Historic Lisbon
As a holiday destination, Lisbon offers a rich and varied history, a buzzing nightlife and is blessed with a glorious year-round climate. I only had a day to explore as I was on a Mediterranean cruise, it was the end of October and still incredibly warm, I loved the atmosphere with the street entertainment and want to go back for a long weekend to explore some more!
The city has a welcoming and liberal atmosphere, while still embracing its deep-rooted heritage and extensive history. It will appeal to a diverse selection of ages and tourists; it can form a cultural trip, a nightlife extravaganza, a family holiday, a relaxed city-break or even as a base for a beach holiday. Lisbon, I think, would take around three days to discover and is the ideal destination for a weekend city-break. Or if you so choose, close to Lisbon is a stunning coastline of beautiful sandy beaches and dramatic natural scenery, and many of the region’s finest beaches are only a short bus or train ride away so you could add on a few days to head off to the beach to recharge your batteries!
Lisbon has hot dry summers, pleasant springs and autumns, and mild, but possibly wet winters. The best time of year to visit Lisbon is in the late spring (May-June) when the days are bright and sunny, but the temperatures are not so high. The peak season is between June and August, and if you visit at this time of year, you should expect the city to feel crowded, it is strongly recommended that you book well in advance to avoid disappointment. If this is your first visit to Lisbon, it is recommended to be based close to the historic centre; this covers the districts of Baixa, Chiado, Bairro Alto, Alfama and the Avenida da Liberdade. These areas are popular with tourists and are within walking distance of the main sights and attractions. Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodre are the nightlife districts and are ideal if you wish to party or are part of a stag/hen do!
Lisbon is good choice for a family city break or holiday as there are a wide selection of children friendly tourist attractions, including the outstanding Oceanarium, the colourful trams, and Lisbon Zoo. The Portuguese have a family-focused culture and young children are welcome everywhere, and this includes most restaurants.
It is one of Europe’s least expensive capital cities, and offers exceptional value for food, drink and public transport. I had a delicious risotto washed down with a glass of wine and I paid around 15 Euros – not bad for a capital city! And don’t forget to try one their famous “pastel de nata” which is very similar to a custard tart!
Entrance fees to historic monuments are sensibly priced, but gimmicky tours (Tuk-tuks, open top buses) are relatively expensive, we chose to take the open top bus for ease of getting around the city in good time as we only had the day to explore, if you have enough time jump on a tram for an authentic experience!
I felt incredibly safe wandering round an array of shops. The only issues tourists may experience is from pickpockets or opportunistic thieves, so my advice would be to remain vigilant as you would in any Capital City. English is widely spoken by all of those who work within the tourist industry, and tourists who only speak English will not encounter any language barriers during the duration of their holiday. All transport hubs have English as their second language and this includes railway, the metro and the airport.
While dining out, most restaurants and cafes will be able to provide an English menu. The Portuguese rarely expect foreign visitors to speak any Portuguese but are always cheerfully surprised if a few words can be spoken! I personally always like to say “hello/ola” and “thank you/obrigado” in any countries native tongue that I visit, I just feel it is showing respect.
I really enjoyed my brief visit to Lisbon and cannot wait to go back to explore it in depth! If you fancy a weekend break or perhaps extend it for an extra few days at the beach, please contact me!