Your Ultimate Guide to Lisbon
Disclaimer: This blog post is about my personal experiences in Portugal. I am very fortunate that I get to travel to the extent that I do, and I feel very grateful for the opportunity to have seen Portugal. However, an imperative part of this blog’s intent is to share truthful stories. We may not always agree about our perceptions of a city, but there’s a way that all people can speak their mind without being disrespectful towards one another.
I want to preface this blog post with some simple, yet incredibly important words.
I’m a writer.
As someone who is always striving to speak and reveal new truths with nothing more than a pen and a piece of paper (or in this case, e-paper…), I feel it’s my job as a writer to lay out the truth and be honest with every story that I decide to tell.
The name of my blog, Destination Dreamer Diaries, is very telling.
This blog’s goal is to not give you a stereotypical list of things to do, or flawless itineraries… it’s to provide you with real stories and real experiences that happen first hand when I travel.
We can google all of the most Instagram worthy places to go; but it’s arguably harder to hear a detailed description of what a place is really like behind the photograph.
I always want to be honest about my adventures around the world… so, here we go. I’ll come right out and say it within the first few sentences.
Portugal was not one of my favorite places.
Anyone who knows me knows how in love I am with Europe. I’ve been all over that continent… but the way I felt in Portugal in comparison to the other thirteen European countries I’ve been to… this aurora was very different.
Now, I don’t mean that in a negative way. I have found solace and comfort as a solo traveler in the, at times, formulaic layout of many European cities.
Lisbon is an organic, off-beat kind of place. It has a distinct character: it’s shinier cobblestone stone streets, buggy cars, colorful tiles and San Francisco reminiscent hills and bridges separate it from the rest of Europe.
Nevertheless – that apparent separation inevitably makes for a very different experience.
This blog post is so important to me because I want to share just how different this experience was for me.
Day 1:
Arriving in Lisbon; June 2019.
Upon arrival, I quickly found the bus that took me from the airport to Rossio Square, which was right near the hostel I was staying at.
Rossio Square in Lisbon; June 2019.
I cannot recommend staying at Good Morning Hostel in Lisbon enough. It’s hands down, the best hostel I have ever stayed at… it’s truly exceptional.
I don’t even know where to begin.
For starters, it's location is excellent, it’s right around the corner from Rossio Square (which is a very central location), but the sign for the hostel is tiny and illegible unless you know the brand's design logo.
Good Morning Hostel in Lisbon is GREAT; but can be extremely difficult to find.
It's tucked away in a gift shop with A LOT of stairs and NO lift.
The biggest con is that there’s no self-service laundry (which I think should be a vital element to a hostel, where there are so many people traveling light for extended periods of time); but there is one .3 miles away that works just fine.
The rooms are dark, and there’s no natural light - but they’re still very aesthetic.
That being said, what makes this hostel so unbelievable is the staff. EVERYONE there treats you like family; giving the whole hostel a very big "home-y" feel to it; as if you're in a college sorority house with your best friends.
They make a beautiful, included breakfast everyday: bread, eggs, Nutella waffles... there is a beautiful (again, home-y and aesthetic) kitchen where you can buy groceries and cook. Had the loveliest conversations with the staff.
The atmosphere, the love - it was the highlight of my stay here. When checking out, I had an early flight to Madrid, and one of the staff members (Rueben) was kind enough to walk me to the nearest Taxi area and make sure that I was sent off safely.
That kind of hospitality is rare in service & humanity in general… so when you’re in Lisbon, please do yourself a favor and stay there.
I dropped off my things and headed towards S. Jorge’s castle in the Castelo region of the city…
… but I got so lost.
I tried to find my way to the Food Temple, which is a plant based restaurant owned by two young guys. When I finally made it there – I found out they weren’t opening until seven. I had been travelling all day and was in search for a meal for the immediate time being.
They recommended I walk to Princesa do Castelo – but I got lost trying to walk there too.
