Much of the Porto shopping is for the residents and not tourists. Many of the retail centers have turned into malls. This city is quite large and is the largest in the northern part of Portugal. The main historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city itself is named after the popular and famous Port wine.

Some of the newest shopping malls are the Centro Comercial Peninsular, Centro Comercial Via Caterine and the Praca do Bom Sucesso. Santa Caterina Street is a pedestrian street that is lined with shops. Many of the storefronts have been designed to resemble those you would see in the older folkloric villages found in the northern part of the country.

There are many clothing stores selling items created by famous designers of France, Italy and Spain. You also can find a few upscale stores in the shopping malls. Upscale shopping can be found in the Centro Comercial Aviz which interestingly is surrounded by many auto dealerships. Two other options include the Rua Eugenio de Castro, Rua do Bom Sucesso and the centro comercial Cidade de Porto.

The weather is always nice in Porto and there are many open air markets. A great market that sells products from all over the country is the Mercado de Bolao which sells kitchen equipment, food, spices, and sand flowers. This market is spread out over several blocks and is found at Rua de Santa Caterina. The Mercado das Flores offers potted plants from April to October and at Mercado dos Passaros you can buy a caged bird.

Portugal is famous for the Arraiolos carpets. These carpets are made of wool and have beautiful patterns that use a wide range of colors. Women spend hours handcrafting these rugs. You also can find plenty of artisan gold jewelry. The two leading jewelers are Eylsee Joias and David Roasas. You can find gold chains, gemstones and wristwatches. A great place for traditional handicrafts is the Regional Center of Traditional Artson on Rua de Reboleira.

You can get many international perfumes and the best place with the widest selection is the Perfumaria Castilho. The best place to find women’s fashion is Ana Salazar and her show room is quite something to behold. The prices are more expensive than others in Portugal but much less than other fashion houses in Europe. The Haity is the place to go for leather items and you can find briefcases, handbags, belts, suitcases, wallets and duffel bags. It is located on the Rua de Santa Catarina.