Portugal

A guide to (2)

Lisbon

The City of Seven Hills

  • SANA Lisboa Hotel http://www.lisboa.sanahotels.com/en
    • Within a walks distance to the center of the city, but far enough away to avoid exorbitant city-square prices. The hotel is clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. Keep in mind that Ubers and taxis are cheaper in Portugal than anywhere I’ve ever been. A person can travel 5 miles by Uber and only pay about 4 Euros.
  • Hop on the tram 28 and discover Lisbon’s hidden treasures
    • Tram 28 brings passengers from the Lisbon city center to a Moorish castle and original village. The bright yellow tram is a great photo opp, but beware of pickpockets. The Moorish city is definitely worth a visit, but keep in mind that there are other ways to travel to this Lisbon treasure besides Tram 28. Bring a camera! The view from the São Jorge Castle is one of the best in the city.
  • Electric bike tour of Belem: bike along the river towards the Discoveries Quarter of Belem, from which the Portuguese Caravels sailed off to the epic maritime discoveries
    • The electric bike rentals are a must. They are not only a new and exciting way to get from place to place, they also allow a person to see more than they could if they just walked. I recommend riding the bikes along the Rio Tejo Tagus to see some of the best museums and political buildings in Portugal’s capital- Lisbon

Alfama district – Visit Alfama for an authentic Portuguese experience. There are few tourists in this area, and it still has some of the most beautiful textile and architectural displays in the greater Lisbon region.  

  • Chiado – Chiado is the popular shopping and theatre district of Lisbon, which has a selection of historic monuments, tradition shops and interesting cafes and restaurants
  • Churches
  • Museu Nacional do Azulejo – azulejos are the famous hand-painted tiles found all over the city, especially in train stations and on churches, this is the national museum displaying the best of the best
  • Praça do Comércio

Belem district

  • Antiga Confeitaria de Belém – get the pastéis de Belém
  • Torre de Belém
  • Mosteiro dos Jerónimos – Belém’s undisputed heart-stealer is this Unesco-listed monastery

Bairro Alto district

  • BA Wine Bar do Bairro Alto – the best wine bar in the neighborhood
  • Igreja & Museu São Roque – church in Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré

Other neighborhoods

  • palácio dos marqueses de fronteira
  • Estrela Basilica
  • Campo de Ourique neighborhood
  • Alcantara neighborhood
  • Convento de mocambo

 

Viewpoints:

largo das portas do sol

miradouro da graça

Amoreiras 360º Panoramic View

Restaurants

 

Sintra

  • Jeep tour to Sintra mountains and Cabo da Roca: immerse yourself in the beauty of the mountainous region of Sintra; a World Heritage also called “glorious Eden”; the town’s landscape is lush with surrounding green forests, exotic flowers and elaborate palaces built centuries ago as summer retreats for the royal family
    • Cabo da Roca – the westernmost point in Continental Europe, which offers a stunning view of the Portuguese coast; proceed to Cascais where the tour ends
    • Sintra is home to one of the most colorful castles in the world. Do not miss a trip up to the Pena Palace for spectacular views and photos.
    • A jeep tour is an absolute must if you want to see all that Southwest Portugal has to offer. Many of the region’s most pristine sites are only accessible by offroad transportation. The Praia da Ursa is a hidden beach, only known by locals. The beach offers a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean, where it meets the craggy Portuguese coast.

Up for an adventure? Travel to the southern coast to Teares Velhos Cellar or the Jose Maria da Fonseca for a taste of Portugal’s favorite wine. The winery is not only the site for the international production of world class wine, but it is also a historical site for one of the oldest wineries in the country.

  • Castle of the Moors
  • Cabo de Roca – cape on the Portugal shore
  • Pena Palace – Take the  434 Bus to Castle and Pena Palace!
  • Teares Velhos Cellar
  • Jose Maria da Fonseca winery
  • Quinta da Regaleira
  • Palácio Nacional de Sintra

Restaurants

 

Porto

  • Ribeira – Unesco World Heritage maze of medieval alleys zigzags down to the Douro River and a promenade lined with slender, pastel-hued houses and hole-in-the-wall tascas (taverns)
  • Igreja de São Francisco – church in Ribeira
  • Sé – Cathedral in Ribeira

Churches:  

  • Above
  • Igreja do Carmo
  • Santo Ildefonso
  • Clerigos(tower)
  • Capela das Almas(souls)

Food tours and market

  • Taste Porto – food tours in downtown Porto
  • Mercado do Bolhão(possible closed renovations) – Porto’s glorious 19th-century wrought-iron covered market, where vendors do a brisk trade in fruit, veg, olives, cheese, bread, smoked meats and sausages made with every bit of the pig except the oink. The market is also sprinkled with inexpensive stalls where you can nibble on still-warm pastries, sardines or fish fresh and flaky from the Atlantic, and sip on some vinho (wine). The market is at its lively best on Friday and Saturday mornings.

Wineries and port tastings:

  • Graham’s – winery in Vila Nova de Gaia(Reservation 12/2 @4pm)**
  • Espaço Porto Cruz, with exhibitions and tastings (€5 for three ports) in a restored 18th-century riverside building. Head up to the roof terrace for cracking views of the historic centre on the opposite side of the river
  • Vila Nova da Gaia is crammed with port lodges, making picking just one tricky. Our money goes on the venerable Taylor’s**, which has been decanting some of the finest ports since 1692. A €5 guided tour of its impressive cellars
  • ViniPortugal, housed in the splendid neoclassical Palácio da Bolsa, where a €2 enocard is your ticket to tasting two to four wines from 12 chosen from different Portuguese regions.
  • A more intimate choice is Prova

Possible restaurants:

Best bars in Porto:

  • Miradouro Ignez
  • Capela Incomum
  • BOP
  • 360º Terrace Lounge
  • Armazém
  • Catraio
  • Bonaparte Downtown
  • Base
  • The Gin House
  • Galeria de Paris – famous bar which is an original on the strip that’s now synonymous with the Porto party scene
  • Visit Alfama for an authentic Portuguese experience. There are few tourists in this area, and it still has some of the most beautiful textile and architectural displays in the greater Lisbon region.  

 

 

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