APA as transitional (estuary) waters with lifeguards. Meia Laranja also has a Blue Flag and an amphibious chair.

In 2026 the bathing season ran from 13 June to 13 September. The council contracted 26 lifeguards from the local association ResgatÍlhavo to cover Barra, Costa Nova and Jardim Oudinot, backed by two quad bikes, the Aveiro port authority and the Ílhavo fire brigade. At the end of the season the council reported that the team had been called out 61 times and there had been no deaths.

Flags follow the national rules: green means swimming is allowed, yellow means take care and don’t swim, red means don’t go in the water, and chequered means the beach is temporarily without lifeguards. Outside the season there is no lifeguard at all, so don’t let children in the sea on a warm October day without an adult in the water with them.

The APA classifies the water at Costa Nova as Excellent. Its bathing water profile notes that macroalgae and plankton blooms are possible here, so you may see weed on the tideline on some days.

Costa Nova has held a Blue Flag every year since 1989 and is on the 2026 Bandeira Azul list, together with the quieter Costa Nova Sul section to the south.

Costa Nova has been a certified accessible beach (Praia Acessível, Praia para Todos) since 2002. The tourism office says a beach wheelchair can be used from 10:00 to 19:00 if you ask in advance, depending on whether the ResgatÍlhavo lifeguards are free to help. Accessible beaches have a step-free route onto the sand, which also helps with a buggy, though pushing a buggy over soft sand is still hard work.

In summer you’ll find beach bars, sunshade and lounger hire, showers, toilets and a first-aid post. There’s free Wi-Fi around the fish market, the tourism shop and several beach bars.

Dogs are not allowed on the supervised beach in the bathing season, apart from certified assistance dogs, under the maritime authority’s standard beach rules.

The village is small and walkable. The council’s tourism page lists the Costa Nova fish market (Mercado do Peixe), the fishermen’s quay and the sailing club as things to see. For food, the choice runs from grilled fish and seafood to simple snacks. The local treat is tripas, a soft rolled pancake with a filling such as chocolate or ovos moles (sweet egg cream), which the council says originated at this beach. Most children will happily queue for one.

From Aveiro, BusWay line 36 runs from the bus terminal to Largo Arrais Ançã in the middle of Costa Nova. It’s a useful option if you’re staying in Aveiro without a car, and the stop is a short walk from both the lagoon front and the beach. Timetables change between term time and summer, so check the BusWay site before you go.

The Barra lighthouse, Portugal’s tallest, is a few minutes north along the same sandbar, and you can climb it on some Wednesdays: see Farol da Barra. In Ílhavo itself, the Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo has a two-storey aquarium of live cod and a real trawler from the old cod-fishing fleet. Back in Aveiro, children can see how salt is made at the Aveiro salt pans or make ovos moles at the Oficina do Doce.

Is Costa Nova beach safe for toddlers?

The ocean side has real Atlantic waves, so keep toddlers on the sand or right at the water’s edge with an adult. Go when the lifeguards are on duty (13 June to 13 September in 2026) and check the flag. The supervised lagoon beaches at Jardim Oudinot and Meia Laranja are calmer for paddling.

Is there a lifeguard at Costa Nova?

Yes, in the bathing season. In 2026 ResgatÍlhavo lifeguards covered the beach from 13 June to 13 September.

Can you take a buggy or wheelchair to Costa Nova?

Costa Nova is a certified accessible beach, with a step-free route to the sand and a beach wheelchair you can ask to use from 10:00 to 19:00, subject to lifeguard availability.

How do you get to Costa Nova from Aveiro by bus?

Take BusWay line 36 from Aveiro bus terminal to Largo Arrais Ançã in Costa Nova.

Are dogs allowed on Costa Nova beach?

Not on the supervised beach during the bathing season, except certified assistance dogs.