May 2018 - Trip to Lisbon, Portugal was full of great surprises. Amazing places, especially around Lisbon. Lisbon itself has great architecture and amazing spots.
We rented an apartment close to Alfama that had an easy access with a car. For all sightseeing in the city, we either walked or used Uber. Uber was pretty convenient and affordable. And for a couple of days, we rented a car and drove around to a beautiful places Sintra, Obidos and Cascais. Driving outside of Lisbon was no problem at all. Our biggest challenge was a parking garage in the building which was very small and narrow, that we had to panic and laugh at the same time every time we had to park. Coming from Canadian roads and parking spots which are very wide, this was an experience worth mentioning. North America - watch out 🙂
In the city, we walked through Alfama which is the oldest part, with small and narrow streets. Lots of hills and great viewpoints, you will get yourself in shape for sure. Make sure you have comfortable and flat shoes. Rua Augusta is a nice pedestrian area, with lots of cafes, little shops. The big and beautiful street with designer shops is Avenida da Liberdade and Principe Real. Walking down Avenida da Liberdade took us to a very nice garden, Amalia Rodrigues.
Another great area to spend some time walking is Baixa and Chiado. For a night out, best to go to Bairro Alto. We had a very nice evening with Fado music at Cafe Luso. We picked Cafe Luso based on some internet recommendations, but it seemed to be commercialized a bit. I would suggest finding a smaller and more authentic place. We had a great walk and lovely lunch at a great little restaurant at the see, Cais de Sodre area.
One night we had an amazing dinner at the restaurant Sommelier Lisbon. Everything we ate was so delicious.
The last spot to mention is the Belem where we spent a day, great for walking and of course we had to try famous Pastel De Nata. Famous and interesting things to see: Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, Torre de Belem, historical monuments, museums.
Those are our highlights from Lisbon..So much to do and see. For our Sintra and Obidos trip you can check its own post.