Leiveira Azulejos

A great activity on a not-so-great day to entertain the kids.

While bus groups queue up a few blocks away, you can usually walk in here without a reservation. The location is ideal, as it’s right next to the Palácio da Bacalhôa, where the Portuguese version of painted tiles was practically invented. They will show you the technical manufacturing process, and you can watch the professionals at work.

You can even try it yourself, with templates available if needed. Even children find it somewhat meditative. It costs ten euros per tile, and you can pick up your fired tile the next day — it will certainly look different than you expected. There’s a parakeet living on the cement mixer in the yard, and directly across the street, there’s an ”ethically correct” furniture store with an Asian focus. Just pop in.