3 days in Lisbon.
In the mid of cold January, I found myself in warm and sunny Lisbon. I had never been to Portugal before but I have friends saying that it’s one of the best places to spend a weekend in Europe! Since then, Lisbon is on my list.
It only took us a two and a half hours to reach the sun and clear blue skies! It remained sunny and warm the whole time! The airport is very close to the city centre, about 15 minutes’ drive!
Lisbon is a very affordable city and its transportation system very easy to use and works smoothly. We also found Uber very cheap and we used it for some far away destinations. (we paid around 9 euros from the airport to the hotel with Uber).
DAY ONE
We stayed at Four Seasons Hotel in Lisbon, a high-quality hotel with very welcoming and attentive staff that made our stay so luxurious. The view from our balcony overlooking the city and the river Tagus was splendid!
Soon after we arrived at the hotel, we took a walk to Lisbon. It was 30 minutes’ walk through Avenida da Liberdade in order to reach the historic old town. Avenida da Liberdade, is a wide beautiful boulevard and one of the most expensive shopping streets in Europe with many luxury brands and hotels, that reminded me a lot the Parisian boulevards.
Lisbon, also known as The City of Seven Hills, is situated on the banks of the River Tagus and it is one of the oldest cities in the world with many historic landmarks. The historic city centre is full of colourful buildings, many of them with beautiful Azulejo tiles, and Portuguese pavements which consist of small pieces of stones, like a mosaic.
The city is very picturesque and relaxing, it felt almost like being on an island. Everything, from narrow streets, big squares, to boulevards, was carefully built with high attention to detail.
We had a quick lunch to a touristy restaurant at Praça do Comércio, but I wouldn’t recommend it because the prices were much higher compared to the quality. Praça do Comércio is an open beautiful square that overlooks River Tagus and there it used to be the main residence of the Kings of Portugal, the Ribeira Palace until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755.
While the sun was setting and the artificial lights of the city started taking place, we were at the river Tagus. The locals were enjoying the serenity of the sunset in the various benches and chairs that were along the way, many couples were walking by and in general, the scenery was majestic !
Lisbon is a relaxing city during the day and very lively during the night. Like in Greece, young people can start going out at 10 or 11 at night and everyone has a friendly attitude.
Pink Street (Rua Nova do Carvalho) used to be the red lights district of the city but nowadays. it is the trendy spot for nightlife with many bars and clubs.
The day finished with a relaxing spa at the swimming pool of our hotel.
DAY TWO
We had breakfast at Leitaria Lisboa, a very cute place with delicious breakfast, which was close to our hotel.
Our next day started by visiting the Sanctuary of Christ the King (Cristo Rei) in Almada which is half an hour drive from Lisbon. We used Uber for this trip and it cost us around 17 euros to go.
Cristo Rei is inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio de Janeiro and it is located on the highest point of Almada in an isolated clifftop.
The site offers great views over the river Tagus, the city of Lisbon and the 25 de Abril Bridge which assembles the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (but smaller). Both bridges were built by the same company.
Our next stop was in Torre de Belém on the river Tagus. A Medieval fortified Tower that was part of a defence system and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It is also famous because explorers such as Vasco da Gama set sail from the Torre de Belém for India in 1497.
Very close to Torre de Belém, is the Jerónimos Monastery. One of the most visited sights in Lisbon. A remarkable piece of Portuguese late Gothic Architecture or as it is also known this style: the “Manueline”. This architectural style is characterised by intricate ornamentation in portals, windows, columns and arcades. Many of the detailing elements can be maritime or objects found in newly discovered lands.
A fun fact about the monastery is that the famous Pasteis de Belém, or Pasteis de nata, are originated from here. It is actually a recipe of a monk.
They became so famous that can be found not only in Portugal, but also in Portuguese colonies and many countries that have Portuguese population or influences. Nata, as they are often called (it means “cream”), are Portuguese custard tarts dusted with cinnamon and caster sugar and are delicious treats!
We wanted to visit the Pastéis de Belém shop (5 minutes walk from the Monastery) but the queue to enter was so big we actually had to wait for a long time. This place is extremely well-known and a must visit while you are in Lisbon, but we just couldn’t wait a lot. (We ate pastéis de nata in many other places though – AND bought some more from the airport, AND bought again in London :P)
UPDATE: I was informed after my trip to Lisbon, that the queue is for take aways. So if you are there, I would suggest to just enter and see if there is any seating inside (there are many rooms).
It was getting dark and we decided to take the famous tram number 28.
Number 28 provides one of the best ways a visitor can have, in a 40 minutes’ scenic route! It passes through hilly narrow streets and popular tourist districts of Lisbon.
The Remodelado trams are operational antiques in the hilly streets of Lisbon since the 1930s, have a yellow colour and are a symbol of the city. A single ticket costs 2.90 euros and it is purchased on board. We took the tram from Martim Moniz and I absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, there are not many pictures as it was getting darker and most pictures were blurry. But it was so worth it that if you have only one thing to do in Lisbon, then you should take the tram 28.
Our day finished with a dinner at Infame, a fusion Portuguese restaurant, in Intendente neighbourhood. It was close to one of the tram stops and close to our hotel. We checked it from the tram and we decided to eat there.
I loved the interior decoration and the food was excellent. I had grilled octopus with seaweed and coriander. And it was a-ma-zing! Probably a bit far from the city centre but highly recommended!
DAY THREE
In the morning we made our way up to the 12th-century old Moorish fortification, Castelo de São Jorge. Located in the highest hill of Lisbon, it offers 360 degrees’ views across the city.
There were also many peacocks around the place showing off all the time 😛 Their feathers emit a low-frequency sound inaudible to us to attract mates. Cool, right?
We had a coffee at 28 Café which is very close to the castle and its interior is identical to the famous 28. The neighborhood around the castle is also picturesque.
I know it’s a touristy shop, but I was curious of Conserveira de Lisboa shop. It sells various types of seafood n beautiful and colourful tins. The staff was happy to explain their products. I bought some tins (Bacalhau , sardines etc) as souvenirs and they were also beautifully wrapped for my trip.
We then strolled around Alfama neighbourhood, which is close to the castle. It is Lisbon’s oldest and most traditional neighbourhood with many souvenir shops.
We wandered around the stylish little streets of Lisbon until we reached the elevator de Santa Justa. We waited in a really long queue and to be honest, we stayed to see what the fuzz is all about. This elevator was built by Gustave Eiffel’s apprentice, Raoul Mésnier du Ponsard and it was meant to transport the passengers from the Baixa district to the Largo do Carmo. Nowadays it is mostly attracted by tourists. Even though the elevator doesn’t give any views to the city, when we walked up the stairs –once again- the view of Lisbon was picture-perfect!
We walked a little bit around the beautiful Largo do Como until we reached -again- Baixa district for some last-minute shopping in Rua Augusta.
DAY FOUR
Sadly, I had to say good bye to Lisbon and to the wonderful weather. We enjoyed a richly breakfast in our hotel where it was absolutely stunning!
Lisbon is one of the cities I would like to visit again. It is lively, very affordable, with a great culture and cuisine. I loved the neat, tidy streets and its beautiful buildings that are covered with Azulejo Tiles! I also loved the Portuguese pavements! But most of all I loved the friendly people that made me feel like home and of course the amazing weather!
Until next time! ♥
