Following Rua Marquês de Santa Cruz towards the newer docks will bring you to the elegant Mercado Municipal Adolfo Lisboa (Rua dos Barés 46, Centro, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. daily). Designed in the 1880s, during the height of the rubber boom, by none other than Gustave Eiffel, the wrought iron art nouveau structure is a replica of Paris’s famous (and sadly demolished) Les Halles market.
For hygienic purposes, in the 1990s the market’s interior received a modernizing overhaul. However, the exotic produce on display is a feast for the senses. Wandering around you’ll see glistening river fish, multicolored fruit of varying shapes and textures, medicinal herbs and potions, and artesenato of indigenous origin.
Equally interesting is the adjacent Feira do Produtor, a wholesale market by the waterfront where you can observe haggling, purchasing, and the unloading of exotic produce from boats. The best time to visit both markets is in the early morning, when the atmosphere is at its most vibrant.