Costa Nova do Prado - Aveiro
Portugal
Costa Nova do Prado is much more than its iconic striped houses. Once simple wooden huts, the palheiros were built by fishermen in the 19th century to store their nets and gear. Painted in bold stripes to protect the wood and brighten the shore, they’ve since become part of Portugal’s coastal charm. Today, this strip of land between the lagoon and the sea still feels unspoiled. With sandy beaches stretching for miles and dunes rolling into the horizon, it invites you to slow down with a good book, a glass of crisp vinho verde, and let the sound of the waves carry your worries away.
Where to eat and drink
- Bronze -
Seafood and Lounge bar
Open 7/7
From 10h to 23h
This beachfront restaurant is a favorite among locals. Fresh seafood and quality meats arrive at the table in inventive ways, with Portuguese classics lifted to another level. Expect surprising touches, like seaweed folded into their creamy rice with prawns (a generous dish for two at 27€), peanut tempura topping their prawn appetizer (perfect to share between 2–3 people at 14€), or a drizzle of spicy oil alongside their cheesecake (5€).
From the terrace, you’ll enjoy beautiful views of the waves and the salty sea breeze. We dined here twice during our stay and loved it each time.
Bronze
R. da Nossa Sra. da Encarnação 10,
3830-459 Gafanha da Encarnação, Portugal
CALL +351 927 283 201
Forno e Grelha
Open 7/7
Lunch from 10h30 to 16h00
Dinner 19h00 to 23h30
Honestly, what we all crave when thinking of Portuguese food is their famous grilled meats and fish. Forno e Grelha is one of those little local gems that you can’t miss. Keeping with the no frills, rustic bbq style restaurants, this small establishment is tucked away behind the Mercado da Costa Nova. They keep things old-school: a tiny dining room (think a couple dozen seats), grilled fish and seafood, and hearty rice pots that feel straight from a family kitchen.
We ate with three people, mains, one liter of chilled red house wine, digestif drinks after the meal and little fish pâtés and olives to start was a total of 66€ for us three.
Tip: I recommend reserving your table. It’s very small and very busy, so plan ahead. You can just pop in, but you’ll be waiting for the next available table. Each table has an allotted time of about one hour. The waiters do a terrific job informing waiting customers when the next tables are free.
Forno e Grelha
R. do Arrais Ança 34,
3830-455 Gafanha da Encarnação, Portugal
CALL +351 918 829 849
Facebook
Cristal Prado
Open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 12h to 21h
Saturday and Sunday from 10h to 21h
(Closed Tuesday and Wednesday)
Cristal Prado is the barefoot-chic beach bar on Costa Nova’s ocean side where we stopped for drinks and let the waves do the talking. We didn’t eat here, but the vibe leans inclusive, slow-food and easy: light bites when the kitchen’s on, plus fun, refreshing drinks—the kind of place you order something cold and linger. Think natural wood, rope details, hammocks and swings, a quiet pocket of sand, and a front-row view of the sunset. Simple, soothing, and exactly the pause you want between beach walks.
We stopped here on our way back from Praia da Barra, the neighboring city to Costa Nova. It’s located on the boardwalk that follows the shoreline and snakes around the sandy dunes.
I bet they have some pretty good beach parties here in the summer. They have lots of Yoga events and live music announced on their Instagram page.
Cristal Prado
Costa Nova do Prado,
Gafanha da Encarnação, Portuga
Fisherman’s Bar
Opening hours vary during September
Pop up as a fundraiser for Costa Nova’s
Festas em Honra de Nossa Senhora da Saúde
We went for lunch on 2 September at the parish quermesse—a pop-up by the fishermen’s quay that opens on selected fundraising days. There was a single BBQ grill working non-stop, volunteers plating as they went. We had sardines and sea bream with potatoes and salad; fish dishes were around 15€ per plate, with other items priced separately. The quermesse ties into Costa Nova’s Festas em Honra de Nossa Senhora da Saúde, usually in late September, with occasional extra summer dates. Because it’s a pop-up, dates and hours change each year—check the parish or festival committee pages before you go.
Fisherman’s Bar
Costa Nova do Prado,
Gafanha da Encarnação, Portugal
A few quick tips
- How to get to Costa Nova do Prado -
Costa Nova do Prado is easily accessible by bus in under one hour with Rede Expressos
You need to take the bus from Porto airport to Aveiro, a one way ticket is from 2,45€ to 8€ per person. I suggest to download the app ahead of time and book your ticket upon arrival, this will save you time and avoid the queue at the counter. The tickets will automatically be in the app and you just need to have it scanned by the bus driver before boarding the bus.
Your ticket is time sensitive and you won’t be able to take another bus if your plane is late.
To find the Rede Expressos buses, follow the sidewalk to the right when coming out of the airport. The buses don’t have assigned spots, so be alert! The buses are white and blue and often have the final stop displayed as a destination. For example, our bus displayed Covilha, but it stopped in Aveiro. It might also have a final destination to Marinha.
Once you’re in Aveiro, taxis are waiting just outside the station and will cost around 15€. An Uber is about 10€.
