The Best Souvenirs To Buy In Algarve

Visiting Algarve is always a great idea, and the memories will last a lifetime; however, a few of these souvenirs will help keep those memories as fresh as the sea salty air. If you’re going to bring something back home, why not choose one of these traditional items that hold an extra special meaning in and around Algarve? While Port is best bought in Porto and the north, these are a few of the top souvenirs from Portugal’s southern region.

Cataplana pan

This copper pan is a great memento that will bring back memories as it helps recreate some of the amazing seafood recipes from the Algarve. These clam-shaped pans evenly cook food under low heat, and the side latches to help keep moisture inside so that the food is also steam cooked. This culinary device may be a bit bulky to bring home (especially on an airplane), but it’s well worth the effort.

Beach-inspired jewelry

Assador de Barro

Few things are more Portuguese than chouriço grilled over a flame lit by alcohol, specifically aguardente (which gets its name from “fiery water”). Assador means “spit” in English, as in rotisserie spit, and barro is the Portuguese word for mud—in this case, mud made from clay. Combine the two and voilà, a unique clay dish that works as a grill for sausages. Sure, you could use a regular grill to cook chouriço, but where is the fun in that?

Medronho

What about bringing home a little spirit? While this is not the aguardente normally used in an assador de barro, it is a similar spirit, classified close to brandy. Medronho or Aguardente de Medronho is made from medronho berries grown on strawberry trees, found in the center of Algarve and Alentejo. You can purchase these very strong drinks from farmers and anyone else who harvests medronho berries for medronho liquor, and they are drunk in small doses, usually sipped out of shot glasses.

Piri piri

No matter where you visit in Portugal, piri piri is a good keepsake to remind you of your time and delicious dining experience. Algarve is also no stranger to this spicy, chili pepper sauce that makes special appearances in many dishes, especially the famous frango assado, or piri piri chicken.

1. Detailed ceramics

Like the cataplana pan, a ceramic may be heavy and awkward to bring home, but the effort is worth considering as these souvenirs will remind you of the beautiful pottery that pops up all over the region, especially in some inland towns like Loulé. Pitchers, bowls, platters, plates and many other items, including home decorations, are easy to find and not always expensive to buy.

Azulejo tiles

Azulejos are another souvenir that will remind anyone of their Portuguese vacation, as these ceramic tiles hold a special place in Portuguese culture. Azulejos adorn homes, restaurants, street signs, and public buildings, and souvenir shops sell tiles of all sizes.

This azulejo tile is extra special since it portrays the Barcelos rooster, a good luck charm from northern Portugal

Products made of cork

Portugal is the largest cork producer in the world, and souvenirs shops are full of cork-made products, from purses and smaller coin purses to jewelry and even shoes. One of the most popular cork routes, through the Serra do Caldeirão, is also in Algarve, about 20 miles northeast of Faro.

Algarve is a good place to go for all things related to cork

Olive oil

Nearly every Portuguese recipe uses olive oil, and you can find some delicious varieties in Algarve, especially in the east near southwest Spain. Try it on salads with vinegar for a simple dressing, use it to flavor boiled potatoes, or add it on top of fish or meat for a true Mediterranean touch (even though Portugal is technically not Mediterranean).

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.