LISBON
Lisbon has so much culture, food and “miradouro”-or viewpoints- to offer! Bring your walking shoes :)
Neighborhood Breakdown:
* Recommended areas to stay in.
Baixa and Rossio* - Most tourist-friendly neighborhood, liveliest and most central area where you can find Lisbon’s main landmarks, shopping, and dining opportunities. This is the real Lisbon downtown area.
Alfama* - Old town, the authentic fishing neighborhood the most charming and oldest part of Lisbon. The place to go if you want to eat traditional meals accompanied by Fado music. Narrow winding medieval alleys are common in this area.
Chiado & Barrio Alto* - Lisbon’s bohemian and alternative neighborhood and the most central location. Filled with bars, restaurants, cafes, and hostels. This is where everyone hangs out on Saturdays.
Alcantara - Situated between downtown and Belem, this neighborhood has bars and restaurants is along the river on the docks and LX Factory - a renovated factory building complex with shops, restaurants and more.
Principe Real - Trendy neighborhood north of Bairro Alto. The building here is grander with a pricey vibe.
Parque das Nacoes - Modern area where Oriente train station and the Oceanario de Lisboa are located. There are a number of restaurants and bars along the strip along the river as well as clubs, office building and apartments.
Avenida da Liberdade - Designer row, Magnificent hotels, and banks are found here with lots of high-end stores for shopping. *Location of the Welcome Party and suggested hotels. This is the center of the city. Avenida da Liberdade ends at Praca do Comercio, a large harbor facing square and one of the largest in Europe. It is the largest square in Lisbon. The area is called Baixo/Chiado. It is the Soho of Lisbon and this is where you shop.
Graca and Sao Vicente - Also older part of the city with tiny streets and pavement. Offer a wonderful view of the Tejo River from above and wrap around jaw-dropping landmarks. You can also find the outdoor flea market that takes place every Saturday near the National Pantheon.
Mourariia - Another secret area in the middle of the tourist spot. An old Moorish district, which stretches from Alfama in the south, below the caste and toward Martim Moniz in the north with stone streets.
Cais do Sodre - Like Barrio Alto, this area is a cool neighborhood to go for a beer and catch up with friends. The Time Out Market is in this area. It is one of the city’s main food courts that offer everything from traditional meals to trendy treats and bakeries. It is also home to the colorful Pink street, full of bars and restaurants and artistic personalities.
THINGS TO DO
Museu Nacional do Azulejo (Tile Museum) - National Tile Museum allows you a journey through the history of tiles from the 15th century until present day.
Santa Justa Lift - Also called the Carmo Life, an elevator in the heart of Lisbon. It connects the lower streets of Baixa to Bairro Alto. Top attraction and great viewpoints.
Carmo Archaeological Museum - Former Catholic convent located in the heart of Lisbon, today it is the Carmo Archaeological Museum. Besides the exhibits, the monastery itself is a tourist sight with living proof of the damages left by the 1755 earthquake of Lisbon. Definitely a must see!
Praça do Comercio (Commerical Square) - The largest of Lison’s mighty plaza, traditionally where traders would sell their foreign ware and financiers would fund perilous expeditions to the far reaches of the world. With nearby shopping areas and nightlife.
Alfama (old town) - One of the oldest district of Lisbon with narrow cobbled streets and ancient houses. Great to wander the narrow streets, seek street art, ride the #28 tram, climb to the top of National Pantheon for a panoramic view over the Lisbon waterfront.
Castelo de S. Jorge - This is the famous castle in Lisbon. You can take a cab or walk - the walk is so nice and there are a ton of shops to go to on the way. There are gardens to walk through (with wild peacocks) and there are great vantage point views of the city.
National Pantheon - Originally a church, it was converted in the National Pantheon in the 20th century in which important Portuguese personalities are buried. The terrace at the top has one of Lisbon’s most beautiful viewpoints and views of the waterfront.
LxFactory - Historical industry complex which houses an array of artsy retailers and unique restaurants. Think DUMBO meets Williamsburg!
Time Out Market - Food hall located in the Mercado da Riberia at Cais do Sodre. This is where you can find the best of Lisbon under one roof. Be sure to try Pasteis de Nata From Manteigaria, it is €1 each! (Let us know how it compares to Pastei de Belem.)
