LISBON MINI GUIDE

Hey there!

It’s time to speak about a wonderful trip I made, a colorful and beautiful city with great vibes, good food and friendly people.

And this is LISBON, tha capital of Portugal! My first trip to Portugal was there, a country that I absolutely loved! If you visit Lisbon for the first time, have a look in the text below and don’t miss doing some of the things I mention!

Where to STAY: Wherever you pick to stay in the city center in Lisbon is great! So, better to avoid Belem where many hotels are as it is far. My favorite neighborhoods to stay are those who are convenient to walk around on foot like Bairro Alto, Chiado, Baixa, Alfama…Angel’s tip: I picked a hotel in the city center which I truly recommend because of its location, great service and value for money. The name is: My Story Hotel Ouro.

Plug? In Lisbon and generally Portugal, type C (also called the Europlug) and F are the official standards.

Do you need a CAR? When I first booked the tickets I thought that a car is needed. But after a few days that I started arranging my schedule and realize the great modes of transport Lisbon has and the difficulty in finfing a parking spot, I decided not to rent one. And I was right!

If you plan to discover Lisbon only and not beaches or towns further away, a car is not necessary. Lisbon is a city that you can walk, you can rent electric scooters to stroll around, you can take the trams, tuk tuk, funiculars… and if you need to go a bit further away, there is uber as well!

How many DAYS? In my opinion, 3-4 days in Lisbon are enough. Sintra town with the magnificent palaces is a must and would need one more day!

WHEN is the best time to visit Lisbon? Undoubtedly Lisbon is a city that is great and has tourists all year long. But during spring, September-early October or early summer I think is better with this sunny wonderful weather.

10 THINGS TO SEE IN LISBON:

1. First, one of the most famous squares in Lisbon is the Commercial Square. You can start from there. Close to the TAGUS river that crosses the city, Praca do Comercio as it is called in Portuguese, is the biggest & most central square in Lisbon. There stands the impressive arc: Arco da Rua Augusta. Take a photo!
2. Another beautiful square in Lisbon is Praca Dom Pedro IV with the 2 fountains. Have a look!
3. Did you know that Lisbon is spectacular from above? That’s why there are many viewpoints where you can go and admire the view from above. Some of them are Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara, Miradouro de Graça, Miradouro Sophia de Mello, Miradouro das Portas do Sol etc
4. Have you heard that Lisbon is famous for its funiculars and trams? Especially the old traditional ones are great for the city since Lisbon has steep and narrow hills where modern trams cannot be used in most of the routes. Tram 28 is the most famous one. I took it for a ride and it passes by many different landmarks and sites!
5. I took the Glória Funicular as well & it was fun, you pay 4-5 euros in funiculars and they usually drive you from the bottom to the top of a steep hill. This one led to Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara, a beautiful viewpoint, as mentioned above.
   

   Glória Funicular

6. Do you like castles? I usually visit the main castle in every city I travel to. Don’t expect something extraordinary inside as you can see mainly walls but the view from Lisbon’s castle and the walks around with the garden were great! That’s why I recommend you to visit the medieval castle in this capital with its magnificent view from above and many peacocks around. It is called Sao Jorge Castle and entrance is 10 euros for adults. Angel’s tip: You can book in advance to avoid the queue.
7. Two other architectural masterpieces in the city are the National Pantheon & the Lisbon Cathedral. Both are so impressive buildings that are worth your visit at least from outside. First one was originally a church which was converted into the National Pantheon, in which important Portuguese personalities are buried. And second one, the Cathedral of Saint Mary Major or Lisbon Cathedral or simply the Sé, which is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the oldest church in the city. 
   

   Lisbon Cathedral

8. The most famous covered food market in Lisbon is undoubtedly Mercado de Ribeira or “Time Out market”. Many shops to buy grocery, flowers or just have a nice lunch. The variety is great with many options of international and local cuisines to choose from.
9. Don’t forget to stroll around during day & night in Alfama, the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon. Many cute streets, houses, shops…
10. You can visit  LX Factory (it is convenient to combine it after your visit in Belem), an industrial complex with restaurants, shops, bars etc. I went there and had a nice late lunch and some drinks.

Angel’s tip: Many advise to take the Elevador de Santa Justa, the oldest elevator in Lisbon connecting the upper & lower part of the city but I don’t recommend it. 45 minutes queue for 2 minutes & a view that I could simply walk up there.This is the view above.

INSTAGRAMMABLE spots in LISBON:

• Have a drink & a photo with the funicular in Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo.

• “Les Devagar” bookstore for insta shots inside the LX Factory & “Livraria Bertrand – Chiado”: the world’s oldest bookstore.

• Have an early walk before it gets crowded in the Pink street : Rua Nova do Carvalho.

