10 Old Things You Can Still Find in Portugal

Portugal is a country where the past lives quietly alongside the present. Beyond its modern cities and growing tourism scene, you’ll still find centuries-old customs, crafts, and cultural details woven into daily life—reminders that some traditions are too meaningful to be lost.

Whether you’re wandering through a village, browsing a local market, or simply observing life in the streets, here are 10 old things you can still find in Portugal today, holding strong against time.

1. Street Knife Sharpeners (Amoladores de Facas)

You might still hear their unmistakable whistle echo through Lisbon or small towns—announcing their arrival. These traveling knife sharpeners, often on bicycles, are living links to a bygone era, still sharpening household blades for those who remember.

2. Shoe Shiners in City Squares

In downtown Lisbon and Porto, you’ll occasionally spot engraxadores—traditional shoe shiners—dressed sharply, seated on old-style stools, ready to polish your leather shoes with pride and precision.

3. Laundry Hanging Between Windows

In older neighborhoods like Alfama or Ribeira, clotheslines still stretch across narrow streets, with laundry drying in the sun and breeze. It’s a beautifully simple image of life unchanged by modern appliances.

4. Wood-Fired Bread Ovens in Villages

In the countryside, especially in Alentejo and central Portugal, many homes and community bakeries still use wood-fired ovens to bake traditional rustic bread (pão caseiro)—dense, crusty, and full of flavor.

5. Traditional Azulejo Tiles

Portugal’s famous azulejos (decorative ceramic tiles) still decorate building façades, fountains, staircases, and churches. But more importantly, several tile workshops—like Fábrica Sant’Anna—continue to produce them by hand, just as they have for over a century.

6. Fresh Produce and Flower Markets

All over Portugal, open-air markets are still the place to buy vegetables, herbs, eggs, flowers, and local cheeses. Many are run by elderly vendors who harvest from their own gardens and know every regular by name.

Don’t miss: Mercado da Ribeira (Lisbon), Mercado do Bolhão (Porto), or village markets in the Algarve and Alentejo.

7. Stone Washhouses (Lavadouros Públicos)

While largely unused today, you can still find stone communal washhouses in many villages—often with running water channels where women once gathered to do laundry and socialize. Some are still occasionally used in remote areas.

8. Handmade Embroidery and Lacework

In Madeira, Viana do Castelo, and small towns across Portugal, embroidery and lacework are still practiced by hand. These intricate arts are often passed from grandmothers to granddaughters, and sold in local markets and specialty shops.

9. Old Trams Still Running

Lisbon’s Remodelado trams, like the famous Tram 28, have been climbing the city’s hills for nearly a century. These wooden, creaking vehicles offer not just a ride—but a journey through Lisbon’s living history.

10. Women in Black Selling Herbs or Flowers

In some traditional areas, especially in the countryside or small urban neighborhoods, elderly women—often dressed in mourning black—still sell wild herbs, flowers, or vegetables in baskets on the street. A quiet but enduring image of Portuguese resilience.

These “old things” aren’t tourist attractions—they’re pieces of everyday life, still woven into the national identity. At Portugal Magik Private Tours, we craft journeys that take you beyond the surface, with English-speaking driver-guides, local insight, and access to Portugal’s most authentic and traditional experiences.

Many of our guests explore these timeless details on multi-day tours, combining cities with countryside, coast, and rural villages—always at your own pace, in luxury and comfort.

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