Lisbon Shopping: 17 Ideas for Travelers, Lisbon, Portugal

Formerly a major colonial power, Portugal has accumulated great knowledge in craftsmanship. While in Lisbon, you can treat yourself to a vast variety of quality things: wines, ceramics, jewellery, leather goods, books and many more. Most shops in Lisbon open at 9 or 10am, and close in the evening at 7pm. Shops located in the malls will stay open as late as midnight. In the center, you’ll find some shops catering to tourists open on Sunday, but many take the day off. Early evenings and Saturday afternoons are the most popular shopping times in Lisbon. With such a multitude of shopping venues available, you won't leave empty-handed.

The rooster is one of the national symbols of Portugal, and sardines are very big too, as can be witnessed during the Festival of Santo Antonio in Lisbon every June. It’s a celebration of the patron saint of the capital, Santo Antonio, and the beginning of the sardine season. Miles upon miles of streets get overflown with people drinking beer and wine and eating grilled sardines bought from vendors at roadside stalls.

You can pick up colorful and artfully made roosters and sardines all over the town. Some are ceramic, while others are made of cloth, wood, stone and even cork. One of the best places to pick up these fun (and perhaps a little kitschy) items is the historic district of Alfama. The tiny shop, Ponto LX, at Rua Augusto Rosa 23, produces and sells some of the coolest handcrafted roosters and sardines in Lisbon. If you manage to duck beneath the low door and squeeze yourself inside, you’ll be able to browse this store’s very playful collection. You can spend as little as a few Euros for a ceramic sardine magnet, 10 EUR for a mid-sized rooster, and more than 40 EUR for a giant, human-sized sardine. Just up the road from Ponto LX, at Rua Augusto Rosa 13, you’ll happen upon Faldas do Castelo. This tourist shops is a bastion of Portuguese mementos. Ceramic roosters, statues, magnets, pictures and paintings line the walls. Prices vary widely, depending on the type, size and quality of the gift you have your eye on. If you want a typical memento from Portugal, then you can’t go wrong with Faldas do Castelo. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).