A fascinating city full of historical riches and mysteries: Lisbon 🇵🇹✨
Dating back to 1200 BC, this city bears the traces of many civilizations from Phoenicians to Romans, from Arabs to Christian kingdoms. Lisbon is the oldest European capital after Athens. In 1755 it was almost destroyed by a major earthquake and then rebuilt.
The streets of this city , which comes to mind first when Portugal is mentioned, are coloured with Jacaranda trees from spring to summer. Spring is the best time to get lost in Lisbon’s narrow streets, explore its history and hike its slopes. (By the way, we think the slopes are not as challenging as exaggerated for an Istanbulite).
When to go?
Lisbon enjoys a mild climate throughout the year. However, the ideal times to visit are the following:
Where to Stay?
We stayed at the Baixa House in Lisbon, which is located in the heart of the city and within walking distance to the historical squares. The @baixahouse where we stayed is an 18th century apartment building. Each of the 13 apartments in the restored building was inspired by a garden in Lisbon. And our inspiration is Jardim do Principe Real.
With room service, every day your fridge is stocked with cheese, butter, yogurt, cakes and seasonal fruits for the next day’s breakfast. The bread is delivered fresh to your door in the morning.
One of our favorite details about the house is the Lisbon guide on their website. There is a detailed guide of places to see, their own recommendations for eating and drinking, shopping and beach advice. Definitely check it out!
Areas we recommend for accommodation in Lisbon:
How many days to allocate?
It is recommended to spend at least 3-4 days to fully explore Lisbon. During this time you can both see the main sights of the city and visit some of its surroundings.
Transportation in Lisbon
Public transportation in Lisbon is quite comfortable. If you are not going out of the city, you do not need to rent a car. It is very difficult to move and park a car in Lisbon. For public transportation, we recommend using the metro rather than trams. If you need to call a taxi, you can do so from the Bolt app.
It makes sense to buy a Lisboa Card for your trip, especially if you plan to visit the museums. We could not visit all of the places to visit during our trip due to the strike, but these are the museums and places that stand out for us. Most of them are free or discounted with your Lisboa Card. Public transportation is also free with this card.
Distances from Lisbon to neighboring cities
The distances and transportation times from Lisbon to some important cities are as follows:
Restaurants:
– A Cevicheria is perfect for Peruvian cuisine and ceviche.
– Canalha, A delightful restaurant on the side of Belem.
– Taberna Sal Grosso serves local Portuguese cuisine.
– Ramiro is one of the most popular places for seafood in the city, reservations are essential.
– Listambul, an Istanbul restaurant in Lisbon.
– BoiCavalo, a creative chef restaurant in Alfama
– Oficio, a Bib Gourmand in the center
– Taberna Clandestina Cascais, Cascais
– Dallas Joint Burger
– Lupita Pizza
– Let’s Pastrami
Bar:
– Love Liquid Cocktails
– Ginjinha Sem Rival, Portekiz’e özgü bir likör dükkanı
Coffee and breakfast:
– Do Beco
– Canto Anti Brunch
– The Layers
– The Folks
– Fabric Coffee
– Simple Coffee
– Niva Gelateria
Pasteis de Nata:
– Castro
– Manteigaria
– Pasteis de Belem
Important Buildings & Attractions, Culture & Art Venues:
* Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
* Belem Tower
* Jeronimo Monastery
* Pena Palace and other palaces in Sintra
* Quinta de Regelaria
* Sao Jorge Castle
* Maat
– National Tile museum
– Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
– National Pantheon
– Museu Arqueológico do Carmo
– Sé de Lisboa
– Museum of Lisbon
– Elevador De Santa Justa
– Rua Augusta Arch
– LX Factory
– 8 mavrila
– Time Out Market
– Jardim do Rio, perfect sunset
– Estufa Fria Botanical Garden
– Livraria Bertrand, the oldest bookstore
Restaurants we tried and enjoyed for a good dinner in Lisbon and what we ate:
– Canalha: This was one of the places we were most impressed with. It’s a pleasure to sit at the bar and watch the kitchen, but there are also tables if you want. Denediğimiz tabaklar: Sirloin steak with fries & egg, Omelet with prawns and onions, Grilled asparagus, “Surf and turf” fried rice
– A Cevicheria: If seafood is your thing, you should definitely try this Peruvian restaurant for a good ceviche. Here we tried “Lobster Cucurucho” and “Tuna & Foie Gras Ceviche” with pisco sour. We saved this place from @tuzlukadin recommendations.
– Boi-Cavalo: This is a small, intimate chef restaurant. A tapas-style place serving mostly familiar ingredients with creative techniques and combinations. Our favorite dishes were the pheasant crumble served with pistachio crumble, tartare and gnocchi.
– Oficio: Another chef restaurant on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. It is a cozy place in a very central location. Veal & marrow tartare, rib eye toast and cheesecake served with salt are very successful.
– Listambul: An Istanbul restaurant in Lisbon? Yes, that’s exactly it. You can also think of it as a tavern where seafood is often used. We tried hummus with mussels, Shrimp & Söğüş and Ribs & Beef. The designs on the menu and logo are also @berilates drawings.
