�lhavo

Like Aveiro, the district capital, the sea has always determined and conditioned the life of the local population at this county situated in a vast plain of lagoons.

It is thought the Phoenicians were the first to settle here, and there are already references to �lhavo (or Illiabum) in the 11th and 12th centuries, and the town was given its charter by king Dinis.

Fishing and the salt-pans contributed to the little town's economy; then, the seafaring and fishing traditions led to distant seas (looking for cod off Newfoundland, for example) and the maritime trade made �lhavo prosper.

It is thus understandable that the county's handicrafts are closely linked to this long seafaring history, as can be seen at the Maritime and Regional Museum of �lhavo, which portrays the fishing tradition and displays model boats, shells or miniature cod-fishing ships inside bottles, mostly made by retired fisherman which dedicated all their lifes to the sea.

However, the local crafts have other treasures to offer: with a long tradition of works in clay and ceramics, the county welcomed the Vista Alegre factory in 1824, a name renowned in the world of fine porcelain (the facilities include a museum about the history of the factory, with some of its best models).

The county's gastronomy is also inevitably linked to the sea. Thus, there are countless dishes of cod, namely due to the fishing tradition in remote seas, and there is even a Gastronomical Fraternity to preserve the old recipes of cod.

The fresh fish is always magnificent, even when simply grilled, and there are local specialities such as a rich eel stew and excellent shellfish. The bread and baster-cake of the �lhavo valley are equally popular and appreciated.

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