Costa Nova, and Its Beautiful Striped Colored Houses

Costa Nova is a popular seaside resort in Portugal with a small stretch of waterfront houses that have become an attraction thanks to their original striped facades. Costa Nova do Prado is a beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean of the Portuguese town of Aveiro. Known for its winds and waves, it is very popular among windsurfers and sailors.



But there is something more than the waves that is attracting tourists to this area – the striped houses called palheiros, are the typical buildings of this region which were once used by fishermen to shelter or to preserve their fishing equipment. The material used for the construction consisted of simple straw and canes. In the beginning, they were single floor buildings, elevated on wooden rods arranged horizontally. Over time, the foundations on which they were erected were eliminated, transforming them into proper homes.



By the middle of the 19^th century, Costa Nova became a very popular seaside resort and the fishermen, who were very poor began renting their palheiros during the summer season. To make them even more eye-catching for tourists, they decided to paint the facades with bright colors, using moliceiros as inspiration, the typical boats of fishermen from Ria.

Today, the beachfront promenade of this stunning rooftop village gives you the feeling of being inside an old postcard with an absolutely charming atmosphere.