Maraus
Approved by Ed
📍 Oliva Creative Factory, Rua Paula Rego · São João da Madeira
Rui is a third-generation hatmaker, and at Maraus he makes hats by hand, to measure. He'll make one for you, or you can make your own at his bench: pick the material, steam it, shape it, flame it, fit the band, and Rui finishes it in his atelier. Something useful, made with your own hands. 30 to 40 minutes from Porto, in São João da Madeira: an afternoon, and worth the trip.
Want one made for you? Rui makes hats to order, measured to your head, shaped and finished by hand in the atelier: 40 to 60 hours of work in each one. Order from him on Instagram @maraushats or WhatsApp.
Make an afternoon of it: São João da Madeira, Portugal's hat town →
Maraus is one of Edmund’s picks in São João da Madeira.
Common questions
Is Maraus worth going to?
Rui is a third-generation hatmaker, and at Maraus he makes hats by hand, to measure. He'll make one for you, or you can make your own at his bench: pick the material, steam it, shape it, flame it, fit the band, and Rui finishes it in his atelier. Something useful, made with your own hands. 30 to 40 minutes from Porto, in São João da Madeira: an afternoon, and worth the trip.
Is Maraus approved by Ed?
Yes. Maraus is one of the 69 places on Edmund's Porto list.
Where is Maraus?
Maraus is on Oliva Creative Factory, Rua Paula Rego, in São João da Madeira, Portugal.
Can Maraus make a hat for me?
Yes. Rui makes hats to order: he takes your measurements, shapes the hat and finishes it by hand in the atelier, then delivers it. Each hat is 40 to 60 hours of work. Order from him on Instagram @maraushats or WhatsApp (linktr.ee/maraushats).
Can I make my own hat near Porto?
Yes, at Maraus. You pick the material and build the hat yourself, by hand: steam it, shape it, flame it, fit the band.
Who runs Maraus?
Rui and Jessica, husband and wife hatmakers. Rui is the third generation: he works at the bench and with the tools of his grandfather, António Marau.
How do I order a hat or book the workshop?
By appointment: message Rui on Instagram @maraushats or WhatsApp, both at linktr.ee/maraushats. His website is maraus.com.
How far is Maraus from Porto?
30 to 40 minutes by car. The atelier is in the Oliva Creative Factory in São João da Madeira, south of Porto.
How long does the hat workshop take?
On your own, 30 to 45 minutes at the bench; a group takes longer. Then Rui finishes the hat in his atelier. With the drive, plan an afternoon: I left Porto at 2 and was home by 4:30.
Can I do the hat workshop on my own, or with friends?
Either. Rui takes one to six people at a time, and two to four is best.
Is the hat workshop a good thing to do near Porto on a rainy day?
Yes. It's all indoors, at the bench in Rui's atelier.
Is it worth the trip from Porto?
Yes, as an afternoon. São João da Madeira is Portugal's hat-making town, with a hat museum and two centuries of hatmaking, and Maraus is where you make one yourself. 30 to 40 minutes from Porto.