What else?

Apart from the Lisbon city center, there are 3 places outside the city center I went and recommend (instagrammable as well):

• 1st: BELEM.  I devoted 1 day to visit Belem area, 6-8 km distance from the city center: Belem Tower, the Monument of the Discoveries and Jeronimos Monastery. The last one is a piece of art inside as well. And if you are an art lover, don’t miss the National Museum of contemporary art. Went to Belem with an electric scooter but the majority just  takes tram 15 from Figueira or Commerce square or taxi/uber. Angel’ tip: if you take an electric scooter to visit Belem from the city center choose the sea side as the opposite in the last 2 km is not the best.
• 2nd: CRISTO REI. I took an Uber through the 25 de Abril bridge or you can take a ferry to cross the river in order to visit Cristo Rei statue in Almada neighborhood. The Sanctuary of Christ the King was inspired by the famous Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. Not many things to do there but it is quite impressive.
• 3rd: SINTRA. The magnificent fairytale city, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, famous for the historic center, for its 19th-century romanticism architecture, historic estates & villas, gardens and royal palaces & castles. It’s like you have traveled through time and I totally recommend this trip. You can find online organized group tours(check airbnb as well) that include the transportation and the whole tour. You can also take an uber/taxi (it took me 30 euros from Sintra to Lisbon) or the train from Lisbon train station to Sintra train station and then tuk tuk, taxi or bus to the palaces. There are more than 10 but you need 3 days to discover all of them. In one day I think you can manage max 3. Ideal is at least 2 days.  Angel’s tip: I visited the Pena Palace(my favorite and MUST in my opinion) and the Quinta de Regaleira only as I went only for some hours. Both really impressive.

MUST try and EAT: Try Pasteis De Nata (the most famous sweet in Portugal) in Pasteis de Belem cafe.

Restaurants: Did you know that Portugal is famous for its seafood due to the ocean? Sardines,  Shellfish, Bacalhau… I didn’t try all the following restaurants but all are recommendations after discussions I had with locals. Many great options either for seafood or mediterranean cuisine.

• In Bairro Alto neighborhood:

-for tapas style: “Tapa Bucho” and “Taberna da Rua das Flores”

-for Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cuisine: “Tantura ”

-for seafood: “Sea me”. This was a unique restaurant I tried, a seafood place that you can choose whatever you want and have a relevant dish. For example, I chose the fish I wanted and they made incredible sushi dishes from it.

• In Alfama neighborhood:
  

  “Sea Me” restaurant

-Taberna do Mar for Portuguese-Japanese fusion cuisine

-Casa da Tia Helena for Portuguese,

-O Corrido – Casa de Fado for FADO experience. 

• In Rossio:

-“Solar dos Presuntos” for High-end Portuguese cuisine, seafood & meat,

-“Casa do Alentejo” a hidden gem as locals say with an arabic style inside.

-“E Um Restaurante” as a unique initiative and place of humanitarianism where staff working there are homeless people.

• If you are VEGAN/VEGETARIAN, these are some options you have:

-Plant base

-DaTerra Bairro Alto

-Arkhe

-O Botanista.

Breakfast: Many delicious spots for brunch and breakfast in Lisbon. One of my favorite with a great variety was Fauna & Flora as per picture below. Some others: Cafe Janis, Seagull method Cafe, Dear Breakfast, Cotidiano.

Nightlife? Lisbon has incredible bars, restaurants and even festivals. Stroll around and have drinks anywhere! You can find bars in many neighborhoods like Largo do Carmo, Bairro Alto or Alfama. 

If you visit Portugal for the first time and you are looking for something traditional, try the FADO experience, local live music during dinner in specific Fado restaurants. Angel’s tip: Alfama neighborhood has many fado restaurants, I chose “Casa de Linhares”  restaurant with amazing singers. Food was ok as well. 

If you love cocktails and want to visit something unique, I recommend visiting 3 speakeasy bars that are incedible. One is Ulysses speakeasy bar (that you need to book in advance since it is private, only a few sits available), Red Frog Speakeasy and Cinco lounge.(not exactly a speakeasy but not easy to find it and amazing cocktails) Angel’s tip: don’t forget to try the local Ginja shot any time of the day. You can find it in many places but the most popular one is the Ginjinha bar.

Angel’s tips:

• You can combine Commerce square with Lisbon Cathedral, Miradouro de Santa Lucia and then Sao Jorge castle. Viewpoint called Miradouro Sophia de Mello is close there as well. You can go back with the tram 28.
• You can combine Belem area, Cristo Rei and then LX Factory.
• You can combine Bairro Alto with Time out Market and then Alfama area to stroll around and have a fado experience.

 

More pictures in my highlights and posts on my Instagram account Angeliki.a_