GR58 - Great Route of the Aveiro Lagoon: Golden Route - Vagueira Beach (Vagos) - Barra Fort (Ílhavo)

Between Vagueira beach, well known for fishing through the traditional "arte xávega" method, and the Costa Nova Fishermen's Dock, lies the habitat of a wide variety of wading birds, especially herons, sandpipers, and plovers, which populate these shores of the Mira Channel of the Aveiro Lagoon, and the agricultural fields of the Atlantic sandy area. In Costa Nova, the "palheiros", with their colorful vertical stripes, attract attention, as do lagoon fishing activities and shellfish gathering at low tide, or the water sports that high tide enables. The route, always on a bike path, extends to the Atlantic front up to the tallest Portuguese lighthouse, at Barra Beach. The riverside of Barra Beach, where flamingos are occasionally sighted, is excellent for observing the coastal fishing port, with the constant coming and going of fishing boats and the unloading of fish at the Lota auction. From there to the Barra Fort, you must cross the bridge and proceed to Jardim Oudinot. Here lies the Santo André Ship Museum, a former cod fishing trawler, followed by the Barra Fort, built in the 17th century. It marks a territory gradually reclaimed from the sea over centuries, today part of the Port of Aveiro, in Gafanha da Nazaré.

This route is promoted by the Intermunicipal Community of the Aveiro Region, with texts and photographs credited to it and under its responsibility