Enjoy Beautiful Lisbon
Written: Feb 21 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice weather, good food, friendly people, many historically significant sites, inexpensive European destination
Cons: Not quite first class (but still very nice)
The Bottom Line: A lovely destination with European history and waterside charm.
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| annalin's Full Review: Lisbon |
Lisbon, or Lish-bow-ah as the locals call it, is a lovely city to visit. Situated on the north bank of the Tagus River where it feeds into the Atlantic Ocean, there is coastal charm combined with European antiquity to the city. As the capital of Portugal, the Lisbon metropolitan area has a population of approximately two million; thus it is populated enough to have amenities and activities, yet it is not as overcrowded and overwhelming as most other European capital cities.
First Impression
I recently spent 2.5 days and 2 nights in Lisbon. My first impression upon arrival at the airport was that I was in a 2nd world country. The airport bathrooms, layout, and advertisements (should the words be changed from Portuguese to Chinese characters) seemed like airports in mainland China. To give it some comparison for those that have been to Mexico, Portugal is much more developed – after all, it is in Europe. As I continued my trip, my impression of the quality of the city improved, and I regard it as a 1.5 world country, if there is such a thing. But that is a positive point, facilities are developed enough for comfort and enjoyment, yet prices are reasonable (especially for an American in Europe).
Getting Around
To avoid the potential for rip-off taxis (where are present in all major cities worldwide), one has the option of purchasing a prepaid taxi ride from the airport to one’s hotel from a tourist information kiosk inside the airport. During morning rush hour, we paid about 16 Euros for a ride to our hotel in a brand new Mercedes with navigation system and an excellent chauffeur (he was more than a driver, as he offered much background and commentary and great service). We took a less fancy taxi (an older model Mercedes wagon) back to the airport not during rush hour, and the ride was only 8 Euros and change. There is also a bus which takes you into the center of town, but I didn’t ride it to or from the airport.
Bring comfortable walking shoes, preferably dark leather shoes or flat soled boots. I only saw one pair of white sneakers on someone in hip-hop style clothing the entire time there, so white athletic shoes are a no-no if you want to look normal for the surroundings. Comfortable shoes, preferably with nonslip bottoms, are a must, as every single sidewalk is paved in white crushed stones/tiles with black inlaid designs. These surfaces can be slick after a rain. Lisbon is even hillier than San Francisco (which makes for superb views once you reach higher ground), so you will be climbing often. Also be careful of dog poop. Lisboans love their dogs and all the many dogs I saw there looked really happy and well cared for, but many times their poop was left on the sidewalks.
The Metro has a great system of underground trains. A roundtrip ticket in one zone (which will get you to most all the tourist sites except the Belem area) costs only 1.40 Euros. The trains were quick, safe, and easy to figure out how to navigate around the city. I speak Spanish fluently and also studied basic Portuguese before the trip, so I was ok with the automatic ticket machine in Portuguese only, but my husband was very thankful I was there! We rode the Metro close to closing time Friday night after midnight, and there were quite a few people on the trains but it was safe. There was always a seat and people weren’t packed like sardines as I’ve experienced in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, or Madrid.
Sites
Portugal’s claim to fame came with King Dom Manuel I of the late 1400’s who was a proponent of navigation, which led to world exploration and colonization. Lisbon is a very old city, and perhaps the oldest historical sites are the Castelo de Sao Jorge and the Alfama (original old town) district. The Castelo de Sao Jorge can be reached by climbing up a steep hill (paved and populated with homes and businesses on narrow alleyways). You will sweat and huff and puff, but it is so worth it. The views of the entire city, the Tagus, the statue Cristo Rei on the south bank, and the historical castle ruins itself make this is a must see in Lisbon.
There are a few elevators around town, which are black iron elevators that pop you up into the sky for a good view of the city below or enjoying a coffee and pastry on the top level café. The most famous is probably Elevador de Santa Justa. It costs a few Euros for a round trip ride. I went up just before sunset and watched the sun go down over the city. The view of the Castelo de Sao Jorge lit up on top of the mountain, coupled with the city lights, and the glistening Tagus water made for a very special sight.
