My solo travel journey in Mexico
28/08/2023
Best 7 places to visit in and around Lisbon
I stayed in Lisbon and the surrounding area for a month and a half in the summer of 2023 and collected along the way a lot of cool things to do there.
So whenever I see during my wanderings through social media, questions such as - I have 5/6/7 days in Lisbon, is there anything interesting to do there for so long? Isn't that too much time? Won't I get bored? my immediate answer is always - no..!
How will you get bored in one of the best cities in Europe? (In my opinion of course, but this is my blog and this is where my opinions counts most ;))
Anyway, this time I decided to come with ACTUAL proof about all the things you can do and all the places you should visit around Lisbon.
Technically, you could take the following 7 recommendations and combine them for a whole week in Lisbon and the surrounding area, and you would have a very nice itinerary that can be followed.
Speaking of Lisbon, you should know that I wrote a super detailed post about all the things that can be done in Lisbon for free (or at a really minimal cost) RIGHT HERE >>
So whether you are just planning your vacation in Portugal, or wondering if Lisbon's worth a visit - this post is for you..!
Let's get started :)
#1: Lisbon City Center
This is the most classic part of the city that attracts thousands (maybe millions) of tourists every year.
It has a lot of interesting neighborhoods to visit and you can definitely spend two whole days there and discover the area.
What's best to see in central Lisbon?
Chiado Neighborhood
This is THE place to wander around, shop, eat in restaurants, and enjoy Lisbon's city life.
I will give a brief overview about what can be done in this neighborhood:
The Livraria Bertrand bookstore is the oldest book store in the world, and it is definitely worth a visit.
If you are a shopping lover then you will probably love the Armazéns do Chiado mall, and if you are a fan of ancient buildings and cool squares you should visit Praça do Comércio Square, where you can see the famous Arco da Rua Augusta (which you can also enter and view the city from above at quite a small cost).
I also liked the area of Praça do Rossio, which during the day sometimes has cool stalls that sells local products and at night the place is beautifully lit and you can wander around the romantic atmosphere. .
Barrio Alto neighborhood
The neighborhood next to Chiado and considered the bohemian neighborhood of Lisbon.
This is the place to go out in the evening for a drink in the small street bars.
It is worth giving the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint a visit, and if you like churches you should visit the Church of Saint Roch.
But the most important thing you should do in the neighborhood is go to Vegan Nata and eat a delicious vegan pastel de nata there :)
Wandering around downtown Lisbon
Alfama neighborhood
This neighborhood was known as the place where the lower class of Lisbon's citizens or minorities lived in the past.
This is one of the only neighborhoods that was not affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Portugal in 1755, and therefore maintains the older constructions of those days.
In this neighborhood you can meet the most interesting people, wander through its narrow alleys and drink a shot of cherry liqueur out of a small edible chocolate cup, from one of the area's small stalls.
Pay attention to the size of the doors of the apartments, and also the pictures of the local residents posted on a plaque in front of some apartments.
A nice place to stop there is Castelo de S. Jorge, and I also recommend going up to the beautiful Miradouro da Graça viewpoint .
Miradouro da Senhora do Monte.
Although the next viewpoint is a bit above those area's I've mentioned, it is still worth climbing up there for the sunset.
Don't miss it..!
Note: A great way to travel and hear the stories about these neighborhoods is with a free city tour.
If you are interested in a city tour in English, I really recommend Guru Walk with the charming guide Beatriz..!
On another note: If you're looking for some great vegan restaurants around you can find some recommendations here >>
View from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte viewpoint
#2: Belém neighborhood
One of the coolest, yet slightly further neighborhood from the city center, but totally worth a visit.
I think you can dedicate a whole day walking around Belem, but if you're a little tight with time, you can try visiting some of the places described here and dedicate half a day for it.
What is there to do in Belém Lisbon?
Torre de Belém
One of the places in which the neighborhood is mostly identified with is The Belem Tower (which, by the way, stars as the main photo of the post).
