Lisbon Guide

May 21, 2019 - May 25, 2019

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Walk with caution, especially if you are prone to falling. Lisbon is hilly and the cobblestone streets are uneven and slippery, especially if it's rainy.

• Dinner is usually around 9-10 pm. This took a bit of getting used to for me (10 pm is my bedtime), but it was more fun going to restaurants when there were other guests dining.

• Portuguese for "Thank you" is "obrigado." While there are similarities between the Portuguese and Spanish languages, they are not the same!

FUN FACT
Half of global cork production occurs just 2 hours outside Lisbon, in the Algarve and the Alentejo regions of Portugal.

The final city of our Portugal trip was Lisbon. The country's capital is built on seven hills, right along the Atlantic Ocean. I really enjoyed Lisbon and would definitely like to go back someday. The food is amazing, everyone is super friendly and there aren't a ton of obnoxious tourists (it upsets me when I see multiple selfie-sticks).

Lisbon is a great place to wander - there is something on every corner. Here's some fast facts for you:

• If you're looking to go out, head to Pink Street. Located in the Red Lights District, this street is the place to be with bars and nightclubs.

• Lisbon is home to an old school barbershop, called Figaro's, where clients can pick one of five hairstyles.

• Tuk Tuks are a fun option for transportation (but there is Uber and taxis available if you like more traditional routes of transportation).

• If you are a Harry Potter fan, eat breakfast at A Brasile, one of J.K. Rowling favorites.

• Convento dos Campo is a church that was destroyed during the 1755 earthquake. Even though the columns and part of the roof survived, the church did not undergo any repairs.

A neat area to walk around is the Bêlem District, best known for the Jerónimos Monastery. Built in 1502, the monastery is responsible for creating the delicious Pastel de Bêlem (see below). We were a little unprepared and with a long line for tickets, we skipped the monastery tour. However, we did walk through the Church of Santa Maria. The church can be found on the south end of the monastery.

Across the street is the Padrāo Dos Descobrimentos, a monument dedicated to Portuguese explorers. For just 6 euros, you are able to take an elevator to the top of the tower for a fantastic panoramic view of the city and monastery. Fun fact, the photo-header for this website was taken on the Padrāo Dos Descobrimentos.

Another district within Lisbon is Alfama. We walked through here and ended up at São Jorge Castle. This fortress is at the top of the São Jorge hill and has amazing views of the city. The red-tiled roofs reminded me of Game of Thrones, however the series was not filmed in Lisbon.

A great day trip is to the nearby town, Sintra. After a 30 minute train ride, we met our guide, Miguel from Wolf Rides. Miguel led us on a 3 hour electric bike tour through the countryside. I highly recommend taking this tour! We were able to see so much of Sintra, including Sintra National Palace and Pena Palace. I honestly wish we had more time in Sintra to explore.

The electric bikes were really easy to ride and they have an engine to help boost you up hills. I was a huge fan of the "Turbo-Power" setting. I found it a little stressful riding the bikes in the town-center because there are no sidewalks or bike lanes. However, there is less traffic once you get out into the country and riding becomes more relaxing.

Before taking the train back into Lisbon, we ate at a super cute cafe called Gargem. So far, it is the only cafe I have been to that had peanut butter.

If you're a foodie, you will really enjoy Lisbon. The city is full of great restaurants (The B Temple has excellent burgers) and bars (the Park is located on top of a parking garage!). My favorite bar was the Pharmacia, located next door to the Pharmacy Museum. The menu made me chuckle.

My family loved dining at the Time Out Market, which is right down the street from our AirBNB. Basically, it is a boujee foodcourt with higher-end restaurant-kiosks, instead of fast food. The atmosphere is great and there is a ton of variety for food options.

I realize this is a pretty long post, but one final thought: I recommend the AirBNB we stayed in! The host was very helpful and the location was convenient. There was a metro, market and cafe, all within walking distance. Plus, it is one of the few AirBNB's in the city with air conditioning!