It was well over 70 (30 degrees Celsius) degrees Fahrenheit, I was hot, and I was worn out.
I have been to both Wellington and San Francisco – two cities famous for their hills…
… and I’m here to tell you that Lisbon is hillier than the two of them combined.
What makes walking in this difficult so city is not only the hills, but the added uneven texture of the cobblestone streets… and they’re slippery in this city – more so than any other European city I’ve ever seen.
I advise that when you go out exploring this city, to make sure you have water, a snack handy to prevent light-headedness, and to wear shoes with good traction so you’re able to trek up.
While looking for the restaurant, I ended up walking on a side street that was tourist free – and being a solo female traveler…
… I grew apprehensive.
There were some workers setting up stages for the massive, upcoming annual festival that takes place in Portugal every June. One of them thankfully spoke English. When I asked how to get back to Rossio Square, and why the ‘maps’ app on my iPhone wasn’t functioning well, he responded to me,
“Ah, yeah maps is not good for Portugal… google maps is much better, you really should download google maps while you’re here –”
“– Yeah, I can see that, cause I keep getting lost and as a solo female traveler I just don’t feel comfortable right now –”
“– and I really don’t suggest that you be walking down this street, by yourself.”
I knew my instincts were right.
“– Yeah, I don’t think I should be walking down this street either…”
I’ve been to large European cities like Paris and Amsterdam multiple times. I’m well aware that drug dealing occurs in those cities, some of them even on a daily basis – but I had never seen it with my own eyes.
Trying to find my way through the Castelo neighborhood, a relatively touristy area, I saw two men exchanging drugs.
I was petrified, to say the least.
Lisbon’s streets are narrow and hilly; meaning it’s hard to decipher the tourist-friendly streets from the local-friendly streets. My best advice is to ignore the directions on your phone, and walk towards your desired destination on a big street – and only turn until it’s necessary.
After asking a second person where Princesa do Castelo was, and then eventually finding out that it was closed… I gave up, and walking into the nearest place I could find.
I ended up at Restaurante CervejariaS’Andre; they were kind enough to make me a meat-dairy-free meal of beans and rice. It costed me more than I would have pain elsewhere, but any my confused, food deprived state of mind, I was satisfied.
Much worse, could happen when traveling.
I found my way back to Rossio Square, found a grocery store nearby (Pingo Doce) and called it a day.
Day 2:
Given I was in a hostel, I was able to make some travel buddies – and had befriended a girl from the French Alps who wanted to join me on my sightseeing day.
We started by walking to the Assembly of the Republic, which was surprisingly – pretty impressive.
Assembly of the Republic in Lisbon, Portugal; June 2019.
You can walk up and see the changing of the guards similar to how you would see them do so at Buckingham Palace in London.
Given my issue with my Maps app not cooperating the day before, and as I was with someone else, I had the opportunity to do what I was initially fearful of doing in this city alone: exploring.
We discovered an incredible view of Portugal…
… as well as many other, colorfully tiled residential streets.
Discovering the streets of Portugal.
The distinct tiles of Lisbon are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
They have these tiny cars in Lisbon because they are easier to maneuver in the narrow, hilly streets!
We kept walking towards the bridge until we came across the view.
View of Ponte 25 de Abril in Lisboa; June 2019
After passing Praça dom luois, we found an indoor market called, “Time Out” and took a breather from the heat for some smoothies.
There’s a food market hall near Praça dom luois.
We found ourselves back in one of the main plazas, near Praça do Comércio – and figured it was a good time to try the Santa Justa Lift.
Santa Justa Lift in Lisboa; June 2019
The Santa Justa Lift has two levels; one that is walkable and one that is only accessible via lift (an elevator).
At two o’clock in the afternoon… the line was long. They told us it would be about an hour wait. My French friend and I were both getting antsy… and while we were impatiently waiting, a man standing beside the line advised us to walk 100 meters to the left and find a staircase.
