Presents to buy in Portugal

A practical guide to fill your car with presents from Portugal.

Portugal is an interesting country to spend a few days on holiday. You can take advantage of the many different products on offer at affordable prices. Here we are going to suggest some local products that you can purchase in Portugal for you to return home with your car fully loaded!

The best wine in Portugal

Wine is the product of excellence in the northern region, especially in Porto and the city of Vila Nova de Gaia. In fact, you can spend a whole day here visiting the wineries and tasting the delicious wines made here. You can also buy bottles to take with you and enjoy the taste on Portugal when you are back home. If you prefer a typical liquor, why not try the ‘ginja’, made of cherries.

Cork products – an original gift

Portugal is the main producer of cork in the world and so it is very easy to find different types of souvenirs made with this material. Even the NASA uses Portuguese cork as thermal insulation on the aircrafts that it sends into space. You can find some interesting items such as cork postcards that you can buy and send during your holiday. Other items available are jewellery, handbags, purses and even shoes or ties made from this peculiar material.

Portuguese ceramics; amazing craftsmanship

Something unique to buy in Portugal are the hand-painted tiles that you will find in may craft shops around the country, a tradition that goes back more than five centuries when they began to cover the buildings with the hand-painted tiles to differentiate the architecture from that of other countries. Opt for the more traditional tiles in white and blue with scenes of Portuguese history, although you can also find more modern ones with exciting designs.

In Lisbon, one of the most famous shops to buy tiles at a great price is Solar. Don’t worry if you are not planning to visit the capital, you can find many shops selling tiles and ceramic figures on most of the roads around Portugal.

Portuguese Fabrics & Embroidery

Continuing with the wonderful Portuguese crafts, why not take advantage of your visit to renew textiles for your home. You can find many shops with a wide selection of towels, quilts, aprons, tablecloths and other embroidered fabrics.

Typical Portuguese pastries

They say that you leave the best for last and in this case, it is for the Portuguese pastries; one of their most popular products. There are many different types of pastry most of which are filled with delicious cream. One of the most well known Portuguese pastries are the Belém cakes. These are puff pastry tartlets filled with cream. You can buy the most famous brand at the Casa de Pastéis de Belém cake shop in Lisbon, however they can be found all over the country. You can keep them out of the fridge for up to 3 days after purchase, so these are a great present to bring back from Portugal