Searching for what to buy in Portugal? You’re in luck! Here you will find the best ideas and where to buy them.
As Portuguese, we know everything about the best Portuguese products, their history, and their importance to Portuguese culture. So, here you will find the best souvenirs to buy in Portugal and even some suggestions for buying online if you want to relive your trip to Portugal.
This article will include everything from Portuguese food ingredients, wines and other drinks, handicrafts, Portuguese symbols and products, and even some regional products.
Best souvenirs from Portugal – Food
Pasteis de Nata or Pasteis de Belem
Pasteis de nata are the most famous of all sweets and pastries in Portugal. This crispy mini tart stuffed with egg cream and then baked in the oven is absolutely delicious and the greatest example of Portuguese sweets. But if you want to know more, see everything about Pastel de Nata, Pastel de Belém, and their differences and similarities here.
Pastel de nata is a souvenir available nationwide and can be bought in pastry shops, supermarkets, and even at airports. If you want the original, the pastel de Belém must be bought at the pastry shop in Belém.
It is naturally one of the favorite things foreigners take, either as a gift or to eat at home.
There is, however, a catch, both the pasteis de nata and the Pasteis de Belém are much better eaten fresh, freshly made, and still warm. No matter how good the pastries you buy are, they will never be the same as the ones you ate in Portugal.
Soft eggs
Continuing with sweets, Portuguese sweets are extremely rich, and Portuguese convent sweets have unique characteristics that are still being discovered by foreigners (and even by the Portuguese).
We could include a thousand and one conventual sweets in this list of Portuguese souvenirs, but we chose the Ovos Moles de Aveiro as their representative.
First, they are probably the best-known sweet (besides pastel de nata), and second, they are very easy to transport and last a long time without spoiling. Finally, it is a sweet that serves as the main ingredient for many other pastries and desserts in Portugal.
Ovos moles are made with two ingredients: egg yolks and sugar. They can be served in a bowl, sold inside a small wooden barrel, or placed on a very thin wafer with different shapes (usually fish and shells).
If you want to take them as a souvenir, we advise you to buy the small barrels. Thus, in addition to the soft eggs, in the end, there is a small reminder of the good times spent in Portugal and the Portuguese sweets.
There are soft eggs for sale in many places, but if you visit Aveiro, take the opportunity to buy them in their place of origin and where they are famous.
Olive oil
Olive oil is one of the best Portuguese souvenirs to offer to foodies. A true foodie, who knows a little about Portuguese cuisine, knows that in Portugal, olive oil is used for everything, in salads, served on bread, used to frying, baking, or whatever.
We could go even further and say that the Portuguese do not know how to cook without olive oil. At least we don’t know how to make typical Portuguese dishes without olive oil. Even in restaurants, it’s rare not to be served olive oil in one form or another.
Portugal is a large producer and exporter of olive oil, but more important than that is that Portuguese olive oil is of the highest quality, even having several official demarcated areas with distinguishable taste, smell, and texture.
You can buy Portuguese olive oil in any supermarket, as they are usually very good, as long as you always choose extra virgin olive oil. But if you want something unique, specialized stores sell differentiated olive oil, and you can ask for help with the purchase. See also our article explaining everything about olive oil in Portugal and its production.
Peri-peri sauce
Periperi sauce is one of the most curious souvenirs on this list, so much so that we seriously consider whether it should be here. This is something that many more foreigners associate with Portugal than the Portuguese themselves. But let’s explain why.
Peri-peri or Piri-piri sauce is a spicy sauce made from peri-peri chilies, garlic, lemon, and various other condiments. Recipes vary greatly. This sauce originates in Africa, namely in the Portuguese colonies and later in South Africa.
The most famous peri-peri sauce is undoubtedly Nando’s, the South African fast food chain whose founder is of Portuguese descent. However, there is no Nando’s nor Nando’s piri-piri sauce in Portugal.
In fact, this sauce is not even used much in Portuguese cuisine, as traditional Portuguese food is not very spicy. Thus, this sauce is much more from Angola, Mozambique, and South Africa than from Portuguese.
Even so, if you like this sauce, you can easily find it in Portuguese supermarkets and from Portuguese brands such as Calvê, Ferbar, or Paladin. In addition, it is a souvenir much more to carry because it is well packaged and usually has 100ml or less.
Portuguese cheeses
Portuguese cheeses may not be as well known as the Italian, French, or Dutch ones, but they are delicious and, therefore, can be an excellent souvenir to take away from Portugal.
