Vigo is a perfect city for shopping since you can choose between strolling through the historic centre and browsing shops or completely immersing yourself in a shopping centre or a traditional market where you can find everything, as long as you look hard enough.
If you want to see incredible shop windows, go down to Rúa do Príncipe, where the same ritual is always carried out: plan which shops to go to and the bars and restaurants where you can refuel at any time of day.
Where to shop in Vigo
The city of Vigo is full of open areas where you can combine all types of window shopping with a nice stroll and a good aperitif in historic places or by the sea, a luxury not available everywhere in Spain.
The heart of the city is home to one of the musts if you want to visit the best shops in Vigo, i.e. on Rúa do Príncipe and the Gran Vía, among other streets, some of them pedestrianised, which are a real luxury for passers-by.
However, shopping is not only reserved for the centre; there are also very popular markets and craft shops in the Bouzas and Teis neighbourhoods and in the As Travesas area, which retains the most traditional essence of Vigo.
If it is raining or you just do not fancy strolling around, you can also visit some of the many shopping centres in the city, one of which, A Laxe, is along the seafront and has incredible views.
Main shopping streets
Vigo’s most famous shopping street is Rúa do Príncipe, located in the heart of the city as it ends at Porta do Sol, next to the Old Town. It is a pedestrian area, full of shop windows and designer stores where you can shop and stroll around before having lunch or a drink on one of the terraces along the way.
Rúa de Urzáiz is a continuation of that street and is also a major shopping area which, though not pedestrianised, still has many shops, especially fashion stores. At the end of that street is O Calvario, which also has a pedestrian area and its own market.
Shopping along the Gran Vía can have the appeal of going up mechanical ramps to avoid walking uphill. It is a very curious street in terms of its layout but retains its commercial spirit intact with shops and restaurants all over the place.
There are also lively areas for shopping and crafts in the Old Town or in neighbourhoods such as Bouzas and Teis, where one day a week there is a flea market where you can find everything from treasures and antiques to organic food.
Among the traditional markets, one of the most famous is Ofeitoaman, a craft fair that is held during the Christmas period in the Alameda de la Plaza de Compostela. You will find all sorts of things among the dozens of stalls of artisan workshops. However, it is only open during the Christmas season.
Shopping centres in Vigo
Vigo is a city surrounded by shopping centres where you can visit shops, mainly multi-brand stores, although there are also some local and very special ones, and incredible gastronomic and leisure options.
The newest shopping centre is Vialia, which opened in 2021, and even has a Michelin-starred chef’s restaurant inside, Centeno by Rafael Centeno. It is not the only one since there are also some good restaurants such as Chuliña and the burger bar La Pepita.
If you want to have fun, the ideal places are the bowling alley, the cinema, the video games area and the Lighthouse play area.
Another major shopping centre is A Laxe, located on the seafront, so it is worth going just for the views.
In Vigo you will also find the Plaza Elíptica, Camelias and Gran Vía shopping centres; the latter also has a cinema, thus rounding off the shopping and leisure options.
On the outskirts is the Meixueiro shopping centre, with multi-brand stores and restaurants from major chains.
Typical products from Vigo
You must not leave Vigo without strolling around the shops and markets and looking for some useful handicrafts. This search for the most beautiful handmade detail increases at Christmas, when the stalls keep authentic handmade treasures.
The rest of the year you can find pottery, from Sargadelos or Pontecesures, with a more Celtic tradition, as well as leather goods, wood carvings or glass.
If you want to buy typical gastronomic products, the first thing to look for is a good Galician wine, especially the Albariño and Godello collections. Lately, vermouth and herbal liqueur have also become very fashionable among those looking for something different to give as a present.
Nevertheless, something that is always a classic but is reinvented every day is canned seafood: whatever format you like, you cannot say goodbye to Vigo without buying some.
