At the Ilhavo Maritime Museum you can learn all there is to know about cod – bacalhau in Portuguese – and the strong relationship it has with the people of Ilhavo, the ocean, and the Aveiro lagoon.
The fisherman from Ilhavo left their home town to catch cod way up near Newfoundland and Greenland. They used to do this in stretches of six to nine months. Not a luxurious life, that’s for sure. After your visit to the museum we recommend you to eat at Bela Ria Restaurante.
It is one of the most authentic and best places to experience cod. They use the whole cod, from the head to the tail and everything in between.
Jorge Pinhão is the proud owner of Bela Ria Restaurante and member of the brotherhood of codfish or ‘confraria do bacalhau’.