The best-known Portuguese cheese is, without a doubt, the Serra da Estrela cheese, produced in Serra da Estrela. The traditional Serra cheese is a sheep’s milk cheese with a protected designation of origin. It is a cured cheese with a semi-soft, buttery white or yellowish paste.
It is a large, soft, buttery cheese, so it is not the easiest souvenir to carry, but it is perfectly possible.
If you don’t want to risk it, there are other excellent Portuguese cheeses, such as:
- S. Jorge cheese – Ripened cow cheese, firm consistency, yellowish, hard or semi-hard cheese;
- Queijo de Azeitão – sheep’s cheese, cured for a short time and soft, with aroma and flavor similar to cheese from the Serra da Estrela;
- Évora cheese – raw sheep’s milk, cured, with a hard or semi-hard paste and a yellowish color.
You can buy Portuguese cheeses in any supermarket in Portugal, but if you have the opportunity to visit any of the producing regions, take advantage and try them! Any Portuguese visiting Serra da Estrela likes to bring excellent Serra da Estrela cheese.
Tip: You can ask to vacuum pack the cheese; this way, it is better preserved and easier to transport.
Best Portuguese souvenirs – Drinks
Port wine
Port wine is the most famous of Portuguese wines making it a great souvenir to offer or to enjoy when you return from a trip to Portugal.
Produced in the equally popular Douro Valley, particularly in the Douro Demarcated Region, this wine carries as much flavor and aroma as it does history. This is a liqueur wine whose production includes stopping the fermentation of the must by adding brandy, wine blending, and aging.
It is possible to buy Port wine almost anywhere in Portugal, from specialty shops to large supermarket chains. However, we suggest you visit one of the many Port wine cellars in Gaia, learn a little more about the wine and its production, try some, and choose what you like best to bring with you.
If you have time to visit the Douro Valley, you can also go to one of the many producing estates in Régua or Pinhão and have a wine tasting. It is one of the best experiences to have in Portugal.
Verde wine
Vinho Verde is one of the most popular Portuguese wines in recent years and with good reason. It is a wine with unique characteristics, which is only produced in northwest Portugal.
Despite the curious name, vinho verde is not green or made from green grapes. It can be white, red, rosé, or sparkling wine. It is characterized by fruity and floral aromas, fresh with a smooth and very balanced flavor, a light body, perfect acidity, low alcohol content, and excellent harmony and persistence in the mouth.
This wine has enormous diversity and many varieties, so the best thing is to visit its demarcated area and try it. Those who appreciate it cannot go without taking one or several bottles with them.
The best-known and most popular varieties are Alvarinho, Loureiro, and Avesso, but there are many others. As with Port Wine, there are many estates that you can visit, do wine tastings, and purchase our favorites.
If you cannot visit northwest Portugal, you can buy Verde wine in any supermarket and specialty stores.
Other Portuguese Wines
Continuing on the path of wines, it is essential to state that Portuguese wines do not end with Port or Verde wines. There are more than a dozen designated areas, with wines with different characteristics that please different palates.
In addition to Verde wines, some of our suggestions are:
- Madeira wine
- Alentejo wine
- Pico wine, Azores
- Wine from the region of Setúbal
Large Portuguese supermarkets have a large selection of wines from the various demarcated regions in Portugal so you will have no problem buying quality Portuguese wine at reasonable prices. Still, if you want a specific wine, you can buy it in one of the many specialty stores and even online.
Ginjinha
Moving on to other drinks, ginjinha is a typical Portuguese alcoholic drink, especially in the Lisbon and West region.
It is a liqueur made from ginja (a fruit similar to a cherry) that is very popular in Lisbon, Óbidos, Alcobaça, and the Algarve. It is usually served with a piece of sour cherry at the bottom of the glass.
Given its popularity in Lisbon and among tourists and its uniqueness to Portugal, ginjinha is one of the best Portuguese souvenirs. It’s a souvenir you can enjoy later, easy to transport, and something that only exists in Portugal.
The best places to buy a bottle of ginja are in Óbidos or Lisbon in one of the traditional bars, such as Ginginha Espigueira.
Madeira Poncha
Speaking of unique drinks, in Madeira, we can find another drink that makes both Madeirans and tourists delirious, the poncha!
This alcoholic drink is made from Madeira rum (it can also be a good souvenir), to which fruit juice is added (usually orange, tangerine, passion fruit, or lemon), and honey. In the end, everything is mixed with an instrument called caralhinho.
Naturally, the best place to find poncha is right in Madeira. You will see it everywhere, both to drink on the spot and bottles to take with you. In mainland Portugal, you can be lucky enough to find it in some supermarkets, but it’s not easy.