He said that it would be about a ten-minute walk up, and that after our climb, we would find a restaurant – where they would then charge us €1,50 if we wanted to go up to the top floor that we were initially standing in line for.
I’ll let you in on a little secret…
… it’s not even a five-minute walk to the first level.
The view from the first level of the Santa Justa Lift.
Do not wait in that line. My friend and I were at the first level within a matter of minutes.
I paid to go up to the top…
The view from the second level of the Santa Justa Lift.
… but it wasn’t all that different. You’ll get a good view from the first level; you only need to go up to the second one if you’re a photo snob like I am.
Afterwards, we walked to the Mercado de Santa Clara, a flea market, in the Alfama neighborhood.
Approaching Mercado de Santa Clara.
As my French friend perused the clothes, paintings, and knick knacks… she told me to go walk into a market hall with a banner that read,
“Veggie Vibes”.
She told me,
“I know that that’s going to be perfect for you… so, you go in while I shop, and then I will come and find you.”
She could tell that I was fading and in need of something to eat… and boy, did I luck out.
I had miraculously stumbled across an all vegan open food market hall that was running only that week.
I got the chance to try some classic Portuguese dishes veganized – like this custard pastry…
… and this fried dough ball stuffed with jackfruit in place of meat.
My friend had some sort of tofu sandwich and it was delicious… we finished our meal off with some of the best energy balls I’ve had in my life.
I had already learned this at my hostel, but while perusing the flea market and the food hall, I realized once more…
… how many people living in Portugal were from Brazil.
Three quarters of my hostel staff was from Rio de Janiero, and many of the families selling things at the flea market were also from Brazil. When I asked why that was, they told me the truth: they were coming from across the Atlantic in hopes of a better life.
I mean, why not? They already speak the language – so it’s not too difficult to immerse yourself after that.
I strongly believe that thiswas one of the reasons why I felt out of my typical European element when I was in Lisbon… because the fact is, the majority of the residents are not European…
… they’re Portuguese.
I felt it in the atmosphere; I felt how that impacted the culture of the city.
There is a strong Latin American identity that is thoroughly dispersed in Lisbon. However, the Portuguese aren’t dissimilar to a nationalist trait in other European countries like France and Italy– they take a lot of pride in their country. They are all very strong minded people…
… but unlike the French, who will say they do not speak English to you when they really do and just don’t want to talk to you unless it’s in their language – you’re going to find that the people in Lisbon really don’t speak English as well as you’ll find they do in other European countries.
Simply preface, “Do you speak English?” with, “Hola!”
Also, don’t make the mistake that I did. Spanish is not that similar of a language to Portuguese… they seem similar at times, with words that are very close to one another.
For instance, in Spanish, “pencil with eraser” would be lápiz con borrador.
In Portuguese, it’s lápis com borracha.
It’s a lot like Spanish… and then again, it’s somehow also nothing like Spanish.
If you start to speak Spanish to them, they will be offended – and for good reason, so I recommend you don’t do it.
Just leave it at,
“Hola! Do you speak English?”
If they answer no, they mean it – so just keep walking until you find someone who does.
After our Alfama market adventure, we called it a day. Like I said earlier, walking in this city is grueling. A mile in Lisbon is not like walking a mile in Manhattan; be sure to go easy on yourself and don’t overdo it.
Day 3:
This was my calmest day in Portugal. All that was left on my list was Belem Tower; and a few things that were near my hostel.
I started the morning by taking the tram to Jerónimos Monastery.
Remember when I said Lisbon doesn’t follow the formula of most European cities? That goes for their public transportation, too. It gets very confusing at times – it’s not as intuitive as the other systems across the continent.
I started at Rossio Square, where I had to go underground to their metro to buy a ticket, and then back up to another square nearby to catch the tram.
Like I mentioned earlier, it can be hard at times to find someone who speaks English – and the trams aren’t clearly listed with their intended direction or arrival/departure times.
The best advice I can give you, is to ask someone in uniform whenever you’re lost – it’s your best bet at finding someone who speaks English.
