A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Aveiro vs. Novalja for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Aveiro or Novalja?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Aveiro and Novalja. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Aveiro or Novalja?

Aveiro

Aveiro has great canals that are lined by houses. Because of this ambiance, the town has earned its nickname the "Portuguese Venice." While it's similar, don't put too much into the name. The town is also known for it's colorful boats, referred to as moliceiros, that ride along the canals and under the bridges.

While the canals are lovely, most visitors actually come for the beaches. Aveiro's beaches are known for their clean and pristine sand. The shore is referred to as the Silver Coast, and has comfortably warm water, which is another major draw to the area.

Aveiro is comfortable year around because it's winters are mild and warm and its summer is somewhat cool. The winter months get the most rain and the summer is usually the driest. If you're there during the fall and winter, the winds will be strong making it the best time for surfing, sailing, and other water sports.

Novalja

Novalja is a Croatian town in the north of the island of Pag in the Adriatic Sea. Novalja is known internationally as party central because of the infamous party beach, Zrce, which boasts 4 clubs open around the clock. The pumping house/techno music and dance parties typically start at around 4 pm and continue well past 2 in the morning. During the summer, many well-known DJs and groups from around the world, including Benni Benassi, Jamie Jones, and Swanky Tunes, host concerts in these nightclubs. Zrce is not just for party-goers though. Many families lay out their towels for a day at the beautiful stone beach. This Novalja beach has cafe-bars and restaurants so you can easily grab a bite to eat or quick drink at your convenience. In addition to Zrce, Novalja offers tourists a number of other gorgeous beaches. Cista and Babe and both are perfect if you're looking for a calmer location. Both of these beaches have a lot less activity than Zrce, making for a relaxing afternoon, and their waters tend to be a bit warmer too.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Portugal, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Portugal, The Best 2-Week Tours from Dubrovnik, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Split.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aveiro and Novalja, we can see that Aveiro is more expensive. And not only is Novalja much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Novalja would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Novalja and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Aveiro would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Aveiro than you might in Novalja.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Aveiro Expensive? and Is Novalja Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Aveiro or Novalja?

Aveiro has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Novalja. When comparing the sizes of Aveiro and Novalja, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.