Palheiros da Costa Nova

The vibrant colors and interesting striped design of the houses that sit along Costa Nova do Prado near Aveiro, Portugal make for a great selfie backdrop, but these traditional beach houses served much more important purposes in the past. Historically they were used by fishermen to store their materials. It is believed that colorful stripes, originally in ochre red and black tones, were added to the houses to aid fishermen on foggy days so they could locate their property. Some say that the stripes played a role in keeping out trouble, too. Who needs addresses or good luck charms when you have striped coastal Portuguese beach houses?!