12 Things to do in Lisbon, Portugal

To be honest, we were a little tired of the lack of variety in Europe (with the exception of Italy of course. We LOVE Italy!) . Barring a few differences, most of them gave a constant “European” feel, rather than a stark contrast between each other, which is abundant in other parts of the world. Lisbon was such a refreshing change and we instantly fell in love with the city. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and that old world charm oozed everywhere.

Here’s my list of top 12 Things to do in Lisbon, Portugal.

1) Explore Alfama

Alfama is the oldest & most charming part of Lisbon. Alfama is a hilly district with filled with steps and narrow, winding labyrinthine like alleys. It almost has no public transport so it’s best to take an Uber from the airport to Alfama if you’re staying here.

A walking map route through Alfama – Google Maps

Azulejo tiles can be found aplenty on the interior and exterior of churches, ordinary houses, shops and stations. Brought to Portugal from Spain, the Portuguese adopted the Moorish tradition of horror vacui (‘fear of empty spaces’) and covered the walls completely with azulejos. Later, the blue-and-white tiles was introduced into Portugal from Delft, Netherlands. Soon after, they became the dominant fashion, superseding the former taste for repeated patterns.

Alma de Alfama or ‘The Soul of Alfama’ contains a series of portraits and is a tribute to the elderly residents of Alfama district.

During the month of June, Lisboa celebrates popular saints in the Santos Populares / Popular Saints’ festival. We were there during the Festas de Lisboa of Saint John. The streets were filled with decorations, songs, food and drinks.

André Saraiva Mural urban mural

Stay –

We stayed in an Airbnb right in the heart of Alfama and it was a perfect spot to gaze at the small streets and listen to Fado music playing on the streets.

2) Visit Miradouro de santa luzia / Jardim Júlio de Castilho

Miradouro de santa luzia viewpoint provides some of the best sights over Lisboa. Some meters away is a cozy garden called Jardim Júlio de Castilho which has beautiful Azulejo tile-work.

3) Spot beautiful black & white cobblestone pavements (calçada portuguesa) in Lisboa

4) Walk in and around Baixa, Rossio and Bairro Alto

These regions include Praça do Comércioand Rossio square.

The Pink Street

5) Visit the Carmo convent

The convent was ruined during the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

6) Walk through Calçada da Glória

It is the street with the Ascensor da Glória funicular running up and down. It also is a street art gallery.

7) Visit the Jerónimos Monastery

We absolutely fell in love with the rich detailed Manueline style architecture. The church holds the tomb of navigator Vasco da Gama. The famous Pastel de nata or Portuguese egg tarts is believed to be born in the kitchens of the Jerónimos Monastery. They belong to a category of conventual desserts – pastries that were created in convents and monasteries typically made with lots of egg yolks and large amounts of sugar. Traditionally, eggs whites were used in convents to starch the priest clothing and the nun’s robes. Left with the egg yolks the monks & nuns got creative. As a result, every region has its own conventual desserts.

In the face of the impending closure of many of the convents and monasteries in the aftermath of the Liberal Revolution, monks started selling pastéis de nata at a nearby sugar refinery to bring in some revenue. Soon after, the monastery was closed and the recipe was sold to the sugar refinery, whose owners later opened the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém(reviewed in point 11 below).

8) See the Padrão dos Descobrimentos/Monument to the Discoveries

It is the monument on the Tagus River where ships departed to explore and trade with India and China, showing the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or Age of Exploration). Behind it, on the floor you find the compass rose and mappa mundi showing the routes of Portuguese expedition.

9) See the Torre de Belem

Torre de Belem is a fortress on the Tagus River and also the port from where Portuguese explorers departed to establish the first European trade in history with China and India

10) Take a day trip to Sintra

Visit the Pena Palace. The easiest and fastest way is to take an Uber up from the train station as the palace is located on top pf a steep hill.

Top : Eat delicious, light and airy Travesseiro pastry at Piriquita. The other things you see in the picture are Chamucas and Queijadas de Sintra. Chamucas are derived from the Indian Samosa (inspired during the Portuguese reign in Goa) and are filled with spiced chicken or beef and onions. They were so delectable!
Below : Arroz de Leche and Arroz de marisco

11) Go on a hunt for the best Pastel de Natas in Lisbon

For the history of Pastel de Natas, check point 7 above. We tried them from 4 of the top recommendations for the best Pastel de Natas in Lisbon.

1. Manteigaria – Good. Average shell and custard.
2. Fábrica da Nata – Pastéis de Nata – THE BEST. Flaky tart shell, caramelised custardy filling.
3. Confeitaria Nacional – Just Ok. Eggy custard.
4. And of course the birthplace of Pastel de Natas, Pastéis de Belém (mentioned in point 7 above) – Bad. Surprisingly the worst of the lot. Eggy filling. Overcooked, hard tart shell.

12) Visit the Time-Out Market

A historic market hall turned into a food hall featuring different kiosks including some from the country’s Michelin star chefs. A great way to sample a wide variety of food in 1 go. In the picture : Francesinha and Bolinhos de bacalhau

BONUS : Piri Piri chicken – another result of Portuguese colonization. The piri piri chillies were abundant in Mozambique. We had a decent one from Bonjardim.

Have you been to Lisbon? If so, what did you like the most? If not, is it on your bucket list?