Markets, museums and nightlife in Santos, Lisbon

Santos puts you between the river, Madragoa and Cais do Sodré, so there's always something on, from morning markets to late nights. Walking times are from our Santos residence.

Mercado da Ribeira

The Mercado da Ribeira (Avenida 24 de Julho, about 10 min) opened in 1882 and was for decades the city's main supply market. Half of it is still a traditional market with fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and cheese, Monday to Saturday from 06:00 to 14:00. The other half is the Time Out Market food hall.

Museums

• •Museu da Marioneta (Rua da Esperança 146, about 5 min): Portugal's puppet museum, in a former convent in Madragoa, with over 3,000 pieces from around the world. Tickets are €5, or €2.50 if you're 13 to 25. Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00.
• •Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (Rua das Janelas Verdes, about 14 min): Portugal's national museum of ancient art has been closed for works since September 2025 and partly reopens on Saturday 21 November 2026, with free entry until 1 December, plus tours, workshops and concerts on the opening weekend. Its collection includes Bosch's Temptations of St Anthony and the Namban screens.

Riverside

Jardim de Santos (about 5 min) is a small 19th-century garden with a picnic area, and Jardim Roque Gameiro by Cais do Sodré station (about 11 min) has a 1915 Art Nouveau tiled kiosk. Both are open around the clock. Walk on to Ribeira das Naus for the sunset, or take the ferry across the Tagus to see Lisbon from the water.

Nightlife: Pink Street and Cais do Sodré

Rua Nova do Carvalho, the "Pink Street" (about 12 min), is Cais do Sodré's best-known bar street, where clubs sit next to old sailors' bars. Time Out's picks include Pensão Amor for cocktails and live music, Sol e Pesca in a former fishing-tackle shop, and Menina e Moça, a bookshop-bar. It gets crowded and loud late, so keep your phone and wallet close.

Weekends and the year

• •LX Market at LX Factory (Alcântara, a short tram or train ride west): handmade, vintage and design stalls every Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 to 19:00, free to enter. In December 2026 it also opens on the 8th and every day from the 12th to the 18th.
• •Santos Populares: June is street-party month across Lisbon, and the night of 12 June, the eve of Santo António, is the city's busiest of the year. In 2026 Varina da Madragoa even ran a sardine menu for it.

For food and coffee, see where to eat in Santos and cafés and places to work in Santos.

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