However, it doesn’t make much sense to buy Poncha without going to Madeira either, as it is a typical thing of the island and only of it.
Azorean Gorreana Tea
In the Azores, we can find another popular drink that makes an excellent souvenir to offer as a gift and to bring a little bit of Portugal (in this case, from the Azores) with us – the Gorreana tea.
Tea has been produced in the Azores since the 19th century, although exact dates vary according to the source. It is considered the oldest and the only remaining place in Europe where tea is produced. Azores tea is known for its delicate aroma and production quality, as it is not treated with any kind of chemical product.
Gorreana is the only current tea producer in the archipelago, producing 40 tons per year in about 37 hectares of plantations. In addition to buying the tea, visiting the factory is possible, which is an excellent experience.
Although it is sometimes sold on the mainland, the best place to buy Gorreana is in the Azores, preferably at the factory when visiting and tasting them. However, if you really want to try the teas and cannot go to the Azores, you can also buy them online.
Portugal souvenirs – Crafts
Filigree
Filigree is ornamental work made of very fine wires and tiny metal balls welded together to form a design. Gold and silver are the most commonly used metals, but bronze and other metals may also be used. There are a multitude of different designs, but some of the best-known are:
- Coração de Viana (Viana’s Heart) – the best known and our favorite. It can be made as a pendant or earring.
- Queens earrings – beautiful earrings with noble origin and symbol of wealth.
- Arrecadas – Earrings with enormous detail but of humble origin.
- Bead necklaces – similar to Greek beads.
This is one of the best souvenirs you can buy in Portugal. It is the perfect gift; it is symbolic, beautiful, and very easy to transport. If you buy in silver, it’s also cheaper than you might think.
You can find this souvenir of Portugal in several places in the country, especially in jewelry stores – in Lisbon, on Rua do Ouro or Rua da Prata, there are several. But if you have the opportunity to go to Viana do Castelo, take the opportunity to buy the Heart of Viana there, the most significant symbol of the city and one of the most popular symbols of Portugal.
If for some reason you can’t buy them in Portugal, there are also for sale online.
Embroidery
Embroidery is one of the most typical types of handicraft in Portugal, and unlike other products on this list, it is traditional throughout virtually the entire country, including the islands.
In Portugal, embroidery can be done by hand or machine using needles and silk, wool, cotton, and linen threads to obtain the desired compositions and designs. Techniques, materials, and designs vary significantly with regions and artisans.
Some of the most common products to buy embroidery include tablecloths, scarves, rugs, and even apparel. The best option is to buy embroidery in its producing regions.
Portuguese ceramics
Like embroidery, typical Portuguese ceramics originate all over the country and can be both purely decorative and functional. Our favorites are those from Minho (more functional) and Alentejo (more decorative).
In Portuguese ceramics, we include porcelain, crockery, earthenware, tiles, tiles, vases, etc.
There are ceramics for all prices and tastes, but two of the best-known brands in Portugal and the world are Vista Alegre and Bordallo Pinho. Vista Alegre, in particular, is almost synonymous with quality in Portugal.
You will find traditional pottery in any tourist spot in the country, in the many craft fairs, and in cities with a tradition of pottery production.
Portugal Gifts – Symbols and Traditional Portuguese Products
Barcelos rooster
The Rooster of Barcelos is one of Portugal’s best-known and most popular symbols and, therefore, a great souvenir to buy in Portugal. There are roosters in Barcelos of all sizes, statues, paintings, embroidery, or many other shapes.
The legend of the rooster of Barcelos is one of the most popular in Portugal and gave rise to the famous rooster. The legend is medieval and is related to the road to Santiago, but the Barcelos rooster as we know it is much more recent and only became a symbol of national tourism and an icon of a nation’s identity in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Barcelos rooster does not have a unique design; each craftsman gives it his own touch, but it is usually extremely colorful. The most popular version of the Barcelos rooster is in clay, with the black rooster decorated with hearts, scratches, and colored dots (red, yellow, green, etc).
Naturally, the Barcelos rooster is closely linked to the city of Barcelos, and there you will have the opportunity to buy different versions of this souvenir. However, you can also find it in every souvenir shop in the country.
Portuguese tiles
Tiles are one of the fundamental features of the architecture and design of Portuguese cities. They are one of the things Portugal is famous for and one of the attractions tourists enjoy most in Portugal. Naturally, they have also become one of the most popular souvenirs in the country.
