Centro is a broad NUTS II region of mainland Portugal stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Spanish border, anchored by the historic university city of Coimbra. It encompasses the mountain wilderness of the Serra da Estrela (mainland Portugal's highest range), the Roman ruins of Conimbriga, the pilgrimage town of Fatima, the canal city of Aveiro, and the big-wave surfing coast around Nazare. Centro pairs deep history with dramatic landscapes, from cliffside fishing villages to granite peaks and pine forests.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Ovos Moles de Aveiro
Aveiro's PGI-protected egg-yolk-and-sugar sweet paste piped into thin wafer shells shaped like shells, barrels, and fish; the definitive Centro Portugal edible souvenir
Price: EUR 5-15 per box
Where: Confeitaria Peixinho (Aveiro), pastelarias along the Canal Central
Queijo Serra da Estrela DOP
Raw ewe's-milk cheese from the Serra da Estrela mountains, sold vacuum-packed for travel by producers in Seia and Manteigas
Price: EUR 8-35 per wheel depending on size and cure
Where: Quintas de Seia, Pecados da Serra da Estrela, Manteigas cheese shops
Bordado de Castelo Branco (wool embroidery)
Hand-stitched wool embroidery on linen bedspreads and cushions, made using centuries-old designs at the Castelo Branco embroidery school-workshop
Price: EUR 20-400 depending on piece size
Where: Centro de Interpretacao do Bordado, Castelo Branco
Fatima devotional items
Rosaries, candles, medals, and statues of Our Lady of Fatima, sold by the official sanctuary shop and the surrounding strip of religious-goods stores
Price: EUR 2-150
Where: Loja do Santuario de Fatima and Rua de Santa Isabel shops, Fatima
Viseu black pottery and Dao wine
Traditional dark-fired earthenware and bottles of structured Dao red or white wine from vineyards around Viseu, sold in the shops surrounding the cathedral square
Price: EUR 8-100
Where: Adro da Se handicraft shops, Viseu
Chanfana clay cooking pot
The small black clay pot (panela de barro preto) traditionally used to slow-cook Coimbra's signature goat stew, sold as a functional souvenir in Coimbra's Baixa
Price: EUR 15-40
Where: Kitchenware and pottery stalls near Rua Ferreira Borges, Coimbra
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Mercado Municipal Dom Pedro V
Coimbra's historic municipal market in an early-20th-century building, spread across themed halls for fresh produce, cheese, cured meats, bread, and flowers
Where: Coimbra
Hours: Mon-Sat 7 AM-8 PM, closed Sun
Mercado Sant'Ana
Leiria's covered municipal market near the historic center below the castle, selling local produce, cheeses, honey, and regional handicrafts
Where: Leiria
Hours: Tue-Sat 7 AM-2 PM, closed Sun-Mon
Mercado do Peixe de Aveiro
A working fish market on the canal in Aveiro's old fish-auction hall, where the morning's Atlantic and lagoon catch is sold and auctioned
Where: Aveiro
Hours: Tue-Sun mornings, closed Mon
Feira de Sao Mateus (Viseu)
One of Portugal's oldest and largest traditional fairs, held in Viseu since the Middle Ages, combining handicrafts, Dao wine stalls, food, and amusement rides
Where: Viseu
Hours: Annual, late August to mid-September