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Lisbon

lisbon

discovering LISBON

Lisbon is a very pleasant and interesting the city to visit. It has great food, charming streets and best of all, great weather year around. It is mostly a calm place, but it also has a very young night life and streets full of bars. It is a historical town, but a lot of it got destroyed during one of the most devastating earthquakes in history, which was followed by fire and tsunami on 1755. 

keep in mind

> You can use their train, the "comboio" to go move from region to region and there are taxis. Still it is very likely that you will have to do loads of walking. Wear comfortable shoes, specially since there are plenty of hills. 

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> I usually spend most of my time around Cascais and Estoril, which is a small beach place 30 minutes away from Lisbon, therefore a lot of my recommendations will be around that region. 

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> Portugal is in general a cheap place, specially compared to most placed in Europe. 

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> Even though it is hotter than most places in Europe, still expect some cold during winter. 

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> Since it is on the EU, they use Euros. 

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> If you have enough time, I recommend getting a car, and doing some nearby day trips. I will recommend them below, under "things to do." If you want to do them, but you don't want to drive, e-mail me and I recommend a driver. 

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where to stay

Cascais/Estoril

30 mins away from Lisbon, beachfront.

  • Intercontinental Estoril: a modern, new, luxurious 5 stars hotel with amazing views to the ocean, a nice swimming pool and spa . It is 15 minutes walking from the Cascais center and right in front of the comboio, the train that takes you to Lisbon in 30 minutes. 

  • Pestana Cidadela Cascais:  a historic 5 star hotel from the Pestana Collection Hotels. It is located in a 17th century fort, overlooking the ocean and the marina. It is right in the Cascais center, offering the perfect view and location. Despite being located in a historic fort, the interior decor is very modern. 

Where to Stay

WHERE TO EAT

Eat in Lisbon

  • Mercado da Ribeira / Time Out Market Lisbon: a huge food court market, with amazing restaurant stalls for you to choose from. It is a must.

  • Cervejaria Trindade: big menu, classic Portuguese food. It definitely has something for everyone, from appetizers to snacks and it is all very good! 

  • JNcQUOI: The most trendy restaurant in Lisbon, it requires advance booking since it is hard to get a table. It is located at the chic Avenida da Liberdade and it has a very modern decor, with a dinossaur skeleton in the middle of the dinning room. On the floor below, there is a bar and a Laduree kiosk. It is all delicious!

  • Manteigaria : located in the trendy neighborhood Chiado, it is simply the best Pasteis de Nata you can find in Portugal. Even the classic Pasteis de Belém can’t beat this one. It is a small shop, not a café with places to sit. Definitely recommend trying this one. 

  • Santini : try the Santini ice-cream, available in many places including Lisbon and Cascais. Meloa is my favorite!

  • Água pela Barba: Fish and seafood fusion restaurant, in a charming fisherman's shack house decor. Must reserve in advance as it gets full.

  • Ramiro: Amazing and informal seafood restaurant. It has three floors but be prepared to wait. Try the shrimp with garlic and ask for their bread with butter. 

  • SEA ME: I have only tried it on Mercado da Ribeira but they have a restaurant as well apart from that. The food is super good, I am a big fan of their tagliatelle.

Eat in Cascais

  • Furnas do Guincho: Typical Portuguese food - meaning great place for seafood! Marvelous view, since it is located right above the ocean. 

  • Mar do Inferno: Same style as Furnas do Guincho, and right near it. It is located right at Boca do Inferno, a must see view in Cascais. The cuisine is typical Portuguese.

  • Monte Mar: Same style as the two mentioned above and same kind of view. All three are as delicious. The cuisine is typical Portuguese.

  • Porto de Santa Maria: Also typical Portuguese food, a little more "chic" than the rest. It is located right above a beach and you can see the ocean from the glass windows that take over the walls of the restaurant. 

  • Pastelaria Garrett: Café and bakery, with delicious food. By far the best shrimp rissois (patties), try them! Their sandwiches are also amazing. 

  • Casa da Guia: a charming place on a cliff, offering a beautiful view, restaurants and shop. 

  • Gulli Mercato: an indoor unpretentious Italian restaurant, inside the Cascais market, with really good food. 

Where to Eat

THINGS TO DO

If you are all about shopping

  • El Corte Inglés:  This is a must go for those interested in shopping. It is a big department store that has everything you can want, including a supermarket, foodhall with options of places to eat, pharmacy, home decor, children clothes and toys, and adult fashion brands. 

  • Avenida Liberdade:  If you like shopping at luxury designer fashion brands, this is your go-to place. There you can find stores like Gucci, Miu-Miu, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Cartier, Zegna... and others! Visit Fashion Clinic, it is one of the best multi-brand stores. 