Rossio Square abuts a pedestrianized shopping street which is a nice place to browse souvenir and chain shops like Zara, Mango, and H&M and eat seafood dinners at night. On the far eastern side of town lies the Parque das Nacoes (pronounced Par-kay daash Nah-shaowng) was built for the 1998 World Expo, and this area is worth visiting. It houses a modern shopping mall named after Vasco de Gama (food court on top level has cheap meal options and at least two pastry cafes; a Wal-Mart type superstore for buying snacks and necessities at normal prices; upscale clothing, jewelry, children’s items, and toiletry stores); a long promenade for walking, jogging, or biking along the riverbank; a cable car system to see the sites; a long row of nice restaurants and bars (we had our best dinner – for only 48 Euros - at a place there); the Oceanarium (largest in Europe and second only to the Georgia Aquarium as the largest worldwide); and a hands-on science museum.
Belem, the Portuguese transliteration of Bethlehem, is the area on the west side of Lisbon, which abuts the opening of the Tagus into the Atlantic. The Torre de Belem (Tower of Bethlehem), the Monasterio de los Jeronimos, the president’s house, the Coach Museum (not the purses, but carriages – we’re talking old school transportation), the still operating bakery from the 1800’s that invented the cream custard tarts, and the Monument to Discoveries(which is pictured here on epinions with the “product” of Lisbon) can all be found in this area. There is a tram which connects from public transportation to reach this area, and the ground is flat and walkable, but the distances are spread out. If you have a car or take a cheap half day bus tour, this area can be accessed more comfortably.
Museums such as the Gulbenkian Museum, the Tile Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Fado Museum, and a host of modern art and design museums are located in the city for your cultural enrichment.
The area at the Parque das Nacoes, the Docas (prounched Doe- caash), and the Barrio Alto (proper nightclubs) are the main areas that offer nightlife. The Alfama district has some hole in the wall restaurants which have Fado (Portuguese blues) performances around 11 PM (prior reservations required at most).
Food
The food in Lisbon is fabulous. Fresh seafood and excellent desserts are found everywhere. I didn’t have a single bad or even so-so meal in Lisbon. Try the pasteis de nata (custard cream tarts) along with a café com leite at any of the ubiquitous pastelerias around town. They really do live up to the hype. Golden bream is a popular fish here. Try the garlic shrimp and grilled fish in just about any restaurant. The fish is seasoned with salt and garlic and has good flavor when coupled with bland boiled potatoes and veggies. Brazilian and African food from the former colonies are popular, as is Japanese sushi (due to the availability of fresh seafood). In my opinion, compared to the other big colonizers England and Spain, Portugal has the best food. They have spices, meats and other goods from Macau (China), Goa (India), multiple African countries, and Brazil.
Port wine is also from Portugal, and you can buy it in a few places. However, it is not normally served in restaurants.
Costs
Breakfast for two of two pastries and two coffees with milk will cost 3 to 4 Euros total. Lunch costs 8 to 10 Euros per person, and dinner costs more depending on what you order, but 20 to 25 Euros a person will get you a decent meal.
We stayed in a nice 4 star hotel walking distance to a metro train station for 100 Euros per night, including hot breakfast and IVA tax of 7%.
Final Thoughts
Lisbon is a comfortable, safe city with enough attractions to keep you busy for 3 days or so. After that, a day trip to the coastal cities of Cascais, Estoril (where the European royalty hid out in neutral Portugal during WWII), etc. may be in order. The food is great, the people are nice, and the price is right. Plus, the Portuguese language lands nicely on the ears. I highly recommend a visit for those in good enough shape to walk the hilly terrain (those with baby carriages, chubsters, and older people with limited mobility will be inconvenienced). The Lisboans were such nice people that now I absolutely must travel to Brazil!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
annalin
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 in Hotels & Travel |
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Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Reviews written: 202
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A generally happy and optimistic, yet opinionated gal...
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