One of the activities I added to my Porto list almost by chance was Mercado do Bolhão. I say almost by chance because I rarely pass up the chance to visit a market. I love the opportunity to ogle a city’s fresh produce, watch the locals conduct their daily or weekly shop, often with a side of gossip, and see what’s popular wherever I’m visiting. But when I turned up at Bolhão I wasn’t sure whether it would be a market seeped in tradition or a sleek new emporium. The beauty of not doing too much research – this time it worked out!
The entrance to the Mercado on the right of the building, through the arch
The Mercado is slightly north of the Old Town – an easy stroll. We visited on a Saturday and mingled with both locals and tourists as we wandered up and down the aisles. A sleek modern market this isn’t – covered in scaffolding, dripping as the rain began to set in, and set with uneven pavers. But it has its own charm and (insert your eye roll here at will) that feature that “every” traveller pursues – authenticity.
The market dates back to 1839, when the city decided to build on marshy land crossed by a bubbling stream – hence the name ‘Bolhao’. The neoclassic, although now dilapidated, building now on the site dates back to 1914, and the process of ensuring its preservation and restoration has been controversial, meaning little has actually happened. But it’s still perfectly safe to wander – at least the parts that are open – and fascinating to dip into a little piece of local life. There is little in the way of ‘street food’, beyond a pastry or two. Instead, stalls overflow mostly with fresh produce, to be bought and cooked at home. In the case of the still-clucking chickens, very fresh indeed!
The people-watching really was second to none here – I wished for fluency in Portuguese to be able to understand the conversations taking place. Instead I tried to soak in as much as possible visually – and in the case of, say, the fish-mongers, the olfactory experience too!
Anyone for a tipple?
Although we didn’t buy anything in the market, it was a fascinating place to visit and wander. I highly recommend also adding it to your Porto list!
Do you like visiting markets when you travel?