Top Ten Things to do in Lisbon

Planning a trip to Lisbon? Wondering what to do? Kirsten Thompson who blogs at Kooky Traveller has some recommendations…

Lisbon or Lisboa as it is called in Portuguese, is a wonderful place for a city break. I visited for the first time in July for a week and rented a couple of apartments with a friend, Minhsien. We immediately fell in love with the city and look forward to returning for a longer visit.

Here’s my favourite 10 things to do:

1  Go to the beach

Lisbon has a tiny beach by the Tagus River. It’s a wonderful little place to relax alone or with friends, and watch the world go by. It’s also very quiet, apart from the sounds of street performers casually playing their music in the background.

2. Watch the sunset

Lisbon is built upon 7 hills, so there are many places to watch the sun go down. We took a couple of free elevators from Baixa including Elevador Castelo to reach ZamBeZe restaurante, where there is a beautiful terrace bar.

3. Indulge in a leisurely bakery brunch

I had no idea just how many amazing bakeries there are in Lisbon! I recommend you try Pão de Deus, a brioche-type bread roll topped with coconut. The croissants from A Padaria Portuguesa are without a doubt the best croissants I’ve ever tasted. Minhsien would definitely recommend the custard tarts!

4. Enjoy live entertainment on the street

There are lots of fantastic street entertainers around Lisbon and there’s always something to watch on Rua Augusta in Baxia.

5. Explore the squares and plazas

There are many wonderful squares and plazas around the city. A couple of my favourites are Rossio Square and Praça Comércio, both at opposite ends of Rua Augusta.

6. Ride Elevador da Glória

Elevador da Glória is a funicular and also a national monument. Glória transports passengers up and down a very steep 265m road and connects the downtown area of Baixa with the higher area of Barrio Alto.

7. Take a tram tour of the city

We booked the hop on, hop off Castle Tram Tour which starts and finishes in Praça da Figueira and explores the traditional quarters around the Castelo de Sau Jorge (Castle of St. George). Tickets are 10 Euros for adults and 5 Euros for children aged 4-10yrs. If you just want to experience riding on a tram, you can catch one of the public trams which are much cheaper, although they can get quite overcrowded. Exploring the city by tram means you can avoid hiking all those hills in the midday heat and pack more into your day. There are so many beautiful uniquely decorated buildings; don’t forget to look up, as you explore.

8.  Elevador de Santa Justa

When a city is built on 7 hills, elevators are not only an efficient and more accessible means of exploring higher parts of the city, some are beautiful works of art. The Santa Justa Elevator is a fantastic example of Neo-Gothic art. If it reminds you of the Eiffel Tower, that would be because the elevator was built by the Portugal-born French architect Raoul de Mesnier du Ponsard, who was an apprentice of Eiffel. At 45m high, it not only offers fantastic views across the city, but also functions to provide easy access to Barrio Alto, from Baixa and the surrounding downtown area.

9. Visit Belém Tower

Belém Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage monument. Originally built in 1515 as a fortress to protect Lisbon’s harbour, it was also the place where many “voyages of discovery” began. You can visit the Tower from Lisbon by catching a bus or tram.

10. Take a day trip to Sintra

Sintra is a small town in the foothills of the Sintra Mountains. It is very accessible from Lisbon by train, costs less than 5 Euros for a return. The journey takes around 40 minutes. There are many beautiful pastel-coloured castles, palaces, royal hideaways and monuments in the area which have secured Sintra with a UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Explore Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and discover a beautiful coastline and beaches. We spent an afternoon on Praia Grande (I could easily stay there for a week) and Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in Portugal and Continental Europe.

Have you been to Lisbon?

What are your favourite things to do? Let me know in the comments, below.