The maritime town of Aveiro, in the Centro Region, at the heart of Portugal

 "The boat that I row won't cross no ocean

The boat that I row won't get me there soon...
The boat that I row's big enough for two...."
-- Neil Diamond, The Boat That I Row lyrics
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(in the Centro Region, at the heart of Portugal) The maritime town of Aveiro is perched on the edge of an extensive coastal lagoon system, Aveiro is quite a prosperous place with a good-looking center and a youthful buzz. It is sometimes called the Venice of Portugal because of its network of pretty canals. But where the Italian city has gondolas, Aveiro has the moliceiros – once employed for seaweed-harvesting but now used for Ria de Aveiro canal cruises. Aveiro's old town features buildings decorated with traditional azulejo tiles. Important tourist attractions are the Art Nouveau architectural designs of some buildings that were created in the early 20th century, the Art Nouveau museum, the Aveiro Museum (Museu de Aveiro (formerly the Mosteiro de Jesus convent) with exhibits of King Afonso V's daughter, Santa Joana), the 15th century Aveiro Sé (or São Domingos cathedral) and the Church of Jesus (Igreja de Jesus) with its beautiful architecture. Other sites of interest include the Carmelite Church and the Misericórdia Church built in the 16th century.