  • Cascais Shopping:  If you want to go to an actual mall around Cascais, this one is a good option. Despite not being huge, it has known stores like Zara, Adidas, Bershka, Bimba y Lola, Calvin Klein and some local ones as well that are worth checking out. There is a food hall in the mall if you want to dine in there. 

  • Street Shopping:  In both Lisbon and Cascais there are plenty of places to walk around, shop and dine, so you don't need necessarily to go somewhere specific to do your shopping. Bairro Alto is a good place in Lisbon to do that, and if you are in Cascais, just walk in the city center. If you pass by Vista Alegre, I recommend going inside.. it is a store known for it's tableware. It has many nice home decor things. 

If sightseeing is your thing

  • Torre de Belém (Belém Tower):  A very famous touristic spot in Lisbon, it is a fortified tower with a great view to the water. It is a UNESCO heritage site and definitely a must see. It was built on the 16th century to protect Portugal and it played an important role during the Age of Discovery. 

  • Jerónimos Monastery:  This famous monastery is also a UNESCO heritage site and it is situated right near the Belém tower. It was completed on 1601 and it has a gothic architecture. I recommend visiting both on the same day due to their proximity (note that it doesn't open on Mondays). 

  • Padrão do Descobrimento: A monument right near Belém Tower, in front of the Tagus river. It is located where ships used to depart from, in the Age of Discovery. Go there right after visiting the Belém Tower. Also, they usually have Segways there to rent, and it can be fun to give it a few spins! 

  • São Jorge Castle:  Offering one of the most beautiful views of Lisbon, it is a hilltop ruins of a castle that was destructed by the 1755 earthquake that hit Lisbon. You are still able to see the walls of the castle. Definitely very interesting. 

  • Praça do Comércio:  Located near Tagus river, it was the Royal Ribeira Palace yard before destroyed by the earthquake in 1755. After remodeling during a reconstruction plan led by Marquis de Pombal, it became a port activity regulation center and bureau. It is now a Portuguese monument. If you walk through the arch, you will end up in a shopping street. 

  • National Azulejo Museum:  The Portuguese are famous for their "azulejos" and this museum won't disappoint. Built on a 16th century monastery, it is filled with Portuguese tiles, which are very nice to look at. 

  • Berardo Collection Museum:  If you are into art, that is the place to go. You will find work from brilliant artists like Picasso and Warhol. Definitely worth taking a look. 

  • Cabo da Roca:  One of the most breath-taking views I have seen. It is the westernmost extent of continental Europe. It is located in the city of Sintra, which is just 30 minutes away from Cascais. 

Day Trips

  • Sintra:  About 30 minutes away from Cascais, it is one of the closest day trips you can make. Make sure to visit Cabo da Roca, the hilltop very colorful Pena Palace and the Castelo dos Mouros. Can be a half day or full day trip depending on what you choose to do and how long you decide to spend. 

  • Fátima:  It is home to a Catholic Pilgrimage site and of the most spiritually powerful places I have been. It has the Fátima Sanctuary, and a chapel on the place where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1917 for the three kids. I recommend going for lunch in a very good restaurant called Tia Alice (call to reserve in advance) and then heading straight to the sanctuary. It is around 1:20hrs trip from Lisbon. 

  • Óbidos:  Definitely one of the cutest medieval cities I have been. An all-white main street, with charming shops and restaurants. It has a castle and a wall surrounding it. I absolutely love this place! It also takes about 1:20hrs from Lisbon. 

  • Monsanto Rock Village:  Marvelous place, in which nature is integrated into the medieval city. There are gigantic boulders around the houses making it very unique. It takes about 3hrs to arrive there.. it is a longer trip, but I find it to be very worth it. It is unlike everything else!

  • Aveiro:  Maybe you've heard about the "ovos moles" from Aveiro. One of the most famous Portuguese deserts is from that charming city, known as the Portuguese Venice. It has water channels and you can go for tour on their colorful boats. It is a bigger city than the rest, so you will find things like a shopping mall. If you go there, I recommend also passing by Costa Nova; a fishing village right near it, with colorful, stripped houses right in front of the water. It takes around 2:30hrs from Lisbon to Aveiro. 

  • Nazaré:  Known for it's record breaking waves, it is a famous beach town. The Nazaré lighthouse, is the best spot to see the huge waves. Also, look at the view from the "O Miradouro do Suberco," since it is very nice specially on a sunny day. The trip from Lisbon to Nazaré takes around 1:40hrs. 

  • Porto:  Since it is Portugal's second largest city, it is worth spending around three days to get to know it. If you can't, you can still make it a day trip. It is 3 hrs away from Lisbon, and it is absolutely beautiful. Try the Porto wine (you can go to tastings there) and do a tasting on my favorite Portuguese restaurant, from one of Portugal's most famous chef,Rui Paula. The name of the restaurant is DOP and it has a Michelin star. He has another one called Casa de Chá, and the food is as incredible.. and the view is marvelous!

Things to Do
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