There was no reason to even think about Portugal this year, although we have been pining for a European vacation. We haven't traveled outside of the US for a few years (global pandemics do that every time). It was when one of those travel ads popped up on Facebook that I decided to dig a little deeper. Sure why not? We dug in more - checking flights, hotels and rentals. Where exactly are we going? Do we need to go to Porto? Sure, we won't be going back so why not? Within a day or two, we grabbed some flight deals and we were booked! We decided to fly into Lisbon and out through Porto with a stop over in London.
We did a lot of research and we do have a google doc somewhere with links to other blogs and videos of best places in Lisbon and Porto. It was crazy at times watching YouTube videos of travel vloggers eating pastel de nata and hitting all the must-see sites. Because we were going for one week, we wanted to make sure we used our time wisely. We read reviews to understand the sites -- why spend the time and money to get to a particular location when you can get the same view from a different point?
Lisbon
What to know
From our research, we understood that Lisbon is the "City of 7 Hills." What that means is there is a lot of walking uphill, downhill, stairs and ramps, and a lot of cobblestones. Once we got there, we realized that was the truth.
- Wear your comfy walking shoes. No one is strutting in heels in the old city. In fact, sneaker-type, rubber-soled footwear with a good grip is preferred since the cobblestones can be a little smooth at times.
- Check the weather. Since we went in the Fall, which is the rainy season, we carried umbrellas. We were grateful it rained intermittently and you will have to be careful on the stone streets (thank goodness you have the good shoes).
- We stayed in an apartment rental (via Booking.com) and our main criteria was to stay in a flat area. Our logic was that after a day of traipsing around the city, you don't want to climb uphill to your apartment.
Therefore, we chose the border of Alfama and Baixa, just around the corner from the main Praca de Comercio. Unfortunately, we had rented an apartment - we gave a lengthy review on booking.com website about this. While it was facing the main street, the entrance was behind the building. We had to walk up ramps and stairs and go into a dark alley to open the door. It was insane. The apartment was cute and delivered what we needed, but we limited the times we went up and down.
Walking tours
- Alfama and Mouraria - The oldest neighborhoods in Lisbon
We took a walking tour the first day of Alfama - much to the disdain of my tired daughter. We wanted to understand where we were, what's around us, get some inside info from the tour guides, etc.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of walking uphill so we did lag behind the others a bit. Since we went through Alfama, there were women selling homemade Ginjinha from their doorways for a Euro. Our tour guide stopped at the one who served it in little chocolate shot glasses. It was sweet and I appreciated a shot of anything to keep us going.
- Baixa-Chiado - the downtown area of Lisbon
We took this walking tour of Baixa-Chiado the next afternoon. We were grateful this tour was on much flatter streets than Aflama, however it was raining intermittently. So, the tour guide was able to help us find shelter points on the trail.
We loved Rua Augusta with the shops and the decorative tiles on the road. We happened to be there during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, so restaurants with outdoor seating had TV screens. Crowds were forming to watch and cheer. Passersby would pause to check the score and who was playing. The tour guide took us to the Igreja do Carmo Church, which is the cathedral without the roof. We weren't able to go inside, but we did see the Igreja São Domingos, which has a story of a fire and haunting darker history about persecution of Jews.
Livraria Bertrand is the oldest bookstore in the world, and absolutely a beautiful building. We felt like we were walking through a monastery with its intimate archways. Grab a cappuccino in the cafe in the back with a mural of poet Fernando Pessoa. We learned about Fernando Pessoa while we were there, and I regretfully had not read his work. However Lisbon's tributes to him have intrigued me. There's a statue of him on the street not too far from there, and I actually saw a street artist earlier in the day dressed like him with a mustache, suit and hat.
Being there in November only let us see partial Christmas decorations, but there was a pretty Christmas market in the Rossio Square.
By the way, you don't need to wait in line and pay to go up Santa Justa elevator. We learned of different elevators in the buildings. Also, from the 2nd floor of Rossio train station, there's a door that leads to an area with an amazing view of the city. Better than the Santa Justa elevator.
What We Ate
- Italian Republic (R. dos Arameiros 15, 1100-389 Lisboa, Portugal)
This is a casual pizzeria and we were actually delighted by the young Indian hostess there. She helped us out with good information about the area, and we made a point to come there again. We enjoyed the dinner but were blown away by the "garlic bread with cheese" - it was a small cheese pizza. We had a pitcher of sangria with the meal, which never goes wrong.
- Baixa-Mar Mariscos e Petiscos (R. dos Bacalhoeiros 28B, 1100-071 Lisboa, Portugal)
Probably one of the best meals we had in Lisbon. Our apartment was right above so we were eager to try this place around the corner. It is actually 2 restaurants under the same umbrella - menus were different. The staff was extremely friendly and we enjoyed the Portuguese seafood specialties.
- Casa de Fado Porta d'Alfama (R. de São João da Praça 17A, 1100-517 Lisboa, Portugal)
We had saved the traditional Fado music and dinner for our last night in Lisbon, and we wished we
had done this every day instead. This restaurant in Alfama is on the same street with other Fado
dinner restaurants. After some point, it was confusing so we had to trust our gut and pick one randomly. They all offer music and special menus; be sure to make reservations with them.
We thought the hostess (owner) was accommodating. Though she didn't speak English, she was able to find us someone to translate. I don't remember the food, but the experience was memorable. it's a small restaurant and we had traditional Portuguese food, but the singers and musicians were fabulous. Because of the small space, we were chatting with another couple behind us, who shared lots of stories (traveling the world, meeting the Dalai Lama). Then, the performers asked one of the guests to join them. She was an accomplished singer from another region, so there was an impromptu performance of Portuguese songs. This was one of the most enjoyable experiences. And, the singers were so amazing. We weren't familiar with Fado music, so this was so beguiling.
Recommended Restaurants We Couldn't Get to
- Discreto (Arco Portas do Mar 9, 1100-035 Lisboa, Portugal)
- Lisboa Tu & Eu 2 (Escadinhas das Portas do Mar 4, 1100-119 Lisboa, Portugal) This has a cool artsy vibe and there are stairs to climb to the entrance. It was difficult to get reservations here.
Pasteis de Nata
We watched a lot of youtube videos of people going to the famous oldest pastry shop in Belem area of Lisbon. We saw the lines and how strict the rules were. We saw the blind taste tests of different pastel de nata from different locations.
These are the delicate egg custard tarts that are famous in Lisbon. These are fairly inexpensive for a couple of euros and a sweet snack.
When we went to Pasteis de Belem, we were thrilled to see there wasn't a line of people. We decided to get the egg pastries and chocolate croissant.
MORE TO COME
- Pastel de nata in Sintra
- Drinking Ginjinha
- Day in Sintra
- 2 Days in Porto
