If you’re going to for a short trip to Lisbon, here’s a list of things to do while you’re there:
*Note: This list is not exhaustive, but they’re recommendations of things to do for a short trip in Lisbon based on my experience there.
The Alfama
This is the oldest district of Lisbon and is filled with many narrow streets that lead up to the São Jorge Castle. One of the ways to enjoy this part of the city is to get the 28 tram at the Praça do Martin Moniz, in the Baixa district. From there, the old yellow tram winds slowly up the narrow and steep hills of the Alfama, offering several photo opportunities, all the way up to the castle. You can spend hours enjoying the view from the castle; it is arguably one of the best in Lisbon. At first we were hesitant to enter with the €8.50 entry fee, wondering if all we were paying for was to see a view, but it really is worth it. And if you’re a student, you get to go in for a discount at €5 – bonus! From the castle, you can wander back down the hill on foot, exploring the old District. In doing so, you should pass another beautiful viewpoint called the Miradouro de Santa Luzia; the Sé de Lisboa, Lisbon’s cathedral; and the Museu das Artes Decorativas (Decorative Arts Museum), which I didn’t have the chance to enter but apparently it’s really interesting if you enjoy museums. When I went, someone recommended visiting the Alfama district in the late afternoon to early evening. We thoroughly enjoyed doing this, although if you want to take good view pictures, be warned – the sun really isn’t on your side at this time of day! Either way, whatever the time of day, you simply can’t go to Lisbon and not see the Alfama District! It’s truly worth it.
The Baixa
The Baixa district is located in the centre of Lisbon. Quick historical fact – it was completely rebuilt after a tsunami and earthquake in 1755, so the oldest architecture in this neighbourhood only dates back to the 18th century! Being the most central district, it is full of tourists, restaurants and hotels and most importantly, stunning plazas. The largest is the Praça do Comercio, which is located on the bank of the River Tagus. It has a statue in the middle and is surrounded by mustard yellow buildings, which seems to a popular colour for architecture in Portugal. Located next to another popular plaza called Praça Rossio, is the Elevador De Santa Justa. It is a lift that takes you up to yet another marvellous viewpoint of the city. It’s not as high as the castle, yet it is probably my favourite view. From the top, there is a walkway to the Igreja do Carmo, a ruin of a Church, devastated by the 1755 earthquake. We didn’t have the time to enter the Church itself due to a lack of time, which is something I regret as I’ve heard it’s definitely worth seeing! If you’re a real foodie, the last and most enjoyable thing for you to see is the Time Out Market. It has food stalls from ranging from local Portuguese to Asian cuisine – and it is not too expensive either! Without saying too much, just go and enjoy. You won’t regret it.
Bairro Alto
Our hostel was located near this district. This was super convenient as it’s close to one of the best food districts in the city. Being one of the top places to experience Lisbon at night, it is also however less convenient if you love your sleep. The streets are filled with bars, restaurants, clubs and live music. The district is called ‘Alto’ because it’s on one of the seven hills the city is built upon. At some point, I suggest you make your way to one of the many rooftop bars in the area. We went to one and the atmosphere was perfect; there were cocktails, fairy lights, blankets for warmth and a precious view of the city (surprise, surprise another view). If you wander around the streets of the Alto district, you will find small local restaurants. I recommend anything bacalau (cod), which is extremely popular in Lisbon, since it is on the coast. The cod is cooked in various ways; one of my favourite is Bacalhau à Brás, and it is mixed with scrambled eggs and chips (and it’s not ham, egg and chips if that’s what you’re thinking!). The next thing to check off the list after a nice meal out in the district is to find a small bar to have a drink and watch Fado music. My experience of it was a live music performance in a crammed bar, which consisted of two men playing the guitar and another singing in Portuguese. This is definitely worth doing if you a want down to earth, local experience of true Portuguese culture.
Belém
This district is further away from the others and requires a twenty-minute tram ride to get there. It’s worth it though. There are four important things worth doing in Belém. The first and furthest away from the centre is the Torre de Belém. It’s a tower found on the bank of the River Tagus. Personally, it is nice enough to look at from the exterior without paying the steep entrance fee to go in. However, if you still want to climb some stairs and see cool view, there is the Discoveries Monument which is only €2.50 entry if you’re a student. It’s also closer to central Belém, so the view should be better (I only went up the Discoveries Monument so I can’t say much about view from the Torre de Belém). The top of the monument shows a close view of the Ponte 25 de Abril, which is very similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is another popular tourist attraction. I also didn’t enter this monastery, so I can’t comment much about it. If there is one thing that you do in Belém, you absolutely have to try a Pastel de Nata from the Pastéis de Belém pastry shop. A Pastel de Nata is like custard tart, but better. I can’t explain how, it just is. Try it.
Sintra
This is a small picturesque town outside of Lisbon. It takes forty minutes to get there by train, so it’s the perfect distance for a day trip. The reason Sintra is worth visiting is due to its many palaces and castles. We didn’t have enough time to do them all, but the two we did were incredible. From the town you can get a return shuttle bus for €5.50 that takes you up the steep winding hills to the entrance of the Palacio da Pena. You won’t miss it, as the palace itself is a vibrant pink and yellow colour. It’s expensive to enter, but you realise why when you see how vast the gardens surrounding the palace are. A few minutes walk downhill takes you to the Castelo dos Mouros; the ruins of an old grey castle contrast the colourful Pena palace, but it’s equally as (and in my opinion, even more) stunning as the palace. This includes the views, from which you can see the Atlantic coast. If you have enough time, there is a bus from Sintra to a place called Cabo da Roca, which is the most western point in Europe. There isn’t much there apart from some cliffs and a lighthouse and it’s supposedly very windy, but how cool would it be to say you’ve been the most western point in Europe?! From there you can take the scenic route back to Lisbon through a cute seaside town called Cascais. When I went, time and weather weren’t on our side, so that’s definitely on my list for next time!
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