21. September 2012 · Comments Off on Portugal: (Sao Jacinto) Aveiro in the Ria de Averio · Categories: Posts

I know we said we were staying in Porto until the strong winds died down ,but either the humans were too embarrassed to show me how rubbish their surfing is or, they got sick of sitting in rubbish.

Leixoes is a big industrial port and with that commonly comes a LOT of rubbish in the water. Fine if you are off in Porto all day, but not a nice place to hang out waiting for the weather to change. If I was to come here again I would go to the new Marina. It still may be a way out of town, but it is cleaner and has better facilities.

Little or no wind was predicted for the day, but we decided the cost of fuel was worth getting out of the place. The humans took until noon to get everything organized, but we were off south down the coast. The winds did pick up a bit and we were able to sail to the Ria de Aveiro.

The urban sprawl of Porto extended quite far south, but then the shore line turned to bright white beached backed by every green trees. The Ria entrance is dominated by a huge traditional light house and we were swept into the sandy estuary and maze of sandy lagoons by the rising tide.

The entrance to the Ria de Aveiro

Close up of the lighthouse lit by the warm evening sun

We anchored in a walled in tidal pool just off the main channel and the town of Sao Jacinto. There is a small military base, a small ferry running across the channel and thriving fishing village. The military and passing ferry traffic means the sea front has a little selection of cafes, restaurants and shops.

Tradional lagoon boats

Tradional style moorings along the lagoon

Strong winds are predicted for today and tomorrow, so we will stay inside here protected for a few days. There are always things breaking on the boat and we would like to find out how to catch ferries up to the touristy town of Aveiro. It is nick named the ‘little Venice of Portugal’. There is no internet connections here so we will up date you on SSB and add the pictures later.

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