The Aveiro lagoon (''Ria de Aveiro'') is a

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. It is located on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, south of the municipality of Espinho and north of

Mira Mira (), designation Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, abbreviated Omicron Cet, ο Cet), is a red-giant star estimated to be 200–400 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Cetus. ο Ceti is a binary stellar system, consisting of a varia ...

(to the north of the Cape Mondego). Its average area covers approximately . It is named after the city of Aveiro, which is the chief urban centre located near to the

. Other urban centres near the Ria de Aveiro are

Ílhavo Ílhavo () is a municipality located in the centre of Portugal. The population in 2021 was 39,239, in an area of 73.48 km². The Municipality of Ílhavo includes four parishes and two cities: Gafanha da Nazaré and Ílhavo (City). General i ...

Gafanha da Nazaré Gafanha da Nazaré () is a city and parish (''freguesia'') in the Ílhavo Municipality, in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 15,240,Estarreja Estarreja ( or ) is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 26,997, in an area of 108.17 km2. It had 22,746 eligible voters in 2006. The only city in the municipality is Estarreja, which is in the urban parish of Beduido. The c ...

Ovar Ovar ( or ) is a city and a municipality in Aveiro District, Baixo Vouga Subregion in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,398, in an area of 147.70 km2. It had 42,582 eligible voters (2006). The municipality includes two cities: Ovar (16 ...

and Esmoriz. Some beaches nearby include those of Barra, Costa Nova, Torreira, Vagueira, Furadouro, Cortegaça and Praia de Mira. There are also beaches in the São Jacinto Peninsula. The Aveiro Lagoon is beyond a mere geographical feature of Portugal. This long lagoon stands as one of Europe's last remaining untouched coastal marshland. It is also a haven for numerous bird species. The locals call this rich lagoon Ria de Aveiro. Tourism and aquaculture are the mainstay of the Aveiro Lagoon region. It is also renowned for its artisan fishing and as a center for the collection of flor de sal, an expensive salt variety.

References

Lagoons of Portugal Geography of Aveiro District Natura 2000 in Portugal {{Aveiro-geo-stub