Destination Spotlight: Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal. February 14, 2009. Photo: Rachel King.
When people plan European vacations, it usually involves the biggest of the big cities, like Paris, London, Rome, Madrid – the list goes on. Unfortunately, a lot of travelers, particularly those from North America, are missing out on a fantastic metropolis that is just a little out of the way: Lisbon.
Before traveling to the Portuguese capital last week, honestly, I have to admit I didn’t expect much. After even just one day there, I realized I was sorely mistaken. Portugal has to be the most underrated country in Western Europe, if not the whole continent. Not only is there plenty to see and do in and around Lisbon, your money can go a whole lot farther here than it could in France or Spain.
Lisbon, Portugal. February 14, 2009. Photo: Rachel King.
Getting There: Lisbon Portela International Airport is served not only by big name carriers and national airlines like TAP Portugal, but also some of the low-cost, no-frills carriers like Ryanair and easyJet – making it easy and cheap to access from almost anywhere in Western Europe. Lisbon also has an efficient public transportation system within the city limits (metro, bus and streetcars) plus commuter trains to some attractive small towns nearby. For exploring other parts of Portugal, bus company Rede-Expressos offers a very affordable and comfortable ride to other cities in Portugal. (For example, a trip to Porto, three to four hours north, only costs about €18.) If you want to spring just a little more from your wallet, you can take the train, but it’s not all that much faster.
What To See: Being a native San Franciscan, at first glance (and after several more glances), this city could be construed as the European counterpart of the City by the Bay. There’s April 25th Suspension Bridge, old-fashioned cable cars, plenty of urban hills to climb and there’s a budding youth culture centered around underground art and music. But Lisbon stands on its own with its own quirky neighborhoods worthy of exploration, plus museums dedicated to fine arts, modern art and fashion.
The best viewpoint of the entire city would be from the Castelo de São Jorge. Access is only a few Euros (like most admission rates in Portugal), so its well-worth the visit. If you get a chance to go outside the cities, be sure to take the 40-minute train ride to Sintra and visit the palaces and castles on the mountaintop. On a clear day, you can see the Atlantic Ocean and all the way back to Lisbon.
Lisbon, Portugal. February 14, 2009. Photo: Rachel King.
Where To Stay: No matter what your age or your background, you must stay in a hostel in Lisbon. A few of the hostels here aren’t just any typical backpacker accommodations either. Falling into the emerging category of “boutique hostels,” Lisbon has a few to choose from, some of which are better than most hotels I’ve stayed in, save for the fact that I had to share a bathroom (but it was immaculately clean).
Above all others, I’d recommend the Living Lounge Hostel. Under €20 per person per night, you’re smack dab in the middle of Lisbon, a few blocks from the riverfront and just across the street from a metro station. There’s also plenty of free frills that usually come with a fee tacked on at other hostels (i.e. Internet, towels, hair dryer and access to a large library of DVDs). Guests also have access to a well-stocked and well-kept kitchen, several themed lounges, and there’s a nightly prix-fixe dinner for €8 that includes all the trimmings (plus wine). I will note (or warn you) that you’re basically sleeping in an Urban Outfitters.
Other hostels worth consideration are the Lisbon Lounge (the sister hostel of the Living Lounge, just a few blocks away) and the Lisbon Poets Hostel, which has a sister hostel up in Porto.
I only had the opportunity to spend three days in Lisbon, but I felt that wasn’t even enough. It wasn’t difficult getting around, as it’s easy to walk many places, there’s plenty of public transportation and most people in the travel industry speak English. (I did download a Portuguese-English translator app to my iPhone before departure, although my accent could use some work.)
But unlike some other European capitals where I’ve seen it once and I can cross it off my list, I hope to return to Lisbon again some day soon.
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Loved Lisbon; it was the jumping-off city for my 4 months’ solo travel after college. The Gulbenkian museum is one of the world’s best; the Manueline architecture is amazing (go to Sintra for the hilltop castles)and people are super-friendly. I spent several weeks in Portugal before heading into Spain. It is a very beautiful place and far off most people’s radar, as you point out.
I visited Lisbon about 6-7 years ago, after falling in love with fado (the Portuguese “blues”), and reading Jose Saramago’s novels. While the city has its interesting points, I felt that 10 days was way too long a stay there. The Gulbenkian, and the Centro de Arte Moderna next door were wonderful, but the food scene in the city was dismal. Time and again, I would go to very cute looking Portuguese restaurants, only to be served meals that were nearly inedible. Cod, swimming in cooking oil, kale that was the consistency of fiberglass, or meat that was tough and chewy. In fact, the only decent Portuguese food I found was in the self-serve cafeteria at the Gulbenkian. I ended up alternating evening meals between a French, steak-frite place, and an Irish pub. Although food isn’t everything, when the food is this bad, it really puts a damper on your trip.