Lisbon Shopping

Lisbon Shopping information

Best Areas

Since the great fire of 1988, Lisbon's downtown has seen a resurgence in fashionable shopping, principally in Rossio, Baixo, Chiado, Carmo and Rua Garret. In the meantime the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza gained a handful of awards for his reconstruction of the damaged buildings making Lisbon one of the more pleasant shopping environments among Europe's cities. Having said that, Lisbon's shopping centre is untypical of most European cities. There is no main shopping drag as such, and large stores are fewer than you'd expect in a European capital. This actually makes for an extremely pleasant shopping environment of small stores and boutiques where the pleasure of discovering something for yourself is as much part of the experience as purchasing items. The Baixa and Bairro Alto are the main shopping areas to aim for. Jewellery stores and clothing emporiums vie for space with café-bars and delicatessens. A root around the various streets should throw up anything you could wish for.

Shopping Centres

If you feel the need for some mall shopping Lisbon has two of Europe's largest shopping centres in the Colombo (Metro: Colégio Militar) and Amoreiras (Metro: Pombal). Both are open until 23h00 six days a week. Amoreiras is the more centrally located of the two.

Markets

Lisbon has plenty of traditional markets that provide entertaining spectacles as well as a variety of goods for purchase. There are several worth seeking out in their own right however: Feira da Ladra (literally "Thieves' Market") is Lisbon's flea market and more of a tourist market than anything else. Occasional interesting antiques, including decorated tiles, appear on the stalls. However, the market can live up to its name from time to time so beware of pickpockets. Campo de Santa Clara. More authentic markets include the Praça De Espanha (Mon-Sat 09h00-17h00. Metro: Palhavã), which sells mainly clothes, and the imposing Mercado da Ribeira near to Cais Do Sodré station (Mon-Sat 06h00-14h00). The latter is a working market selling predominantly fish and vegetables and is worth a visit just for its vibrancy, especially on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday when you'll catch the flower sellers who add even more colour to the proceedings.

What to Buy

Portugal isn't renowned for clothes, but Lisbon has a thriving retro secondhand clothing industry that has become a niche fashion throughout most of Europe. In particular the Bairro Alto is the place to head with plenty of small boutiques and secondhand emporiums selling everything from street fashion to clubwear. Portuguese designers can be found on Lisbon's streets as well. Otherwise plenty of Spanish and Portuguese clothing stores can be found in the Baixa and Chiado areas, including mainstream chainstores, like Mango and Zara. Portugal is well known as an important producer of handicrafts, ceramics in particular, and Lisbon is no exception. Brightly coloured ceramic pottery and tiles (azulejos) are a distinctively Portuguese, and not necessarily tacky, souvenir. The tourist shops shift thousands of cheaply produced souvenir tiles every year but you'll get a lot more for your money if you hunt around the less well trodden areas of the city. Markets such as The Thieves Market on the Campo de Santa Clara is a good place to unearth antique tiles. Naturally, there are few ceramic factories in the heart of the city but it is well worth seeking out a workshop during your stay to pick up some handmade pottery or a tile or two. Try Fabrica Sant'Ana, Rua do Alecrim, 95. It's not like you can't get good port everywhere nowadays but it would be churlish not to bring back a bottle of Portugal's most famous drink. Like with the tiles, cheap examples are easy to find, and eagerly thrust on unsuspecting tourists. Go to a specialist wine-seller and, if you're really serious about getting the best on offer, make sure you visit the Port Wine Institute on Rua de S Pedro de Alcântara. Here you can learn about the stuff properly before drinking it.

Opening Hours

Shops are generally open Mon-Fri from 09h00-13h00 and 15h00-19h00; Sat 09h00-19h00. Many large shopping centres remain open daily from 10h00-00h00.

Tax Refund

A value-added tax of 19% (mainland) or 13% (islands) is included in the price of most goods. When leaving Portugal, non EU- tourists can apply for a tax refund on goods bought. Most countries offering a tax refund specify a minimum amount that must be spent in a particular shop to claim a refund. In Portugal, the minimum purchase to qualify for a refund is EUR59.36 (mainland) or EUR56.36 (islands). To reclaim tax you need to request a VAT refund request form when you make a purchase, which states the amount of refund due. These documents must be produced along with the goods as you leave the country and the refund will be processed and sent to you. Cash refund points can be found at Lisbon, Porto and Madeira airports. Look out for the "Cotacambios" office. Alternatively, you can purchase goods from shops participating in the Tax-free Shopping programme (look out for the Tax-free Shopping logo displayed in the window). Simply show your passport when you make a purchase and you will be given a Tax-free Shopping cheque, showing the refund you are owed. As you leave the country, customs officials will stamp your cheques. You can claim your refund from the Tax-free Shopping desk or have the refund sent to you.