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A WORLD FOR SHOPPING
All the regions within Portugal have something to offer to the avid shopper touring the country. Some of the best finds include locally-made leather goods, jewelry, high quality clothing (especially knits) and fine porcelain.

Since Portugal’s rapid modernization, which occurred in the mid 1970’s, the traditional arts and crafts are still a major export from the country. These delightfully detailed gems are known as some of the finest décor accessories in the world. Pottery, ceramics and tiles are produced to high standards all over the Portugal, with styles differing from region to region, even from town to town. For example; lace and embroidery are particularly good from the Madeira region.

The Baixa area within Lisbon is the most popular in all of Portugal. This compact downtown section is comprised of several streets that run parallel, some of which are only for pedestrians to wander through. Walking through streets such as Rua Augusta and Rua do Carmo will bring you to the world-renowned fashionable Chiado district, which has recovered from a devastating fire from over 15 years ago. The Colombo Centre in Benfica is the largest shopping mall in the whole Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).

Those visiting Porto (or Oporto) should definitely head toward Rua de Santa Catarina in the main downtown core. There are several boutiques and fashion shops along Avenida da Boavista around the Meridien Park Atlantic Hotel, adding to the cosmopolitan flare of the area. The small antique shops that are tucked away in the backstreets of the larger cities such as Lisbon and Porto offer a fine assortment of items dating back hundreds of years.

The business hours of operation in Europe function a bit differently then we are used to in North America as you may already know. Portugal is no different to the long lunch or “fiesta” Shop hours of operation in Porto and Lisbon as well as the majority of the country are as follows: 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 7 pm from Monday to Friday. Shops close at 1 p.m. on Saturdays from January to November, but are open from 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 7 pm from Monday to Saturday in December. The shopping malls work differently from other businesses however – The centros comerciais are generally open for longer periods, usually 10 am -10 pm.