Options
Lisbon Must See List
I am spending 2 post nights in Lisbon after Douro River Cruise in May. I am wanting some suggestions for things to see and do that Tauck doesn’t include. I am open to day trips as all suggestions are welcome. I have tour books but find personal experiences are usually the best. Thank you in advance and happy traveling.
1
Comments
Hi, Britrussell7.
Here's a brief list of what I have enjoyed seeing and doing in Lisbon:
Avenida da Liberdade - The main shopping and strolling boulevard is a short walk from either the InterContinental or Ritz (one of which Tauck usually stays at). You can walk all the way to the water if so inclined,
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga - My favorite museum for its antiquities.
Fronteira Palace - The exterior courtyard is covered in the beautiful blue tiles known as azulejos. These tiles adorn many buildings and neighborhoods throughout the city. There is also a tile museum if interested in learning more about them.
Alfama - The oldest section of Lisbon was once the Jewish Quarter. A great area to stroll in and out of alleys where you will find many "mom and pop" eateries offering authentic Portuguese cuisine.
Limestone - Along with azulejos, many walkways are paved in these small squares which form beautiful patterns. They can be very treacherous to walk on when wet, however.
Day Trips - Palacio da Pena in Sintra offers stunning views from its hilltop location. My favorite excursion is to Cascais, a charming seaside town that offers quaint shops and excellent restaurants. If you like seafood, stop at Mar do Inferno and ask for seating on the terrace. The grilled octopus is magnificent! The best octopus I have ever had has always been in Portugal.
The best thing to do is to research on your own and then decide what to do and see based on your particular interests. I hope, however, that I've been of some assistance. I love the Iberian Peninsula and I would move there in a heartbeat if I could recapture my youth!
Enjoy the cruise. If interested, you can also read about my experiences of the tour. Just scroll to the right, select the Spain and Portugal category and look for my review. I forget what I titled it, but it should be easy to find.
Best wishes. Please post a review upon your return.
We have enjoyed our travels in Portugal. Lisbon is not a “wow” sort of capital like London or Paris, but has a lot going for it. To appreciate your time in Portugal may I suggest reading a small book, The Portuguese: A Portrait of a People by Barry Hatton (2011 but still relevant). Think about it: you are going to a small country that at a time dominated exploration and world trade. What happened? Remember Vasco de Gama, Henry the Navigator from junior HS history? Not to mention Ferdinand Magellan. All Portuguese. Portugal repeatedly fought off Spain alongside its longtime ally, Britain, who introduced the Portuguese to the longbow, the HIMARS of its time. It emerged from one of the longest dictatorships in European history relatively recently (everybody knows of Franco in Spain, but Salazar in Portugal?). If you like historical sites, pay a visit to:
Jeronimos Monestary and the Monument of the Discoveries. These are close by and Vasco’s tomb is in the Monestary. Nearby is the bakery Pasteis de Belem. The little custard tarts are terrific and worthy waiting in line. They were invented here and are only available here. You’ll see Pateis de Nata all over and they look the same. The originals are better but if you don’t get there have the others anyway. If you enjoy art:
Gulbenkian Museum-one mans eclectic collection and he really knew his stuff, from antiquities to the masters like Rubins. Takes about 1-2 hours to see the highlights. The surrounding gardens are a nice place to chill. If you like food consider:
A culinary tour. We’ve done this with Culinary Backstreets. We throughly enjoyed the one called Song of the Sea but there are others and other companies. If you prefer indoor tasting try The Timeout Market which is in the Mercado da Ribeira. It has 26 restaurants/stalls and numerous bars.
Exploring food in Portugal is fun. With its seafaring history you’d expect good seafood and you’d be right. But the most popular dish does not come from Portugal but from Norway. That would be cod salted, dried then reconstituted. They have a joke that’s there are 365 ways to prepare it but I’d guess there are more. It’s delicious. Meat and game are widely available. Many dishes reflect the extent of the Portuguese empire at one time: Peri-Peri chicken from Africa (our favorite place for this is Jombardin), Indian food from Goa, Brazilian influenced dishes, etc. If you visit when grilled sardines are in season you are in for a treat. Not the little ones in the can, although tinned seafood is excellent in Portugal. Vino Verdeh is delicious young white wine. Reds from the Douro valley can be great. White port makes a wonderful aperitif.
Lisbon is hilly and the slippery stones are no joke (think San Francisco hilly). You’ll see well dressed women in sneakers. Follow their lead, leave the dress shoes in the hotel. You’l be looking around at the beautiful tiles, then wham, you are down. Be careful! Cabs are plentiful and Uber works. Cabs have access to some small streets that Uber does not. The trolleys are fun and amazing as they navigate streets barely able to contain them. But assume there are at least three pickpockets on board and protect your belongings accordingly.
Rick Steves has a zoom program, Monday Night Travels. You go to Ricksteves.com, search for Monday Night Travels. This Monday as I type (Feb.13 at 6PM Pacific Time) is Lisbon and the Algarve. This program has been going on since the pandemic began. Register, go buy a bottle of Portuguese wine and enjoy! If you miss it, it’s recorded so you can view it later.
Enjoy your trip!
Thank you Folsomdoc I love the reading suggestion. Kfnknfzk thank you for the suggestions. I love to hear what others have found interesting to see.
We did the Tile Museum which is interesting but a little out of the way. There is so much tile on the buildings in Portugal and the museum taught us a lot about it. The concierge was helpful in giving us directions via metro & bus - though I think he thought we should have taken a cab. Probably right. There is an English language audio guide app you can download to your phone before leaving home.
I second the recommendation on Time Out market. It's a huge food court with seating in the middle. Very popular. Lots of variety. We went on a weekday in late Oct and had trouble finding a place to sit until almost 1:30.
And yes, it's a hilly town and most of the sidewalks are cobble stone. Lovely designs, but tricky walking especially if you're busy looking at everything else.
On food, I'd recommend James Blick's Spain Revealed YouTube food video on Portugal. He was one of the founders of Devour Tours which Tauck contracts with in Madrid for the tapas walking tour we had. They also have food tours in Lisbon.