Moliceiro Boat Cruise in Aveiro

Explore the picturesque canals of Aveiro, known as the Portuguese Venice, on our traditional moliceiro or mercantel boat trip.

Moliceiro or Mercantel Boat Trip

Meet us at the Jardim do Rossio Pier for our traditional boat trip through Aveiro. During the journey, we will learn about the differences between the moliceiro and mercantile vessels, along with their origins and history.

During the moliceiro journey, we will pass iconic locations in Aveiro, including the Art Nouveau style buildings along the canal, the Aveiro salt pan, the traditional fishermen's neighborhood, the Jerónimo P. Campos ceramics factory, and the Fish Market.

The itinerary concludes by returning to the departure point. The experience includes tasting raivas, a typical local cookie.

Type of Boats

Depending on boat availability, we will travel on either a moliceiro or a mercantel, both typical of the city.

A moliceiro is a traditional boat of the Ria de Aveiro, resembling a Venetian gondola, originally used to collect moliço, a type of seaweed used as fertilizer.

The mercantel was used to transport sand and mud for the salt pans, is larger than the moliceiro, and features simpler decoration.