Cruzes Canhoto interior

©Emily McAuliffe/Lonely Planet

Cruzes Canhoto

Miragaia


This gallery sets itself apart by exhibiting works by self-taught creatives who use art to deal with mental illness or difficulties assimilating into society. The pieces are quirky, if not downright weird or slightly provocative, but the stories make them cool. You'll also find examples of Portuguese folk art.

Owner and curator José Carlos Soares operates the gallery as a passion project, and he and his staff will be more than happy to talk you through their latest collections. While some works are permanent displays, most of the art is available to purchase as a unique souvenir.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Miragaia attractions

1. Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis

0.14 MILES

Porto's best art museum presents a stellar collection ranging from Neolithic carvings to Portugal’s take on modernism, all housed in the formidable…

2. Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

0.21 MILES

Sitting atop a bluff, this gorgeous botanical garden is one of Porto's best-loved escapes, with lawns interwoven with sun-dappled paths and dotted with…

3. Igreja do Carmo

0.33 MILES

Dating to the late 18th century, this captivating azulejo-covered church is one of Porto’s best examples of rococo architecture. The tiled panel on the…

4. Igreja das Carmelitas

0.33 MILES

Blink and you might miss that this is a church in its own right, snuggled as close as it is to the Igreja do Carmo. The twin churches are separated only…

5. Museu Romântico

0.36 MILES

Nestled on the southern slopes of Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, beneath cathedral oaks and sycamores, is the small but stately home where the exiled king…

6. Jardim da Cordoaria

0.39 MILES

This pleasantly leafy park is known simply as ‘Cordoaria’. Check out the four haunting sculptures by Spain's Juan Muñoz. The romantic, narrow lanes that…

7. World of Discoveries

0.4 MILES

A guaranteed kid-pleaser – if slightly overpriced – this interactive museum catapults you back to the 14th to 16th centuries, when the Portuguese ruled…

8. Livraria Lello

0.42 MILES

Ostensibly a bookshop, but even if you’re not after books, don’t miss this exquisite 1906 neo-Gothic confection, with its lavishly carved plaster…