WHY GO: The architecture, narrow streets, pastries, tiles and chilled vibes.
FOR HOW LONG: For the city, you could crack most of it in two days.
If you want to chill and venture to nearby areas then more like four or five days. (Day trips in separate posts)
WHAT'S MY BUDGET: CHEAP!
As always, particularly touristy areas are more expensive. However, for a nice dinner you can expect a good mid-range price in London terms. At the big Time Out Food Market a main meal will set you back around €10-15. But for snacks and quick bites, you can stick to the local corner shops and and bakeries. Pastries and big bottles of water are often around €1.
GETTING AROUND: Super, super easy.
I stuck to using my feet and the rail tracks; just get a Viva Viagem card for 50 cents and top it up depending on what zone you're visiting. Lisbon is also famous for its trams - AND its pick-pockets, so beware as they often operate in those particularly busy touristy areas.
It's worth downloading Citymapper before you go. It uses all modes of convenient transport to tell you all the different ways of getting from A to B. You can even download your preferred route to avoid using your mobile data when out and about. (Saying that, getting lost is often half the fun.)
LANGUAGE: Simple!
Being the ignorant Brit, we never have to worry too much about this, but for me Lisbon had the perfect mix. As usual, everyone did speak English, so it's super easy to be a tourist there. HOWEVER, most people I spoke to would speak to me in Portuguese first; they didn't necessarily assume I was an English speaker, which is something I really liked. When going away, I generally try to learn a few local phrases to get by, and the locals seemed to really appreciate the effort and enjoyed helping to teach the correct pronunciation. OBRIGADO!
THE DETAIL:
Lisbon is a beautiful city. Packed with bright colours, tiles, pastries and sunshine. Four of my favourite things. I hadn't felt a desire to explore there until this year, it just wasn't really on my radar. But BOY, I'm happy it popped on.
Lisbon city is small, relaxed and walkable. Made up of boroughs and hills, it's a magical place to get lost.
One of my first recommendations as with any new city: walk, and see where you stumble. My personal favourite borough we found was Alfama. It's got the teeniest streets but they're bursting with atmosphere. Locals live in this area how they used to in Portugal (so I was told.) Front doors open, windows wide, blinds up, fado music playing, washing hanging in the streets, communal BBQs, communal pets, and everyone was genuinely oozing the relaxed vibe. It's an easy place to get lost, and not necessarily find-able from Google maps or even physical maps! But top tip: the River Tagus is at the bottom of the hill, and if you're walking up, the train tracks are on your left - failing that, it's a lovely community, JUST ASK!
Lisbon is stuffed with chic cafes and yummy bakeries - expect pastries and treats you've never heard of or seen before. So the second recommendation is point and bite! I adoooooooored finding a different cafe and choosing something new. My mission was to get my chops on the local pastry known to the area or bakery if possible (I was never disappointed!) I particularly recommend swinging by Tartine Chiado. It's in the glorious Chiado borough, so it's easy to eat some good food and get lost in a book here. (Thanks to Lisa for that one.)
Speaking of treats, a pastry opportunity that cannot be missed is Pasteis de Belem. This is a short train journey from Lisbon, but definitely worth it. It's just one zone over so catch the train from Cais do Sodré, which goes to Cascais, but jump out at Belem. A short walk from the station is Pasteis de Belem. You can't miss it. It's the one next to Starbucks, with the humungous queue; but don't let that put you off, it only means it's good stuff. My top tip here is from a local, so it must be a good'un! If you want to eat in, just go in and find a table, walk past the queue and just sit down at the first empty table you can find. You'll get table service, but be patient, it's a huge place and very busy. My personal tip, is order as many Pastel de Nada as you can fit in your tummy, because you're still going to want more. Traditionally you sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar, but you can mix the combos until you get the perfect mix for you. They're just warm out the oven and pretty unforgettable. You may not be history or pastry buffs so I won't bore you with too much detail, but take a look around and watch the Pastel de Nada being made in the way it should be, traditionally. If you have got time, it's worth reading about (there's even a pretty little animation.. but granted, it is in Portuguese.)
Most of my time in the city was spent paying homage to the chilled out culture and just wandering. However one activity I would totally suggest doing is the Chill Out tour. I'm not usually one to travel alone, but I spent several days by myself in the city but never felt bored or lonely. A nice way to chat to new people and explore is to join one of these tours. They meet at the bustling Praça Luís de Camões (there's toilet and water stops here) at 10AM and 4:30PM everyday in the summer, or 10AM and 3PM in the winter, and the tour is about three hours. Have a look at their site linked just before though as the schedules do change and they're available in different languages. There are a few different tours that start here so be sure to look out for Chill Out's branding. They may only be a small company and a bit more low key; BUT their guides are Lisbon born and bred, so they know they're stuff and they are AMAZING. They're so passionate about their city, and will tailor there tour to suit your personal interests. I learnt so much about the history of the city, it made me feel ashamed I didn't know more about my own! It's worth taking up the chance to meet and learn from these locals, and the great bit.... are you ready... IT'S FREE. Of course, if you enjoyed it (you will), give them some cash at the end, but the fact it's free just shows their passion for teaching and boasting about their home town.
One thing I always try to find in a new city is always a view point. I'm a sucker for a view. I climbed those boiling Lisbon hills several times, and I ADORED Miradouro da Graça . Many say the castle has the best views - but I didn't go in myself. I was totally satisfied with this stonker.
Overall, I ruddy loved Lisboa. I was there for a week and was on my own for the majority, which was a new experience for me, but this city made be feel uber comfortable. This particular area of Portugal had everything I was after. Lisbon offers the chilled chic city life, Sintra offers mystical forests and magical palaces, and Cascais offers beautiful blue rocky coast lines. I ventured out a lot to the neighbouring towns as the transport links are so easy, but I'll talk about those in a post soon. I definitely recommend it to those looking for a long chilled weekend or a city break, as for me, it ticks pretty much all the boxes.
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