Lisbon, with its seafaring geographic location, is a picturesque city that retains its cultural charm. Unlike bigger cities, it offers plenty of attractions without being overwhelming. Here are a few highlights not to miss.
Fado music
You haven’t experienced the true Portugal until you hear the melancholic sounds of fado. This traditional music combines singing and guitar about love and fate, and is strongly associated with Lisbon’s bairros Mouraria and Alfama. It’s best heard in one of the many small restaurant taverns off one of the winding streets of Alfama. Entrance at the casas de fado is free, but you must book a table and eat dinner with a minimum spend.
Art and history
Portugal’s most valuable art collection is worth seeing at Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, situated in a 17th century palace in Belém. Nearby the Museu Nacional de Arqueológia houses intricate Roman mosaics and Egyptian masks. The Museu da Marinha is the place to learn about Portugal’s golden age of discovery in the 15th-16th centuries, when they were masters of the sea. Also in Belém is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a beautiful monastery of Manueline architecture.
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
Open: 10am-6pm Tuesday to Sunday
Closed: January 1st, Easter Sunday, May 1st, December 24th & 25th
Tickets: Standard Adult €6
Museu Nacional de Arqueológia
Open: 10am-6pm Tuesday to Sunday
Tickets: Standard Adult €5
Museu da Marinha
Open: 10am-5pm October to April, 10am-6pm May to September
Tickets: Standard Adult €6
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
Open: 10am-5pm Tuesday to Sunday October to May, 10am-6.30pm Tuesday to Sunday May to September
Closed: Mondays, January 1st, Easter Sunday, May 1st and December 25th
Tickets: Standard Adult €10
Combined tickets:
Descobertas: Jerónimos Monastery /Tower of Belém: €12
Jeronimos: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos + Museu Nacional de Arqueologia: €12
Praça do Império: Jerónimos Monastery + Tower of Belém + Museu Nacional de Arqueologia: €16
Cais da História: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos + Tower of Belém + Museu Naciona de Arqueologia + Museu de Arte Popular + Museu Nacional de Etnologia + Museu dos Coches: €25
Festivals
Lisbon comes to life in summer with a number of festivals running throughout the warmer months. Festas dos Santos Populares celebrates the peoples’ saints, Antonio, Joao and Pedro, and lasts a week in June. One of the events is Marchas Populares where all of the bairros participate in a parade dressed in sparkling colour and they compete for the honour of the best dance. Many music, arts and religious festivals also run throughout the year.
Lisbon’s trams
Catching one of Lisbon’s famous retro-looking trams is a must. The red trams of Carris provide tours up the hills of Lisbon to it’s historic heart of bairros Alfama, Graça and Baixa. Or catch a regular tram around the city. The no.28 takes you up to the top of Alfama hill where you get a beautiful view of the city from Saint George Castle.
Parque das Nacoes
Lisbon hosted Expo ’98 rejuvenated Parque das Nacoes on the waterfront. Now it is an urban hub of modern architecture that is still popular with locals and tourists long after the world festival. Visit Oceanário, one of the largest aquariums in the world, with its large centralised tank where fish, shark, penguins and otters swim together. Or catch the cable car from one end of the park to the other to get a magnificent view of the harbour.
Oceanário
Open: 10am-8pm seven days a week in summer, 10am-7pm seven days a week in winter, 1pm-6pm December 25th and 12pm-6pm January 1st
Tickets: Permanent & Temporary Exhibitions Standard Adult €17, Permanent Exhibition Standard Adult €14
Bars and clubs
Lisbon comes alive at night with its many bars and cafes. Dance the salsa at the many Brazilian bars in Bairro Alto. Or check out the revamped riverside of Docas, where chic outdoor restaurants turn into pumping nightclubs.
Beaches
Some of Portugal’s best long sandy beaches are in close proximity to Lisbon. Visit Costa Azul in the south, with its national park and quaint fishing towns. To the north is the Sintra coast with its dramatic cliffs and headlands. The town of Sintra is well worth a visit for its Moorish castle. If you’re into surfing, head to the coast of Estremadura to towns such as Ericeira and Peniche with their fine sandy beaches.
Sintra
It’s worth catching a train to the fairytale town of Sintra, where ancient palaces and castles peak out from their forested environment – once the summer residence of the kings of Portugal and the Moorish lords. Visit the old town of Sintra-Vila with its grand Palácio Nacional. Don’t miss walking through Palácio da Pena with its opulent 19th century architecture and romantic gardens. And for stunning views head to the Moorish castle ruins of Castelo dos Mouros. If you don’t have a car, catch a Stagecoach bus 434 to these outer locations. Explore the natural parks of Sintra that stretches to the coast, boasting top surfing beaches such as Praia Grande and Praia das Maçãs.
Estoril and Cascais
Estoril has the reputation as Portugal’s riviera, with its posh hotels and villas, and lovely beach. Cascai has a long promenade that stretches to its three fine beaches. It’s a major resort that is teeming with tourists in the high season, but it retains its charm as a fishing town, particularly in the off season.
Costa Azul
South of Lisbon’s Rio Tejo is the beautiful Costa Azul. Visit Setúbal, home of famous football manager José Mourinho, and a great place to see bottle-nosed dolphins. Explore the wild cliff-lined coast with the natural habitat of Serra da Arrabida. Sesimbra is also a nice place to visit with top quality seafood restaurants and a small, gentle beach.
