A metallic monolith coated with 1% Au/CeO2 catalyst has been calcined at 300°C and tested in the CO oxidation reaction both in “dry” and “wet” conditions. The light-off curves show a positive effect of the presence of water in the reactive feed on the catalytic activity. With the aim to explain these observations, a FTIR CO adsorption study at liquid nitrogen temperature was performed over a similar powder catalyst. At this low temperature the oxygen mobility from the bulk to the surface is minimized and then surface phenomena are evidenced. Both, the effect of different pre-treatments of the catalysts and the presence of pre-adsorbed water on the surface have been examined. The studies reveal that the previous treatment of the sample deeply affects the surface species and the gold particle size. The water addition provokes oxidation of the surface and improves the CO oxidation activity.