After sardines and salt, a different kind of layer: the people in and around Lagos still making things by hand, and where you can take a piece of their work home.
Quick facts
- Porches Pottery was founded in 1968 by the Irish artist Patrick Swift and the Portuguese artist Lima de Freitas to revive the area’s struggling pottery trade.
- Olaria Nova has made ceramics in Lagos since 1990, by hand on the wheel or in moulds, in small batches.
- Mar d’Estórias, in a historic building in central Lagos, celebrated its tenth anniversary in June 2026.
- Casa Mãe says more than 90% of what you find there is made in Portugal.
Why Buy From the Makers
In our last two posts, the story was the same: a craft that kept a town alive, then a century that made it look old-fashioned. Pottery in the Algarve nearly went the same way. By the 1960s, cheap plastic and metal goods were pushing the local potters out, and it took two artists in Porches to bring the painted pottery back.
That is the quiet power of a souvenir. A fridge magnet made somewhere far away keeps nobody in work here. A jug thrown in a workshop between Lagos and Aljezur does. So here are the places we send our own guests when they ask us where to find something real.
Olaria Nova: A Family on the Wheel
José and Sabine de Sousa opened Olaria Nova in 1990, and it is still a family business: their children Marlise and Daniel work in production and sales. The shop is in the city centre, while the pieces are made in their large workshop at Espinhaço de Cão, between Lagos and Aljezur.
Every piece is shaped by hand on the wheel or in a mould, in batches of around 100 to 200 rather than by the thousand, and each is signed “Olaria Nova”. Look for the everyday things, cups and jugs, which are the ones you will actually use at home. They also ship abroad, which helps if your suitcase is already full.
Mar d’Estórias: Portugal in One Building
Célia Real and Luís Ledo set up Mar d’Estórias to show Portugal’s heritage honestly, and in June 2026 it turned ten. Under one historic roof in the centre of Lagos you will find a shop, a grocery, a wine cellar, a gallery, a restaurant and a terrace bar.
The shelves are a good crash course in what Portugal makes: carob spreads and granola, fruit preserves, chocolate, traditional Algarve products, still and Port wines, even a Portuguese gin. If you only have time for one stop, this is the easiest place to fill a bag with presents that were actually made here.
Casa Mãe: Slow Living You Can Take Home
Casa Mãe calls itself more than a hotel, and its concept store shows why. It works with emerging Portuguese artisans and brands, and the same makers supply much of what you see around the place: tableware, furniture, robes, and skincare sold in refillable clay pots from a local artisan.
We love the thinking behind it. You use a thing, you get to know it, and then you take it home. Casa Mãe also stays open all year, so it is a lovely stop on a quiet winter afternoon.
Porches Pottery: The Workshop That Saved a Craft
Worth the drive east towards Lagoa. Porches Pottery makes hand-painted majolica, tin-glazed earthenware decorated with animals, flowers and leaves, in designs inspired by the many peoples who passed through the Algarve. The founders started out with a local potter, Gregório Rodrigues, then trained people from the village in the painting technique, and the Swift family still runs it today.
Cerâmica Paraíso: The Plate-Covered Warehouse on the Road to Sagres
This is the one we take everyone to. On the N125 at Raposeira, just before Vila do Bispo on the main road to Sagres, you will spot it straight away: the outside walls are covered in handmade plates and bowls. Inside is a huge warehouse of Portuguese ceramics, from plates and bowls to cups and mugs, much of it at a few euros a piece.
A few tips from experience and from other visitors. Bring cash, as it has long been cash only, though there is an ATM on site. Go early, because it gets busy and warm inside. Listings show it open Tuesday to Saturday and closed on Sundays and Mondays, but check before you drive out. No car? Vamus buses run between Lagos and Sagres along this road, about 45 to 50 minutes end to end; check the timetable for a stop at Raposeira.
Saturday Morning: Mercado de Levante
For the most Lagos experience of all, go to the Saturday morning market, the Mercado de Levante, also known as the “Reforma Agrária”. Alongside fruit and vegetables you will find honey, bread, sweets and crafts, sold by the people who grew or made them. The town renovated the market building in the early 2020s; check current hours before you go, and arrive early for the best of it.
Sources
- Porches Pottery, Wikipedia
- Olaria Nova is a mandatory stop in Lagos for lovers of artisanal pottery, Portugal Resident
- Mar d’Estórias celebrates Portuguese authenticity with five days of festivities in Lagos, Essential Algarve, June 2026
- Lifestyle, Casa Mãe
- Made in Portugal: Where to shop for Portuguese ceramics, Olá Daniela, updated July 2026
- Cerâmica Paraíso, Wanderlog listing
- Sagres to Lagos by bus, Algarve Tourist
- Lagos requalifica o Mercado de Levante, Postal do Algarve, July 2020
- Mercado de Levante em Lagos reabre em julho, Postal do Algarve, May 2022
- Header photo: Eric Prouzet / Unsplash, Unsplash Licence. Photos in this post show Portuguese crafts in general, not the shops named.