April 24th –  26th, 2017

The second stop on my European extravaganza was the beautiful city of Lisbon.  The flight from Madrid was short 1 h 20 mins followed by a 25 minute bus ride to downtown Lisbon.

The capital city of Portugal is one of the more affordable capital cities in the world and with a population of approximately 550,000+ people; it is definitely a bustling beautiful river side town.  It is located on the river Tagus and nestled across 7 hills.  The port vibe was pretty evident and the famous explorers that used Lisbon as their jump off point play a large part in the culture and history of this beautiful city.

The beauty in Lisbon (in my opinion) is in its beautiful red rooftops and the maze of alleyways and streets lined with beautiful tiled buildings.

The locals were friendly and welcoming with numerous restaurants and cafés lining the streets.

Musts:comfy walking shoes.  Lisbon is spread out over 7 hills so if you like to explore on foot I would definitely bring some good ones.  Plus the cobblestones I’m sure have caused a few sprained ankles.

Touristy things to do:

Ride an old fashioned tram.  The most recommended by the guidebooks, was tram 28.  So we avoided it and observed it from afar, as every tourist in Lisbon seemed to want to ride tram 28 (as expected).

Castelo de S. Jorge. This Moorish castle in the heart of the Alfama area has spectacular views of the rooftops of Lisbon.  BTW: There was a cost for admission.  It was a decent 30 minute walk from the Praça de Comércio past some beautifully tiled buildings and narrow streets.

Pink street.  Literally a pink strip painted down the middle of the road, this strip is lined with clubs and bars galore.  Located in the lively Barrio Alto area, definitely worth a visit one night if you are into some nightlife fun, or even just a drink.  Sorry… no pics of this area, but worth a mention.

Time Out Market.  Renovated warehouse turned into fun, social area for food and drinks.   We had read a burger stand here had a famous chef that brought the burger scene to Lisbon and claimed to the have the best burgers.   So we had to try it and were not disappointed.

Belém.  Definitely a must do.  A short train ride from downtown Lisbon.  Several monuments and scenic views to indulge in, in this little gem of a town.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos.  Beautiful monument portraying the well known explorers that left from the Tagus River to explore the riches in the orient and India many years ago.  The monument itself if pretty mesmerizing.

Monastery of Jéronimos.  Busy and did not enter.  The pics in my guide book looked amazing. If you like to wait in lines then definitely do it.

We decided to skip the line and indulge in a pastéis de nata from the infamous Pastéis de Belém open since 1837.

Sintra.  Plan for an hour train ride to this picturesque town, followed by a hop on hop off bus loop that can get crowded.  Some stay overnight, we decided to make a day of it.  There are several sites in this picturesque town (a UNESCO World Heritage site).  Most have an admission fee, but if you go to more than one landmark you get a discount.  We had decided on the Moorish Castle and the Pena Palace and searched high and low for this circular well in the gothic Quinta da Regaleira.

Castle of the Moors. When you think of an old world castle, this pretty much fits the bill.  Picturesque views everywhere you look and views of the colorful Pena Palace.

Pena Palace.  This beautiful castle will remind you of a fairy tale, colorful and breathtaking.

Quinta da Regaleira.  Gothic mysticism a plenty in this residence as the grounds are expansive including a well-instagrammed “well” that we specifically searched for. Now all three of us can comment “been there, done that”.

Cascais  Pretty beach town and the closest area to Lisbon where one can go surfing.  We chickened out cause it was chilly, but we settled for some delicious seafood instead.

Miradoura da Graça.  Lisbon is sprawled over 7 hills, thus there are several sites to catch sunset and great panoramic views of the gorgeous rooftops.  Maps.me guided us through narrow alleyways and stairs to this beautiful view with a café outside the church.

Where we stayed:

YES! hostels. in the heart of Lisbon and walking distance to Praça de Comercio and the Rua Augusta Arch.   With affordable home cooked meals – served family style with open bar (sangria, wine or beer) for 10 euros – can’t beat that.

Lisbon charmed us all with its history, culture, friendly locals and the quaint charm of this port side town.  Pleasantly surprised and may one day return.

Next stop:  Marrakech, Morocco