You can view it from the square and spend some time in Bled Park, but you can also take a boat tour on the canal and watch it from the outside.
In addition, you can ever enter the tower (if you feel like waiting in line). It's best to arrive early to avoid the long line at the entrance.
The entrance fee to the tower is about 6 euros (summer 2023).
The whole area of the tower is actually really cute, it has a lot of great food trucks, so you can indulge in some ice cream, or an overpriced hot dog or pineapple.
Jerónimos Monastery
Another very very popular attraction (but less suitable if you are limited with time because the queue there is just crazy!!).
It is very hard to miss this impressive monastery structure and of course the famous fountain outside.
Of course, you can also simply walk around it from the outside and enjoy the path to the most important attraction in the neighborhood (which I will tell you about soon).
The entrance fee is about 10 euros and you should arrive there early..!
Pastéis de Belém
And of course, the holiest place in Belem (and in Lisbon as a whole) is the pastelaria that makes the best pastel de nata in Portugal.
DO NOT MISS IT!
Padrão dos Descobrimentos - another place to visit inBelem
#3: LX Factory
This refurbished factory/art complex is definitely worthwhile going to if you have about half a day to dedicate for it.
We combined the visit in Belem and LX Factory on the same day, and really, It was one of our coolest days in Lisbon.
The complex is highly recommended for art lovers, but not only..!
Best things to do at LX Factory?
A cold drink at a rooftop terrace
I don't have a better name to give this habit of drinking alcohol in the middle of the day on the roof of a really old building.
In general, there are plenty of restaurants in the complex to enjoy a good meal and a fancy beer in the middle of the day.
It's really nice to sit and rest in one of these places, but we absolutely loved visiting a rooftop terrace during our visit there.
It's an opportunity to take a peek at the place from above and just take a short break in the middle of a warm day.
Lots of nice shops
There is a lot in this complex that you can buy, and some pretty cool shops that you won't find in other areas of the city.
I really liked the impressive super bookstore Ler Devagar. You can also find English books there.
[Note from Malcolm: Inside the bookstore there is a man offering a personal two minute puppet show showcasing Lisbon/Portuguese culture in a really cute way. I can't describe it properly. Just go see it.]
If you want to buy unique things for children, you should visit Petit Love Store.
If you go inside the main factory building you will find the Origami Factory origami store, as well as all kinds of unique clothing stores by independent designers.
Art and Street Art Galleries
So the place itself is full of cool street art everywhere.
You can find beautiful works of art, not only on the main street of the complex, but also inside the building itself. In order to discover these creations, you have to get lost in the alleys of the building and discover what appears before you.
There are also galleries throughout the complex that you can visit.
Works of art slowly discovered in the Lx Factory complex
#4: Cascais
Cascais is an upscale beach town near Lisbon, where royalty and rich folks have spent 150 years building their summer palaces and transforming the town from a small isolated fishing village into what it is today.
Since then, the area has attracted thousands of tourists who come to relax on the town's beaches and explore the area.
Cascais is very easy to reach from Lisbon, a direct 40 minute train will take you straight to the town's center, and from there you can walk to a variety of restaurants and ice cream places.
Things to do in Cascais?
Walking around the town
The streets of the town are super cute and you can wander around and enjoy a huge variety of restaurants, ice cream places, bars, food trucks and so on.
Because the area is quite small, you can walk around slowly and enjoy the nice shops around.
I recommend giving the Museu da Vila museum a visit if you're interested in the history of Cascais (its free, has air conditioning, and has many interesting interactive exhibits).
Mercado da Vila
If you come to Cascais on a Saturday, it is really recommended to give their local market a visit and stock up on delicious fruits and vegetables. Try their peaches, they are something else..!
Outside this market there are also several other stalls of jewelry, clothes, etc. made by local designers.
Beaches and cliffs
If you are a beach lover you can enjoy Praia da Ribeira de Cascais and another slightly smaller beach called Praia da Rainha. (Bring sunscreen!).
In the cliff area you can find Boca do Inferno and if you go further there is a really nice area to sit and enjoy a meal or a cool beer near the cliffs around called Farol da Guia.