BELEM:
Plan to spend a half a day in Belem, the waterfront historic neighborhood of Lisbon. I suggest heading to Belem early (take No. 15 tram from downtown Lisbon's Comercio Square) early in the morning to beat the lines at Portugal’s most famous pastry spot: Pasteis de Belém. You will likely become addicted to Pastel de Nada. Grab a few for the road and hit the sites…Belem has a lot to explore!
Jerónimos Monastery, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was built to honor famed explorer Vasco De Gama (it also happens to be where my grandparents were married! ) It is definitely worth the wait to get inside with gorgeous architecture build during the Age of Discoveries.
Torre de Belem and Monument to the Discoveries: Built to protect Lisbon’s port in the 16th century, you can climb to the top for some epic views. Definitely suggest sneakers and an early start, lines get long!
After exploring Belem in the morning, I suggest taking the train to Cascais for the rest of the day. Explore the town and the beaches!
Visit Cascais: This small beach town is quintessentially Mediterranean, look to Praia da Rainha, or the Queen's Beach. Not only is this beach a 5-minute walk from the train station, but so are two other beaches: Praia da Conceição and Praia da Duquesa. If you're looking for something a little off the beaten path, not to mention a much wider shoreline and prime surf spot, head to Praia do Guincho, about 5 miles northeast of the city center. There's also the popular Boca do Inferno cliff lookout point nearer Cascais' city center.
In Cascais, stop in for a quick ice cream at Santini, a very famous ice cream spot! I always get the hazelnut :)
If you are driving, take the coast/river drive back to Lisbon rather than the highway…very scenic.
To EAT + DRINK
Helpful tips!
A drink made from Ginja (or Morello cherries) and tasted by locals in tiny cups at any time of the day. Both “Eduardino’ or “Ginjinha” are institutions of Lisbon and next door to eachother. Definitely experience it and make sure you ask for “com fruta” so you can taste the berries as well.
Typical breakfast is a coffee “galão"(milk with coffee)” along with a pastry from a pastelaria around 8 or 9 am.
Snack or lanche da manhã at 10 am or 11 am.
Restaurants close between lunch (12-2pm) and dinner hour (8-9).
Lunch is a soup or bifana (pork sandwich)
Afternoon snack to hold you off until dinner, try the pastéis de bacalhau (codfish cakes) or the rissóis de camarão (shrimp turnovers, personal favorite).
***If you don’t say lanche da manhã, lanche usually refers to this afternoon meal between lunch and dinner.***
Click here For a great article regarding popular cuisines, which highlights the history of Lisbon in 10 dishes.
Sea Me: I cannot recommend Sea Me in Baixa/Chiado neighborhood enough. It is a local favorite and I’ve been several times. The restaurant describes itself as “mix between a typical Portuguese fishmonger, a beer house, a seafood restaurant and a Japanese restaurant.”
Café do Paço: Traditional Portuguese with a delicious steak. The waiters still wear white suits and it is considered very old Portugal. Located in Camppo Martires da Patria.
Atira-te ao Rio: This restaurant has amazing panoramic views of Lisbon. It is on the other side of the Tejo River. You can go by taxi boat which is a fun experience or catch the commuter boat from Lisbon. This is suggested by my cousin and her friend Mariana!
Pharmacia: Eating and drinking here is a quirky fun experience. Attached to the Museu de Farmácia, the restaurant offers pharmacy themed cocktails and food like the Ibuprofeno cocktail. The menu is Portuguese petiscos —- or snacks. Think a version of tapas.
Restaurante Geographia-This restaurant pays tribute to the gastronomy that speaks Portuguese, with influences from Brazil, East-Timor, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, Macao and Goa since Portuguese cuisine was one of the first fusion cuisines in the world.
Pastelaria Aloma- Two-time award winner of the best pastel de nata in Lisbon (contest ran by the festival Peixe em Lisboa in the neighborhood of Campo Ourique).
Restaurant ‘Zé da Mouraria: This restaurant is a local favorite for traditional Portuguese food. It is a little bit hidden in the former Moorish quarter Mouraria, in a small street of one of Lisbon’s oldest districts. * Lunch only*.
Hotel do Bairro Alto:This hotel is really great for lunch and a drink during the day. Really great view on the roof. You can't go wrong with any of the bars in Barrio Alto, just roam.
Park Bar: Lisbon's version of a speakeasy located on the top of a multi story parking lot. Great for sunset and night out.
Helpful link of other suggestions.
TO STAY
Check out our hotel recommendations on the “STAY” tab :)