Introduction

What better excuse to go out exploring than doing it through taste? And it’s not just an excuse — it’s also a way to get to know a place, a region, or even a tradition.

Every good Portuguese loves to eat, but this section of the site is not about main dishes. Here we focus on the pleasure of taking a break for a coffee — or better yet, for what goes perfectly with it… a sweet treat. In fact, these two pair so well largely thanks to the richness of traditional Portuguese confectionery.

There are certainly not many countries that can rival the quantity (and quality) of typical Portuguese sweets, a heritage owed in great part to the tradition and history of conventual pastry.

Historically, many of our traditional sweets originate from the desserts produced in convents (by nuns or monks) around the 15th century — the period when sugar is believed to have entered convent gastronomy (until then, honey was used). This was largely due to the influence of the colonisation of Madeira Island, where sugarcane was cultivated.

At the time, Portugal was also one of the largest egg producers in Europe. Egg whites were used as clarifiers in white wine production and as starch for ironing clothes. This left a large surplus of yolks, which were then combined with sugar to create sweets for religious festivities.

And so the two most important and defining ingredients of conventual pastry came together — often combined with almonds and flour.

But this section is not only about conventual sweets… What we propose is a nationwide survey of pastry shops, bakeries, and confectioneries that stand out for producing the best sweets in their region — whether traditional, typical, or new creations, as many today rival the finest traditional desserts.

And since we haven’t yet visited every place — and because many others remain undiscovered — this will be a dynamic, constantly evolving project that we will update whenever appropriate and necessary.

If visitors identify any inaccuracies, we kindly ask them to contact us via the email below, which can also be used by anyone wishing to suggest other noteworthy places — strictly within the scope of sweets and establishments that sell them. We promise that, as soon as possible, we will assess the possibility of including a reference on the map. It is also important to note that we do not work with sponsorships or any kind of advertising… The places listed are there simply because we believe they deserve to be on the map.

Total: 98 pastry shops, bakeries, confectioneries

In this way, we share the places we have already visited and others we hope to visit. Excellent reasons to hit the road and take a Tour of Portugal with Sugar

Update 01/2026

The guide was originally created for Portugal, but given the proximity and the fact that we often travel through Spain, we will gradually extend the map to the neighboring country, which also has several typical dulces worthy of mention and sharing