Alfândega Regia Museu da Construção Naval

Shipbuilding has been in Vila do Conde’s bones since at least the 13th century. This museum on the Rio Ave's banks, just west of Praça da República, has exhibits on trade and models of hand-built nau (a sort of pot-bellied caravel once used for cargo and naval operations). The real attraction, however, is the replica of a 16th-century nau moored opposite the museum. Visitors can wander its various decks, peeking in rooms that provide a glimpse of 16th-century seafaring life.