If you’re visiting Porto during the Summer, you should carry a bag with you when you’re going for a walk. It’s true that one of the most traditional Porto markets, Bolhão, is going through some changes in its structure, but there’s a temporary solution, and you can visit it at Rua Fernandes Tomás (here) for a little taste of it. If you can’t drop by, don’t worry, because there will be many other opportunities all around town. Porto markets are everywhere, and we’ve made a list of this Summer’s editions that will make your suitcase a lot heavier when you return home!
MarketPlace – Casual Style
MarketPlace – Casual Style has had a few editions and they’ve all sold out pretty quick. This is a kind of flea market where people sell all that stuff they have no use for anymore. Find yourself some vintage clothes, or buy a book for your trip back. You might find that one thing you’ve been looking for that’d be a lot more expensive in stores. Spend your afternoon roaming through this tree-shadowed market and enjoy the summer breeze while you shop. This market takes place between noon and 7 p.m.
Address: Passeio de São Lázaro 33
Keep an eye on their Facebook page for future editions announcement.
Feira das Antiguidades e Velharias
If you’re a collector, you can’t miss Feira das Antiguidades e Velharias. Every third Saturday of each month, in Praça Velasquez, you’ll find a street market for antiques and kitch. From coins to stamps, books and porcelains, you will find all those special items that belonged to entire generations and are now available to you. You might find typewriters, old film cameras, toys and dolls that no longer exist in stores, pocket-watches… Well, anything you can imagine really. Visit this Porto market between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to get a better look at what sellers are offering.
Address: Praça do Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro 293
ALSO: Book A Morning Bike Tour In Porto (29€/person)
Mercado Municipal da Beira Rio – Gaia
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
From the other side of the river, in Gaia, you’ll find an indoor market. With a view over Douro and Ribeira, this is a market where you can eat and drink, listen to music, buy fresh products, and wander around the nearly fifty shopping-stands. This indoor market’s purpose is to recreate the traditional routine people had, where they used to gather around, share cultural values, buy their products and enjoy a drink while there.
Mercado Municipal da Beira Rio is open every day, from 10 a.m. until midnight, and from Thursdays to Saturdays enjoy it for two extra hours, as they close at 2 a.m.
Address: Av. de Ramos Pinto 148, Vila Nova de Gaia
Feira do Livro do Porto
Jardins do Palácio de Cristal are a beautiful place for you to hang out. Can you imagine it with thousands of books? Hope you do, because it’s happening. Feira do Livro is one of the Porto markets worth visiting. Not only several publishing houses sell their books there, you can also find bookstores that sell old editions, and entire rare collections. There are also a lot of events happening as the market takes place, with music, authors, and a lot of artists.
Don’t forget to drop by as you enjoy the last days of Summer, and who knows, you might find the Portuguese edition of your favorite book!
Keep an eye on their Facebook page for future editions announcement.
Address: R. de Dom Manuel II 282
Feira de Numismática, Filatelia e Colecionismo
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
This is a very traditional and vintage market that happens every Sunday morning, in Praça D. João I. As the name suggests, it’s a numismatic, philately, and collectors’ market. If there are some coins missing in your collection, you might find them at this market. And what about starting your own collection of stamps? Buy yourself old postcards and send them to your friends and family, straight from Porto to the world. Plus, if you’re out of ideas for souvenirs, why not take some old Portuguese cash, Escudos? They’re usually very cheap, and quite beautiful too, and you can carry them in your wallet, avoiding the extra weight in your luggage!
So, drop by from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Sundays to get your hands on those special items.
Address: Praça D. João I
