Holidays in Lisbon
Lisbon is one of Europe’s leading capital cities and has grown considerably in the past few years as a real contender as a must see.
I travel to Lisbon every year as my family are originally from Portugal and even though I was born in the UK I absolutely adore my heritage and love going back.
The flight to Lisbon from a London airport is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes and many airlines will take you there including BA, TAP and even Monarch.
The airport is very easy to get around, signs are very clear (also in English) and it is very well organised, especially since the European Cup was held there in 2004. The Portuguese updated all the main airports and attractions to cater for the thousands of visitors they had.
Lisbon is a big city so depending on where you are staying then depends on how long it will take you to get there. The Airport is right in the centre so the furthest you will have to travel is about 20 minutes before you get to the outskirts of the city.
Taxis are readily available and the majority have payment meters which is charged per kilometre travelled, therefore the majority of the drivers can give you an idea of how much it will cost you to get to where you want to go. All taxis are Mercedes and are either black and green or a beige colour. The transport system in Lisbon is quite good in the sense it is always on time and easy to understand but if you miss one you’ll be waiting a while for the next one. Buses come every half hour to one hour. Trains are fantastic compared to what we endure in the UK, if the train timetable says it leaves at 13.43 then it leaves at 13.43 and not a second later. The metro only has four lines and can be quite frustrating as you may want to go from one place to another which is only a few minutes away from each other but because of the way the lines are done you have to travel to one end of Lisbon, swap lines and travel all the way back so sometimes it is just easier to walk it or catch a taxi. The transport is relatively cheap, the metro costs less than £1 and trains and buses within the city can cost anything between 50p to £2. You can even still travel in the old fashion style of the tram and great tradition although many of them have been updated to more modern versions but to climb the steep hills of the city it is highly recommended to take one of these traditional forms of transport.
The local currency used to be the Escudo but the Portuguese have now taken up the Euro and although things are still much cheaper than in the UK it has hit the locals as prices have risen in compared to the Escudo days.
All hotels within the city centre are of good quality, many are family run and you can even get a ‘pensão’ for £10 a night. A ‘pensão’ is similar to a hostel but you get your own room, breakfast and sometimes even your own private facilities and they are normally run by families, which gives you the true feel of a Portuguese home. I have previously stayed at the Pestana Palace – an amazing five star converted aristocratic palace which makes you feel like you live in a different world – I highly recommend it and can guarantee I will definitely be going back this year.
There are so many sights to be seen in Lisbon that I cannot mention all but the main ones include the area of Belem, which pays tribute to the ‘golden age’ and the Voyages of Discovery with the Torre de Belem, the Monument of Discoveries and the Monastery of Jeronimos, here you can visit the sites, take a stroll along the bank of the River Tagus or eat one of the famous ‘Pastel de Nata’.
The Castelo de São Jorge is a must see, it is where all of the city’s history began and where you will find some of the most amazing panoramic views of Lisbon.
If you are looking to do a bit of shopping then there are hundreds of places you can spend your euros. With one of Europe’s biggest shopping centres Colombo and the beautifully designed Vasco da Gama you’ll find shops including Zara, H&M and even the old C&A. The area of Baixa is also very popular for its high-class boutiques and could be compared as the Lisbon version of New Bond Street.
Just across the road from the Colombo shopping centre you will find the stunning Stadium of Light, home to Lisbon’s most successful football team Benfica. Take a stroll through the museum, visit the mega store, take a tour of the grounds or have a top class meal and beer at the Beer Cathedral. If you are a football fanatic then a game at the stadium is a must, tickets are easily available from the box office and cost around 20-30 euros.
Restaurants and eating out are offered in abundance, and with small family run tavernas, local restaurants or even your usual fast food chain dotting the streets it is never hard to find somewhere to eat at a reasonable price. Lisbon is not an expensive city to eat where an average meal for two including a bottle of wine will cost you approximately £30. The traditional dishes are made with fish and the salt cod fish ‘Bacalhau’ is the most popular. Seafood is also huge on the menu with many traditional dishes. And don’t forget after your meal you have to ask for your ‘Bica’ the very popular espresso coffee.
In 1998 Portugal hosted the Expo exhibition, where all the countries of the world come together and market their country in this exhibition. It attracts hundreds of thousands of people and Portugal hosted one of the best. The whole area was built from scratch along the River Tagus and although the exhibition finished in the same year the whole area still caters for the public and is one of the most popular areas of Lisbon. Here you will find Vasco da Gama shopping centre, the Aquarium and even a huge concert venue. Many of the worlds leading companies hold their offices here and the apartments are priced at UK property prices. Now known as Parque das Nações it also holds some of the best nightlife in Lisbon with great bars and restaurants that attract the tourists and locals alike for a fun night of al fresco dining and dancing.
Talking of nightlife, the other top spots for a good night out are the docks, ‘As Docas’ where day and night is filled with entertainment including street performers (who may even follow you and pretend to be your shadow) whilst you sit on the dock drinking your cocktail whilst looking out onto the river, the famous 25th April bridge or the luxurious yachts ported in the harbour.
However, the most popular of night spots is Bairro Alto, where you will find hundreds of bars serving everything from beer to tequila, port to wine, and on some nights at exceptionally low prices (beer 1 euro). Some nights are themed so the area can turn into a ‘Fado’ night (traditional Portuguese music). The nightlife in Portugal begins when the UK one is finishing, turn up in a bar at 8 or 9 and you will find it either closed or empty, the nights mainly start after 10 or 11 and can go on until 7 in the morning – it is truly a party capital with some of the top DJs playing their tracks at some of the trendiest nightclubs.
If you want to venture out of the city there are many local towns you can visit, including Estoril and Cascais – the Monte Carlo of Lisbon. You can cross the bridge over to the coast to beach resorts like Costa da Caparica where the Surfing is great. Or even take a further trip to the Algarve or to the North where the true beauty of Portugal is untouched.
Wherever you end up Portugal and especially Lisbon will give you memories to keep for all of your life.
Sarina S