Cascais Seaside – a popular place for visiting Lisbon and surroundings
#5: Cabo da Roca
A beautiful and charming natural spot on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean that is also considered the most western point in Europe..! (For all those who must check such places.)
If you want a day of total nature time, or a combination of Cabo Da Roca + a visit to Sintra (which I'll talk about later in the post), this is definitely something that can be great for a day out of Lisbon.
Cabo da Roca can be reached by private car or public transport from Lisbon (train to Sintra / Cascais) and from there by another bus.
It is worth heading to the main viewpoint (you cannot miss it), and from there start hiking around to more or less wherever you want.
There are a few beaches you can go down to (not the easiest decent though), or just enjoy the nature around and stay at the top of the cliffs.
We decided to go down to the beautiful Praia da Ursa beach (30 minute walk). I recommend bringing good walking shoes if you want to go down and splash around on the beach. The descent is slippery and steep.
Cabo da Roca beautiful natural spot
#6: Sintra
The fairy-tale castle town of Sintra is a place where you can even spend a day or two outside of Lisbon.
Because I lived near Sintra for two and a half weeks, I visited there quite a bit and collected some recommendations for you.
I'll briefly summarize here some of the places Sintra is best known for (but if you want a lot more information, check out the full post about Sinatra here >>).
Things to do in Sintra?
Palácio Nacional da Pena
First built as a cathedral in the 12th century, this palace was destroyed in the famous earthquake that struck Portugal in 1755 but still functioned as a monastery until it was finally abandoned almost 100 years later in 1834.
The history of the place continues and if you want to hear more about it, you will have to come visit the palace :)
Castelo dos Mouros
One of Sintra's famous castles built in the 10th century.
It is located high up on the hill above the town, but still attracts lots of tourists.
Quinta da Regaleira
Beautiful castle built in the 19th century, and there are plenty of things around it worth discovering.
Apart from the surrounding gardens you can find caves, a special well that you can walk down into, visiting inside the castle and walking the different rooms and there's even a café there...!
Highly recommended..!
The spectacular castle Quinta da Regaleira
#7: Berlenga Grande Island
One of my personal favorite places in Portugal and also where I celebrated my birthday :)
Berlanga Grande Island is about an hour north of Lisbon, and is accessed via a city named Peniche.
From the marina of Peniche there is a cruise of about 45 minutes that leaves in the morning and returns in the afternoon.
The visit to Berlanga Island is suitable for a full day trip so it is worth taking this into consideration if you are thinking of going there.
The island is full of really magical spots to visit, and you can also dive or snorkel there, or take various boat tours that circle parts of the island and explore natural caves.
You can read all the information about Berlanga island here >>
Although it is easiest to reach Peniche by car, you can also take a bus to Peniche.
You can also check out the organized tour that goes directly from Lisbon to the island at the following link >>
In my opinion, this is one of the most worthwhile places to visit in Portugal and not many people know about it yet, so you have the opportunity to do something that is a little different from the classic route in Portugal.
Berlanga Grande Island
Last Words
I hope I managed to meet the obligation of proving that there is indeed something to do in Lisbon and its surroundings without worrying that you will get bored :)
I think Lisbon is amazing and there are many more things to discover there that I'm sure I missed (tell me in the comments if I did!).
If my content helps you during your travels, I would love for you to help me continue to grow and create more content. The most wonderful way, apart from continuing to visit my blog and use my links, is to follow me on Instagram..!
You can find a link to my Instagram page here >>
Thank you very much for the support and I wish you an amazing trip in Portugal :)
--
All photos were taken by me, and may not be used without permission.
I have a confession..
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you book something through them, the prices are the same, AND you are getting me closer towards my first million ;)
My dream is to make a living from this blog, and I hope that while I help you fulfill your travel dreams, you can also help me get closer to my dream.
So if you appreciate the content you read and you trust the value of my recommendations, I would love for you to book your travel reservations through those links.
Enjoy your trip :)
