I mentioned it in my article about the city of Barcelos: one of its must-sees is its huge market. Not only is it what really makes the city famous, but we also think it is a place that reflects the life and culture of the region very well. Although I had been there dozens of times, I had never taken enough photos to write an article about it. Now it’s done! During our last 10 days in Portugal, we got up very early to prepare a little photo report for you! To give you some context, Barcelos is located in northern Portugal, about 60 km from Porto, and is one of the nice stops to discover in this area. Let’s go for a walk through the famous Barcelos market!
✤✤✤
Barcelos Market
A little historical background
The Barcelos market is quite old, as its first appearance dates back to 1412. The Count of Barcelos requested an annual one-week “commercial gathering” in August. Over time, this event changed month and duration, so as not to interfere with the other markets in the surrounding area. Then, a shoemaker had a religious vision (many writings report this kind of event in Portugal), in which several crosses are said to have appeared to him on the ground in a town square. This vision gave the Barcelos market its current location, the Campo da República. No historical text explains why this market became weekly, but many believe that the episode of the visions is the reason.
Barcelos Market today, in photos
Today, the market takes place every Thursday all year round, in the same location. The different types of goods are separated and grouped by category. You will find food, clothing, household linen, decorative objects, furniture, flowers, tableware, souvenirs… Including the famous Barcelos rooster!
Despite its tourist side, it has managed to keep all its rural and regional authenticity. Even though you can see a few products made in China, most of them really come from local crafts and agriculture. A joyful mix of colors, smells and noise!
Practical information
General information about Barcelos Market
One piece of advice: come early in the morning. The market is crowded with locals and tourists from 9 a.m.! If you have a car, parking will be a nightmare by the end of the morning! If it is very hot, the crowds calm down in the afternoon.
➺ Market address: Campo da República 59, 4750-333 Barcelos
➺ Barcelos Market opening hours: from 7 a.m., many vendors are already set up. We arrived at 8 a.m. and almost everything was already in place.
➺ If you are driving and arrive early, you can find parking spots near the school (escola secundária Alcaides de Faria), and you will not be too far away.
How to get there
If you are doing a road trip in Portugal, of course, the ideal option is to have a car. However, you should know that there is a train station in Barcelos. So you can travel easily between your stops, or even make a day trip between Porto and Barcelos, for example. (About 1 hour by train between the two cities.) All information about train schedules and prices in Portugal is available on cp.pt. Then, there is just under one kilometer between the station and the market square!
Where to stay?
We do not have any addresses to recommend, but, as usual, we suggest booking.com (which we use almost all the time).
Where to eat?
➺ For breakfast or an afternoon snack, Café Pérola, which we simply love!
Avenida dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra 66, 4750 Barcelos
➺ You can also buy what you need for a picnic at the market: bread, sausage, cheese, pastries…
➺ The Escondidinho restaurant, or the ones on the same street, are pretty good!
Rua Bom Jesus da Cruz, 36, 4750 Barcelos
Barcelos and the surrounding area
If you only come for a few hours for the market, we of course recommend visiting Barcelos (discover our dedicated article), and why not explore the surrounding area too!
➺ The sanctuary da Senhora da Aparecida in Balugães (15 km from Barcelos).
➺ Visit Braga (23 km from Barcelos)
➺ Or do a loop in the north, around Porto!
✤✤✤
We hope you enjoyed this walk through Barcelos Market, and that it made you want to discover it in real life! For those who have already been there, did you enjoy it?
