Almada street, in downtown Porto, has been known for its hardware stores. From chains to faucets, from plugs to hand tools, from keys to plumbing supplies, you’ll find it all. Just walk up or down the street and you’ll eventually find whatever it is you’re looking for.
This street was the first large way to be built out of the walls of the city. At the top of the street you can find the Divine Heart of chapel, in neo-gothic style, that dates back to 1878. The buildings on Almada street are quite interesting. Pay special attention to the tiles and some of the balconies.
Divine Heart of Jesus Chapel.
Truth be told, there are a lot of abandoned buildings on the street. Some of the smaller hardware stores closed because they cannot compete with the largest stores that opened on the outskirts of the city. Still, there are items that you can only find at Almada street.
I remember going there, with my dad, looking for some small pieces to fix a sink and entering the apparently small shops. Once inside, I discovered a whole new world, mostly made of metal! Everything has it’s place. Either in the drawers filled with nails of all shapes and sizes, or hanging on the wall or from the ceiling.
Hardware store at Rua do Almada, Porto
But there’s are some stores that bring a new life to the “blacksmiths’ street”, as some people call it. I’m talking about new designers stores, vintage furniture and clothing stores, tattoo studios, local artists’ studios, bars, vintage records and even the Lomography Embassy Store.
Close by, you can have a coffee or a glass of wine at Café Candelabro, buy second hand books and memorabilia at Tintim por Tintim or have an ice cream at Sincelo. You’ll also be in a walking distance from São Bento’s train station or from the Porto’s Cathedral.