🛍️ Guinea-Bissau: souvenirs
Guinea-Bissau's craft is Bijago and mainland weaving, carving and cashew everything - sold in Bissau's Bandim market. Here is what travellers bring home from Guinea-Bissau, where the good versions live, and the export questions worth a look - alongside our 24 written places.
🛒 The classic buys
Bijago carvings
Figures and masks in the archipelago's distinctive style - new work from island and Bissau artisans.
Panu di pinti cloth
The narrow-strip woven cloth of prestige - naming ceremonies and funerals run on it; weavers sell lengths in the capital.
Cashews and cashew products
The national crop - roasted nuts, cashew juice and the distilled cana de caju.
Basketry and calabash work
Village weaving sold at Bandim market.
⚠️ Check before you buy
- Old ritual items from the islands are cultural property - buy new work.
- Cana spirit in unlabelled bottles may be questioned at borders - buy labelled where possible.
✗ Better left behind
- Turtle and marine products - the Bijagos are a biosphere reserve.
- Wildlife items - protected.
Keep planning
Markets shift, workshops close and open, and the best souvenir is still the one with a story you were there for. Buy from makers where you can, keep receipts for anything substantial, and when a deal feels too good, it usually is.