It’s hard to believe we’ve been back in California for two weeks. Our trip to Portugal was so incredible and I’m so happy we were able to start and end our trip in the capitol city of Lisbon. As some of you know, I’m 50% Portuguese because of my Dad and his family. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Portugal to connect with my heritage and see the places my family lived way back when. Matthew and I had been talking about making a trip on and off for years and then we just decided to do it. It was a real seize the day sort of situation. I’m so glad we did because this was by far the best experience of my life. I have to say it even tops dog sledding in Juneau, as cool as that was!
Read on to see lots of pictures from our Lisbon Portugal Travel Diary, as well as recommendations for things to do and places to eat.
we went to this little spot to try ginjinha- a traditional Portuguese liquor with sour cherries.
It’s usually served in an edible chocolate cup
Doing touristy things!
Some of our favorite spots:
BREAKFAST
Tartine– this was a nice little breakfast spot! They had lots of breads and pastries. Plus, the free wifi was a plus!
Pastéis de Belém– This is 20 minutes outside of the city but it’s a must! They have the absolute best pastéis de nata, which is the traditional egg custard tart. You’ll find them all over Portugal but they really are the best here. There’s a reason why this place is so famous!
LUNCH
Mercado da Ribeira– an awesome indoor market with a bunch of different food stalls. All the dishes have to be reviewed by a panel of chefs prior to being accepted. Some of the most famous Lisbon chefs have stalls here so it’s fun to check out. Also, when you want something other than the traditional Portuguese food {lots of fish!}, you can come here for other options including Asian food and hamburgers.
DINNER
SeaMe– We loved this place! The seafood is so incredibly fresh. You go up to the ice chest to pick out which fish you want to eat and then the kitchen will prepare it. We tried razor clams for the first time, and had our favorite grilled octopus! So good!
MiniBar– This is a really cool molecular gastronomy restaurant by Lisbon’s most famous chef, Jose Avillez. For 45 Euros, you can get an incredible 12 course steal. And it’s so much fun!
Belcanto– another one of Jose Avillez’s restaurants. This restaurant is the first in Lisbon to have two Michelin stars. Make sure to make a reservation because it books up fast!
food spots recommended by a readers– Decadente, Atalho Real, Tease cupcakes, Nata Lisboa, best basil ice cream at Gelateria Nannarella, tea or Sunday brunch at Palacete Chafariz Del Rei
THINGS TO DO
Take a tuk tuk tour around the city- Lisbon is known as the 7 hills city so a tuk tuk tour is the best way to see it all in an afternoon!
Shopping in Chiado and Bairro Alto
Check out the museums- Ancient Art Museum, MUDE Museum, and Calouste Gulbenkian are great
Go down to the waterfront
Take in the gorgeous views of the city from Miradouro da Graca- there’s a terrace there so you can sit and have a drink
Visit the Pincipe Real and Parque das Flores
Drink ginjinha, a traditional sour cherry liquor that’s usually served in chocolate cups
Explore the Alfama district, the oldest part of the city
Learn about Fado, Portugal’s soulful musical genre, as you go past the Fado Museum in the Alfama District. You can also have dinner at a Fado restaurant with typical Portuguese food like codfish.
Check out Carmo Square (Largo do Carmo), the place where Portugal’s old dictatorial regime fell after 48 years
Take a day trip to Sintra and Cascias- unfortunately we didn’t have time but both places look absolutely magical! They’re both about 30 minutes from Lisbon
WHERE TO STAY
For part of our trip we rented a really cute Air B&B and it was perfect. Super cute and clean and the best part was that it was really affordable! And all to ourself! The only downside was that we {and by “we” I mean Matthew} had to carry 2 heavy suitcases up 4 flights of stairs. Yikes! I did help for about one flight! Overall though it was absolutely perfect and the hosts gave us great recommendations. If you’re interested in trying Air B&B sign up with this link to get $20 towards your stay!
For the last bit of our Lisbon stay we were at the Memmo Alfama hotel and oh my gosh it was the best! The hotel was in the oldest area of the city, so it has a ton of character. The hotel itself had a really cool modern layout and design. They had an incredible breakfast in the morning, with made to order eggs and crepes, plus fresh pastries and fruit, yogurt, coffee, basically the works, all complimentary! One of my favorite things was sipping cocktails and rose on their rooftop. The hotel was beautiful and I would highly recommend it.
WHAT TO WEAR
The weather in Lisbon when we were there in October was really pleasant. It was around 23-26 degrees Celcius while we were there, so around 73-78 degrees Farhenheit. I wore some dresses but always brought along a sweater in case it got too cold. It definitely started to get a little chillier and fall-like towards the end of our trip mid-October. Make sure you wear flats though! Lisbon is known as the 7 Hills City for a reason! You will not survive in heels, even heeled boots. I tried…and failed!
I hope I inspired some of you to make a trip to Lisbon one day! It’s truly a beautiful city and I already can’t wait to go back. I felt lucky to have so many Portuguese readers giving me the best suggestions, too! While I was able to do many, I unfortunately couldn’t do them all, but there’s always next time! If you’ve been to Lisbon before please let me know some of your favorite spots in the comments below. I’d love to add them to my list!
xox
Check out Part 2 of my Portugal Travel Guide: Azores
