Aveiro is a city in the center of Portugal, it has developed in the center of the natural lagoon locally known as Ria de Aveiro. The natural lagoon appeared around the XVI century and is the result of several nature accidents, the first beeing the sea indentation. It's also the estuary of the river Vouga. The lagoon is separated by the sea by a thin dune sand. It is 28 miles long and 7 miles wide. It has many canals, legs, and islands. During centuries the man tried to create the right conditions so the water could flow easilly form the river to the sea and vice-versa. With that porpuse canal da Barra and it's lighthouse were constructed. Local people has been explorating natural resources for centuries, and the main activities are fishing, salt production, and agriculture. Today the lagoon is also stage for bird wathcing, walkings, boat trips, water sports and many other nature related activities.
