Travel Diary | Lisbon, Portugal

Loving Lisbon

This year my husband and I traveled to Lisbon for the first time. It was absolutely wonderful. If you’re planning a trip to Lisbon here are a few places I recommend seeing, I’m also including some dining suggestions for you fellow foodies out there.

Go

If you’re in Lisbon I really recommend visiting the town Sintra. Sintra is a must see, it’s located just one hour away by train from Lisbon. We dedicated a full day to cover the main attractions which are Palácio Nacional da Pena (Pena Palace), Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) and Quinta da Regaleira. All these places are very easy to get to by bus once you’re there, Bus 434 stops at all three places. There are a lot of stairs involved in Castle of the Moors but believe me, it’s worth it.

Another excellent spot to visit is the Alfama district. This is the oldest district in Lisbon and there you can visit the Castelo de São Jorge (São Jorge Castle) that has the most incredible views of Lisbon. The best way to go to Alfama is to take the classic Tram n. 28. Other locations are Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square), and Barrio Alto (Upper District) don’t forget to take the Ascensor da Glória, it’s quite the experience. Also, stop by the Torre de Belém and eat the local custard dessert (Pastéis de Nata) they are quite a treat. Lisbon has excellent public transportation. The metro, bus, and trams are easily accessible and the taxis are very affordable.

See

Oceanário de Lisboa (Esplanada Dom Carlos I s/nº, 1990-005) With the largest indoor aquarium in all of Europe, the Lisbon Oceanarium is a must see. I specifically went to see Takashi Amano’s Florestas Submersas (Forest Underwater) which is the world’s largest nature aquarium project.

LxFactory (R. Rodrigues de Faria 103, 1300 Lisboa) Reminiscent of Miami’s Wynwood Art District, the LxFactory is full of art and cool shops. One place in particular that really stood out was the Ler Devagar bookstore. In English, Ler Devagar means Read Slow and you will want to read slowly in this relaxing setting. It’s also one of the 20 most beautiful bookstores in the world according to Flavorwire.

Eat

Food is always a major part of our travels. There were two restaurants in Lisbon that really stood out. First, Solar 31 da Calçada (Calçada Garcia 31) this is a wonderful seafood restaurant; the staff was friendly and attentive. Paulo the chef stopped by every table to introduce himself and speak about the dishes. My husband and I really enjoy Octopus; when you find a restaurant that gets it right, you never forget it. They got it right, the octopus was cooked perfectly with tremendous flavor.

It was hands down the best octopus we ever ate and we’ve eaten plenty. The seafood was so fresh and a great value for money. Don’t forget to make a reservation, this place gets full quickly.

Another great restaurant is Enoteca De Belém, (Tv. Marta Pinto 10, Portugal) located near the famous Torre de Belem. We went during lunchtime and managed to get a table without a reservation. We got lucky; it’s a small restaurant so I highly recommend making reservation. The dishes are so colorful and beautiful. We ordered the braised scallop tartar, cod fish, and the cold summer soup with beet. The soup was heavenly; I’m going to try to recreate it at home. My favorite was the goat butter they served with bread. YUM.

Enoteca De Belém also had some cool art on the wall. I really loved the décor, who doesn’t love a bathroom with colorful toilet paper? Right outside there’s an installation by Pedrita entitled Pato Mudo (Silent Duck), I love good street art.

 

Hope you enjoyed my Lisbon Travel Diary, next up Amsterdam!