Top five: shopping in Portugal

If your idea of a dream break is exploring the shops, boutiques and markets of a new country, then Portugal is really worth looking into.

The capital city, Lisbon, is repeatedly listed as one of the world’s best travel destinations and the demand for flights has been such that new routes are opening up all the time. The charms of the city are obvious from the outset – cobbled streets lined with historic buildings that provide a glimpse into the city’s colourful past, and an excellent old public transport network of old trams and an efficient metro lined with interesting contemporary art.

If you feel the need to escape the confines of the city and head to the beach, there is a decent enough local train network, but it doesn’t go everywhere - if you want to explore, it’s worth researching  Portugal’s car hire options before you go, so you are all set once the time comes to escape the city limits and explore the picturesque coastline.

Arriving in Lisbon, you may find yourself overwhelmed by all of the fabulous shopping options! So we have compiled a list of some of the city’s highlights, from cutting edge style to the weird and wonderful. Get those credit cards ready… and maybe warn the bank manager.

Food
We recommend starting the day with a little shopping spree at Mercado 31 de Janeiro. This fabulous, extremely reasonably priced market is just the place to snap up your snacks for the day, be they fresh fruit and veg or meat or fish to cook for yourself later. It’s well worth a wander and you’ll enjoy people-watching as market traders try to outdo each other with their cat-calls.

Everything all under one roof
Head to Campo Pequeno, a one-stop shop for all of your shopping needs. The building, which began life as a bull ring, is now a concert venue, shopping centre and all-round entertainment complex. There are great local and international brands to peruse as well as a number of fantastic markets either selling urban arts and crafts or, if you are in town at Christmas, more traditional items.

Up those energy levels
At some stage, you are going to restock those energy levels – especially if you have been traipsing the streets splitting your time between sightseeing and flashing the cash. Dreampills is a great sweet shop in the Santos district, which is open until 2am. On first appearances you may think that you have stumbled across a typical pharmacy but on closer inspection, you will see that the colourful pill-filled jars are labelled humorous things like “Prescribed to those who want magical powers” or “Prescribed for Facebook addicts”. Pick your poison.

Girlie boutique
Located in the trendy neighbourhood ofPríncipe Real, this unusual and very girlie boutique is just the spot for those of you who love unique clothes and accessories. Amelie Au Theatre stocks a whole range of Portuguese brands, vintage treats and jewellery and accessories designed by the owner.

Handcrafted jewellery
Altmann-Zuzarte located downhill from the Senhora do Monte Miradouro in Graça is home to unique, hand-crafted jewellery all lovingly made on-site. The owner creates his masterpieces in store which means you can watch a true master at work and walk away with something truly unique that will be a beautiful reminder of your wonderful trip to Lisbon.