The tile has a Muslim origin but has been part of Portuguese architecture since at least the 16th century. They are ceramic pieces in which one side is glazed and coated with enamel, making it waterproof and shiny. They are available nationwide, and there is even a tile museum in Lisbon. In the National Palace of Sintra it is possible to see the oldest tiles in the country.
It is not difficult to buy tiles as specialized stores sell them in major tourist centers, but these are also available in almost all souvenir shops.
Important: Never remove an original tile from its location, whatever it may be. Apparently, there is a trend of removing tiles from houses, churches, monuments, etc. Please don’t do it. In addition to destroying the country’s heritage, it’s theft!
Cork products
Cork is another traditional product closely associated with Portugal, especially the interior and the Alentejo. Portugal produces around 50% of the world’s cork.
Initially, cork was mainly used as a bottle stopper and insulation, but today it is used for an endless number of products, many of which are perfect souvenirs, including wallets, bags, shoes, pilates/yoga mats, etc.
Cork is also an environmentally friendly product; it is entirely natural, and its production does not harm the tree. In fact, its commercialization only benefits the cork forest and the environment.
In the center of Évora, several specialized stores sell all types of cork products. If you are planning to visit Évora, this is the best place to buy this souvenir. Otherwise, cork stores are also in other tourist destinations, namely in Lisbon and Porto. Souvenir shops also usually have some products, but fewer.
Sardine cans
Sardine cans are one of the most iconic and strangest souvenirs to buy in Portugal. Maybe because they are so strange and typically Portuguese, many tourists love to buy cans of sardines to take with them and remember the moments spent in Portugal.
This souvenir has become so popular that shops specializing in sardine cans have appeared as souvenirs, decorated in the most different and creative ways. These cans are in themselves a piece of design and a reminder of an ancient tradition.
In addition to the purely tourist cans, there are also regular cans for sale in the supermarket and consumed daily by the Portuguese. In addition to sardines, there are many other canned fish and seafood.
Portuguese guitar
A Portuguese guitar is one of the best souvenirs to buy in Portugal, especially for people who love music or have a particular interest in Fado, Portugal’s most traditional music.
With an unmistakable timbre, it is an instrument full of symbolism and closely linked to the Portuguese soul. Despite this, there are three types of Portuguese guitar from Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra.
Originating in the 18th century, the Portuguese guitar is a handcrafted chordophone built with noble wood and materials. Its main feature is the 12 steel strings arranged in 6 pairs or orders.
This isn’t a cheap gift, but it’s definitely a special one. To buy it, you will have to go to specialized stores as it is not a souvenir that appears for sale in souvenir shops, supermarkets, or out of nowhere. In Porto, there is, for example, the House of Guitars, and in Lisbon, the Salão Musical de Lisboa.
Statue of Our Lady of Fatima
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima is one of the prominent Marian sanctuaries in the world. It is the largest religious tourism destination in Portugal and one of the largest in the world, receiving six million tourists annually.
Nossa Senhora de Fátima is one of the invocations to the Virgin Mary, originated in the apparitions of the three little shepherds that occurred in Cova da Iria, Fátima, at the beginning of the 20th century, in 1917.
Thus, a statue of Our Lady of Fátima is an ideal gift for religious travelers due to its enormous meaning for its devotees in Portugal.
You will find souvenirs related to Our Lady of Fátima all over the country, but if you go to the Sanctuary and the city of Fátima, you will find a greater variety.
Other assorted gifts
Books
Suppose you like books and want to buy a Portuguese book. In that case, we recommend two authors who are very famous and world-renowned, Fernando Pessoa and José Saramago, besides the fact that the books are influential and brilliant.
Fernando Pessoa is a Portuguese writer from the beginning of the 20th century. He is one of the most influential writers in Portugal and is very famous for his poetry. He had the peculiarity of writing under different personalities, called heteronyms. The most famous are Ricardo Reis, Álvaro Campos, and Alberto Caeiro. His most famous works are The Message, the Book of Disquiet, The Anarchist Banker, and Other Stories.
José Saramago is a Portuguese writer who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998. He is internationally known, and his best-known books are: Baltasar and Blimunda (O Memorial do Convento), Blindness (Ensaio sobre a Cegueira), and The Gospel According to Jesus Christ.
Music
If you like music, particularly Fado, a good gift from Portugal is a Fado CD or album.
Fado is a style of music specific to Portuga, declared a Cultural and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It is a melancholic and nostalgic song accompanied by a Portuguese guitar.
Amália Rodrigues, Carlos do Carmo, Mariza, Carminho, and Camané are the most famous fado singers.
