A Whistle-stop Visit To Lisbon

Trams, tuk-tuks and tarts - a whistle-stop weekend in Lisbon…

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and a bustling scenic city with lovely beaches within easy reach; its layout reminds me a little of Barcelona. You really do need a good few days here to get your bearings and explore the vast array of things to do.

There are numerous fun transport options to get around Lisbon including trams, scooters which you can hire and tuk-tuks, the latter being on the costly side but a really fun way to zip around the city.

There are so many amazing buildings to see in Lisbon. The Church of Santa Engrácia was converted into a National Pantheon and is the final resting place of many important Portuguese figures which are housed in tombs on the first floor. This huge architectural landmark is a must see and adds to the skyline views of Lisbon.

Another fantastic building in the historic part of the city is São Jorge Castle. Perched on the hilltop, the remains of this castle stand tall as a reminder of the history that Portugal is steeped in. The castle dates from medieval times, and is a shell with no remaining interiors but has an incredible façade which is lit up at night and so highly visible both day and night.

As mentioned, tuk-tuk tours can cover many of Lisbon’s sites in as short or long a tour as you want, stopping and waiting for you outside attractions. We had a really great driver who explained the sites to us, played music to our taste and was a lot of fun. He even dropped us to the door of our apartment at the end of the tour.

 
All this exploring makes you hungry and we were told that we had to try the traditional Portuguese egg tart, the Pastel de Nata. There are lots of bakeries around Lisbon so they are easy to get hold of. I restrained due to my expanding waistline but my travel companions absolutely loved them and even bought some home as gifts (slightly squashed but still yummy).

The beaches can be reached by car in about 20 minutes; we got a train from the main train station to Cascais which took about 45 minutes and dropped us off a few minute walk to a lovely golden sand beach. One thing that was quite surprising was how cold the sea is as it is the Atlantic and not the Mediterranean. Even in the height of summer, the water can take your breath away.

In a nutshell, Lisbon is stunning and an exciting city to explore whether you like shops, history or beaches; there is something for all.

You can get great flight deals to Lisbon with TAP or British Airways.