That’s what I did; some policemen pointed me in the right direction.
Just like many other European cities; pit pockets can be roaming about. To be respectful of other riders, hold your belongings close; because these trams can be the epitome of the word crammed.
It takes about fifteen minutes until you reach Jerónimos Monastery.
It’ll be covered in tourists; so you won’t feel out of place. It’s absolutely jaw-dropping in person; and without a doubt the most impressive piece of architectural artwork I saw during my time in Lisbon.
Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, June 2019.
However, to Belem Tower is about a fifteen to twenty-minute walk from here – but it’s not hilly, so it’s doable.
Even at noon, the line was long.
The plus side?
They offer student discounts; so, have a picture of your I.D. handy.
The down side?
You need to have smaller bills, handy.
When I approached the woman behind the glass, she the picture of my student I.D. on my phone and graciously gave me the discount… but she was immediately irritated when I motioned to hand her a €20 bill.
“It’s €3 – you don’t have anything smaller?”
“No, I’m sorry – this is all I have on me…”
She sighed and expressed her annoyance as she made my change. It was in that moment that I realized…
… this is a country dealing with poverty.
I tried to make change in Lisbon later that day by going into clothing stores – but they had difficulty doing so because many of their stores have corporate policies against opening the cash register unless someone is making a purchase.
I eventually broke my €50 bill at a hotel reception desk, but I was still left with twenties. Therefore, I strongly suggest that before you go Portugal, that you make sure you have small bills with you.
Your trip there will be smoother… I tell you this so you don’t have to be me, frantically running around Rossio Square looking for a place willing to make change for me.
The views up Belem Tower were okay…
View of Lisbon from Belem Tower; June 2019
View of Ponte de 25 Abril from from Belem Tower; June 2019
… I’m glad I went, but I don’t think it’s necessarily worth the trip out there. You can’t get the quintessential shot of Ponte 25 de Abril (which actually was modeled after the Golden Gate Bridge; so it’s not just your imagination) and the orange rooftops of Lisbon together because of the way Belem Tower faces the city.
If what I just described is what you’re looking for, National Sanctuary of Christ the King is really the place to go… the only problem is that it’s very far from the city center.
I ultimately decided not go because of this – the most time efficient way to get there is in an Uber or a Taxi.
The Santa Justa Lift, or just wandering the city for a view is a much better option.
Afterwards, I made my way back to Praça do Comércio.
Praça do Comércio, a major shopping street, in Lisboa
I walked by the famous Café Brasileira…
… and then made my way to Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara.
This is really the best view of the city, in my opinion… and it’s free.
The view at Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara is gorgeous.
However, the walk up and down is difficult – you need to be extremely careful not to slip on the tiles going back down.
Otherwise – I would say that this was my favorite view of Lisbon, and therefore – the one that I would most recommend.
Overall?
Lisbon wasn’t one of my favorite places for a few different reasons.
One of the many cable cars in Lisbon
In comparison to other places I have traveled to, the poverty is very apparent. Like I mentioned earlier, a great deal of the people living here are from Brazil, which shifts the atmosphere from the one that I am accustomed to in Western Europe.
That being said, it is still beautiful. It does indeed still have its unique moments.
The houses are colored, tiled, there are vibrant banners everywhere, the water and miniature-golden-gate against the orange rooftops is quite the sight... but overall I have to say I’m disappointed.
I expected a hipster, funky vibe - and got something completely different.
But that’s okay, because this is precisely why we travel.
To become more cultured, more knowledgeable, and more experienced. We can’t be satisfied with everything. It’s good to shake us up in terms of expectations, so I have absolutely no regrets. But this is for sure not a typical European city, in fact, it feels very different from a European country - which just goes to show how broad in spectrum this whole continent really is, and proof that travel has no limit.
I really hoped this helped you decide what to do (and not do) when you go to Lisbon. If you’re looking for other things to do in Europe, click here.