Lisbon and Sintra

Spread across steep hillsides that overlook the Rio Tejo, Lisbon offers all the delights you’d expect of Portugal’s star attraction. Gothic cathedrals, cobblestone streets, old yellow trams, majestic monasteries and quaint museums are all part of the colourful cityscape.

Population: 530,000 (est. 2012)

My Experience

Liked: Lisbon is a vibrant city with a rich history and great night life in the Cais de Sodre district. I loved its cobblestone streets, fine examples of azulejos (painted tiles), old tram cars and splendid views from the Castle on top of the Alfama.

Not so much: Portugal is in general a bit cheaper than most other European countries, especially when you go outside of the busy season (June to mid-September), but Lisbon is quite an expensive city. We paid 35 euros for parking per day in the center and hotels in center start around 150 euros.

What to do & see:

1. Listen to live Fado music: Born in a working-class neighbourhood of Lisbon, the melancholic music of Fado has been around for centuries. Fado music has become a great art and you can still listen to it in many restaurants and bars in Lisbon and other parts of the country. The songs typically recount sad love stories, broken hearts and unfulfilled dreams trough a strong voice and a 12-string Portuguese guitar.

2. Get lost in Lisbon’s old town of Alfama: A labyrinth of narrow, beautiful cobblestone streets. You can walk around, take a tuk tuk or historical tram to this area of the city.

3. Belem: Just a short tram ride from Lisbon, the town of Belem is beautiful. Visit the splendid Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, Torre de Belem, 

4. 3-in-1 tour with the Yellow bus: whether you have 1 day or 3 days at your disposal to see the city, a ride of the Yellow bus or other sightseeing buses is an excellent way to really see some of the main sites as well as the areas outside of the city centre such as the Parque das Nações part of town which was built for expo 1998.

5.  Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbon: Mercado da Ribeira (also known as Mercado 24 de Julho) is Lisbon’s main food market since 1892, when it opened with an iron interior and a large oriental dome. The food court, with canteen-style communal tables, opened in May of 2014 and has become a major food destination. It’s on the western side of the building on the ground floor, and opens every day from 10AM to midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and from 10AM to 2AM from Thursday to Saturday.Don’t forget to try some seafood, particularly the grilled sardines, a Portuguese staple.

6. Day trip to Sintra: Just 30 minutes away by car or bus from Lisbon, Sintra is a stunning place that takes you back to different times. This Unesco World Heritage place is like a page torn from a fairy tale: lush green gardens, imposing castles, narrow alleyways and mountain roads makes it a must-do day trip while in Lisbon.

Visit the Palácio National de Sintra, walk around and visit the shops, and don’t miss the beautiful and fun Quinta da Regaleira up the mountain featuring its lush gardens, fountains, grottos, lakes and underground caverns. 

If you have a sweet tooth, do not miss Sintra’s famous casa Piriquita close to the Palace which has been tempting locals and tourists with pasteis de nata, queijadas, and the travesseiro (pillow), a light puff pastry turned, rolled and folded seven times, then filled with delicious almond & egg cream lightly dusted with sugar.

7. Castelo de Sao Jorge: The fortification, built by the Moors in the mid-11th century, was the last defensive stronghold for the elite who resided on the citadel: the Moorish governor whose palace was nearby, and the elite city administrators whose homes are visible today in the Archaeological Site.

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