– Lupita: A small pizza shop that was named one of the 50 best pizzerias in Europe. Apart from the pizza, the garlic bread and sauces they serve for starters are also successful. The dough is really delicious. They work without reservation, it is worth waiting in line at the door.
– Dallas Burger Joint: It was the only burger joint we tried in Lisbon, but the classic cheeseburger was really delicious. All their products are also available in plant-based versions.
– Time Out Market: This is also an ideal venue for large groups. You don’t know what to eat, you have little time in Lisbon, you can come here to try many things in one evening.
Bonus: A small but sweet neighborhood bar if you want to have a cocktail with light snacks after dinner: Liquid Love Cocktails and Food 🥃 The Fig & Palo Santo Negroni was very good.
As in the rest of Europe, there is a brunch and cafe craze in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Especially in the touristic center, it is very likely that you will encounter cafes with queues in front of them.
The Layers – We love it here. Especially if you are going to the “Estufa Fria” or the Gulbenkian Museum, you can make a stop here. They serve delicious bread rolls and small desserts.
Canto Restaurant – This is also a pleasant cafe away from the tourist center. We found the breakfast products not very successful. If you go, insist on their crispy potatoes.
The Folks – Another popular place where we go early in the morning and stand out from the crowds. Good quality coffee and not bad breakfast dishes.
Fabric – Again a delightful café in the center that is open throughout the day.
Niva Gelateria – a favorite ice cream shop with branches in Porto as well as Lisbon. Here we tried passion fruit and stracciatella. They both enjoyed it. If you like ice cream that is not too sweet, we think you should try it.
Do Beco – We didn’t try many bakeries in Lisbon, but this was the best artisan bakery we tried. The breakfast plates also look good but we regret not trying them.
Simpli Coffee – A coffee shop that is a bit of a chain with different branches. The croissants are not bad, the coffee is good. Pack a picnic.
Castro was our favorite for the most famous Portuguese delicacy “Pastel de nata”. We think Manteigaria is not bad either.
The most popular nata place is “Pastéis de Belém” because this is where this product was first made. Popular, but our favorite is the duo above.
Nata’s history dates back to the 18th century, when it was created in the Jerónimos Monastery in the Santa Maria de Belém neighborhood. .. At that time, monasteries used large quantities of egg white to starch clothes. It is thought that this is how nata, one of the desserts they make with egg yolks, originated.
In our pre-Lisbon research, the most recommended places that we often came across were always very crowded. We had to skip the places where there was a line in front of them even before they opened.
If you want to give it a try, these are the most recommended places especially for breakfast:
Dear Breakfast, Heim Cafe, Neighborhood, Flora&Fauna, Hello Kristof & Zenith.
Pena Palace, a colorful palace built on the top of Sintra mountain, about 45 minutes from Lisbon
If I could only see one place in Lisbon, it would be Pena Palace and this park with many palaces.
Pena Palace One of the most important examples of 19th century Romantic architecture. Notable for its colorful facades and eclectic design, this palace was built by the King of Portugal II. It was built by Ferdinand. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Pena Palace is both historically and aesthetically fascinating.
When should he go?
The palaces are full of tourists all year round, so we think you should definitely visit on weekdays and before noon. You should buy your ticket for Pena Palace online at a discount and by choosing the time you will enter. Tickets cost 20€ on the entrance and it’s 17€ online. Many people skip Sintra and the palaces because they don’t book their tickets in advance, but you should definitely not miss it.
How to reach?
We drove our own car to Sintra and parked on the street. It takes a similar amount of time by train. There are still people living in the park where these palaces are located, and the roads are not suitable for heavy tourist traffic. Therefore, only authorized vehicles can enter the park.
From here you can take a bus or a taxi. If there are two of you, it makes much more sense to call a taxi from the Bolt app. We paid 7€ for the entrance to the palace from Sintra. If you want to take the bus, you need to take bus number 434. Tuk tuk is also an option but we think it’s a bit unnecessary tourist action.
After the entrance of the palace, a 10 minute slope awaits you. You can get there with a shuttle or on foot. When buying your ticket, make sure you do not miss your chosen time. We entered the palace and the garden at 11 am and it takes you 3 hours.
There are different ticket types for Pena. We think you should see the inside of the palace while traveling all this way. It is a colorful palace with each room, furniture and embroidery impressive from each other.
Another must-see building here is Quinta da Regaleria. Tickets for this place are sold separately, the adult price is 12€ and you should buy them online.
We drove through after Sintra, but you can easily reach it by train from Cais do Sodré station in Lisbon, which runs all day long.
It’s worth seeing:
• Boca do Inferno
• Cascais Old Town
• Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães
• Marina de Cascais
• Cascais Citadel
Swimming spots in the surrounding area:
-Santa Marta
-Praia da Conceição
-Praia da Duquesa
-Praia do Guincho
-Praia da Rainha
We only tried one tapas bar for food here, “Taberna Clandestina Cascais”
A very popular place, you might want to reserve a good table, we tried sangria, a snack plate and fresh pasta.
Day 1 Arrival in Lisbon
Day 2 Lisbon
Day 3 Lisbon
Day 4: Sintra-Cascais & Faro
Day 5 Faro
Day 6 Faro
Day 7 Faro to Porto
8. Gün: Porto
9. Gün: Porto
Day 10 Porto to Lisbon and Back Home
