Costa do Sal: a floating hotel in Aveiro

It was built in 1906 and transported people in France and was later used in Holland for the same purpose. In 1996 she arrived in Portugal and received the name “Invicta”, the same name by which the city of Porto is also known. The ship operated as a hotel at Expo 98, in Lisbon. In 2021, after restoration work, the ship circulates along the Aveiro estuary, not only as a hotel but also as a restaurant and lounge bar.

To NIT magazine, Graciela Nogueira, administrator of the Black and Blue company, says that the idea came about because she thought that in Costa Nova, Ílhavo, the hotel offer was not enough for demand, not only from foreign tourists but also from Portuguese tourists that visited the region. The necessary works on the ship were related to the modernisation of the space, as the ship’s infrastructure was in operational condition.

Maritime trips are not daily, for environmental reasons, taking place only on Saturdays, at a time that can be consulted on the hotel’s official website https://www.costadosalhotel.com/ .

At Costa do Sal – Boat Lounge you can enjoy three different programs ranging from €100 to €400. Guests can stay two nights, from Friday to Sunday, with lunch on board included, for €400 for two people. They can also sleep just one night, with lunch included and two people would pay €275. It is also possible to enjoy a lunch, without a stay, but with travel included for €100 per person. The vessel has a dimension of 68 metres and has, for accommodation, 24 cabins with a private bathroom each, shower, air conditioning and television.

The restaurant offers meals made with the most abundant products that nature has offered in Aveiro: fish. The menu consists of dishes that refer to the location of the hotel, as well as accompanying the seasonality of natural resources, alongside, of course, a selected wine list that will make the perfect match with the dish presented. Chef Tony Martins is in charge of the kitchen and in addition to traditional options such as octopus, squid and mussels, sushi can be eaten on board, and the menu is very diverse and adapted to all tastes, including vegan options.

Costa do Sal – Boat Lounge Hotel is still a project that has yet to be completed, intending to create 10 more accommodation cabins, in an innovative hotel moored in Costa Nova, near the city of Aveiro, a city that has seen tourist demand grow, by the Portuguese as foreigners.

In Aveiro, tourists find, in addition to the beach, many traditional elements such as the Moliceiros, traditional boats that travel in Aveiro estuary or the famous soft eggs, which will give sugary treat to any tourist that visits the Portuguese Venice.