The main concentration of shops, grocery supermarkets, fashion boutiques, antique stores, and souvenir shops in Porto is located on Boavista and Santa Catarina streets. The city’s most colorful market is the Bolhão market on Rua de Sa da Bandeira, founded in 1839. Here you can find the freshest seafood, vegetables, meat, flowers, spices, and local delicacies.

The city has many large shopping centers offering a variety of entertainment, including cafes, bowling alleys, and cinemas. The most famous are Via Catarina, Norte Shopping, Arrábida Shopping, Parque Nascente, and Gaia Shopping.

The best souvenir from Porto is the famous port wine, but equally popular are painted ceramic tiles, rooster figurines, high-quality leather shoes and bags, and gold and silver jewelry with filigree. Products made from cork oak bark are also considered a symbol of Portugal.

Gastronomic souvenirs worth bringing back include olives, cheese, and egg custard.

What to try
Portuguese cuisine is renowned for its hearty and simple cuisine, which doesn’t detract from its deliciousness. Most dishes feature fish and seafood, served in generous portions—each containing 3-4 large pieces. A favorite side dish for the Portuguese is rice with vegetables.

Be sure to try “francesinha”—a meat sandwich with sausage, ham, and roast beef in a tomato-beer sauce—as well as “feijoada”—a meat dish with rice and red beans. Portuguese restaurants also offer more exotic dishes, such as monkfish, wolf bass, or thick-rinded goat cheese. Popular entrees include a fragrant cabbage and potato soup and a signature tripe soup.

Portuguese desserts are characterized by the ubiquitous use of almonds and cinnamon. But the country’s greatest gastronomic pride remains its port wine, “Vinho do Porto,” produced according to ancient recipes dating back to the Middle Ages. You can sample this famous drink at the Port Wine Museum and in the Sandeman tasting room.