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The best shopping in Porto is not in malls but in a handful of streets and markets in the Baixa: a long pedestrian shopping street, a restored nineteenth-century market hall, a Saturday market in a downtown square, and shops that sell goods made in Portugal (Portuguese VAT rates). Much of what is worth taking home is edible or drinkable, Port above all.
Each place has its days and hours and something particular to look for.
Two guided ways to shop and taste in the Baixa's markets and streets.
Market tourChef Led Porto Market Tour & Portuguese Tapas Class + Wine
A guided visit to the Bolhão market, then cooking and lunch
Up to 8 peoplePorto: Local Food, Wine & Culture Walking Tour - Max 8 pax
Food and wine in the Baixa, meeting on Rua de Santa Catarina
Markets, and what to bring home
The mistake is to visit the Bolhão on a Sunday. The city's great market hall is closed that day.
Four years of restoration ended in 2022, and the Bolhão is trading again. Weekday trading runs twelve hours, from 8:00 until 20:00, and Saturdays close earlier, at 18:00.
The Mercado do Bom Sucesso, a municipal market of 1952 listed as a monument of public interest, came back in 2013 in a new role, as a food hall with shops, offices and a hotel.
On Saturdays, the Mercado Porto Belo fills the Praça Carlos Alberto in the Baixa from 10:00 to 19:00.
Among the best souvenirs from Porto, Port is the obvious one, and the categories are worth knowing: ruby and tawny styles, with LBV and vintage at the top. Buying at a lodge in Gaia lets you taste first. For goods made in Portugal, A Vida Portuguesa has its Porto shop at Rua de Cândido dos Reis 36.
The great market hall is closed on Sundays.Streets, galleries and guided visits
The mistake is to look for the best shops in Porto only on the main street. The most interesting ones are on the side streets.
Rua de Santa Catarina is the main shopping street of the Baixa, and the Majestic Café, open since 1921, stands on it.
Around the Clérigos and Rua de Cândido dos Reis, the streets of the Galerias de Paris mix independent design shops with bars and cafés. A Vida Portuguesa also has a stand in the Time Out Market in the old São Bento station warehouses, open daily from 10:00 to 23:00.
For art, Rua de Miguel Bombarda in Cedofeita holds dozens of contemporary galleries along its 650 m, and joint openings on a Saturday six times a year bring the whole street out.
Small group tours Porto guides run through the markets are a quick way to learn what to buy: a chef-led visit to the Bolhão ends in a cooking class, and food walks of up to eight people meet on Rua de Santa Catarina. For Port from the lodges, read Port wine cellars; the Mercado do Bolhão posts any change to its hours.
The A Vida Portuguesa site lists its Porto stores.
Shopping in Porto: days and hours
| Place | Where | Open |
|---|---|---|
| Mercado do Bolhão | Baixa | Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat 8:00-18:00; closed Sun |
| Mercado Porto Belo | Praça Carlos Alberto | Saturdays, 10:00-19:00 |
| Time Out Market Porto | São Bento station warehouses | Daily, 10:00-23:00 |
| Mercado do Bom Sucesso | Boavista | Food hall and shops |
| Rua de Miguel Bombarda | Cedofeita | Galleries; joint openings 6 times a year |
- Where
- Baixa
- Open
- Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat 8:00-18:00; closed Sun
- Where
- Praça Carlos Alberto
- Open
- Saturdays, 10:00-19:00
- Where
- São Bento station warehouses
- Open
- Daily, 10:00-23:00
- Where
- Boavista
- Open
- Food hall and shops
- Where
- Cedofeita
- Open
- Galleries; joint openings 6 times a year
Common questions
What is the main shopping street in Porto?
Rua de Santa Catarina in the Baixa, home to the Majestic Café.
When is the Mercado do Bolhão open?
Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00 and Saturday from 8:00 to 18:00. It is closed on Sundays.
What should I buy in Porto?
Port, bought after a tasting at a lodge in Gaia, goods made in Portugal from shops such as A Vida Portuguesa, and produce from the Bolhão market.