Lisbon, Portugal: Everything You’ll Need To Know
Everybody else will give you an overly romanticised breakdown of this city and it’s easy to see why, architecturally it’s beautiful, from the monumental Rua Augusta to the quaint cobbled Rossio Square. Furthermore, the food is genuinely fresh and delicious and there’s never a shortage of things to do.
But let’s be practical at the same time, especially if you’re visibly Muslim like me, you’ve got to keep your guard up at all times. The immigration staff are a bit arrogant/insane, so don’t be surprised if they try to ask you to remove your hijab, this happened to me about a month ago at Lisbon International Airport but just be patient, they’ll get fed up of you eventually. Taxi’s from the airport to the centre of town are 15 euros and no more, if they charge you more you’re being ripped off so try to negotiate or book an UBER, the service works out there too.
Lisbon is much like Spain in the sense that the people are friendly and the culture is quite relaxed. Their economy is about as relevant as Pakistan’s Olympic team so expect to pay for most things in cash, but it’s actually a great city, better than Madrid, so without a doubt you will have an amazing time, guaranteed.
1. Cais De Sodre: TimeOut Market
It’s August, you’re looking at temperatures between 25–30 degrees celsius so spend as much time outdoors as possible and your diet as fresh as can be, too. It sounds like something quirky out of a Big Bang Theory episode but it’s actually an enormous market hall with outdoor eateries situated opposite Cais de Sodre Metro Station. The sea food based cuisine was divine and the atmosphere is much like that of Harrods Food Hall — if you know you know. Everything from fresh salmon and haddock to chocolate lemon desserts and refreshing mocktails are available here, so it’s a great versatile treat for both lunch or dinner.
2. Sao Jorge’s Castle
It’s beautiful, I would totally go again just for the #views and the hilarious ride up there. You can see everything from the top of the castle, which has loads of historical nonsense you will pretend to care about when you get there, but the actual building is a great site. The restaurants surrounding the castle are pretty expensive I guess because of the height, so I wouldn’t advice actually eating there. You could cover the entire place in about an hour or 2, there’s pamphlet guides in English/Spanish/ every EU language available in the reception. Make sure you take your student ID, they do student discount too!
Getting there though — that was the fun part. We took a street tuktuk (rickshaw) from Rossio Square up to the castle which was bumpy and definitely worth the few extra Euros for the entertainment. Check out Lisbon’s most exciting tours: http://www.tuk-tuk-lisboa.
For prices, more info, all that jazz, follow this link: http://castelodesaojorge.pt/en/tickets-schedule-and-information/
3. Belem
Home to Portugal’s prestigious colonial history, Belem is a district in the west of the city which is believed to house the port from which Da Gama first sailed. If you weren’t fortunate enough to study the Age of Discovery 1400–1600 during A Level History (you’re probably good at Maths or something useful like that) then you should know that Da Gama was the first geezer to round the Cape of Good Hope and find a maritime route to India. He’s a pretty big deal, they even have a statue of him:
We segwayed around the windrose (Belem Tower); a present from the South Africans as a tribute to Da Gama’s success. However, if you prefer to walk or go on a guided tour of the area that’s also an option, it’s a wealthy locality which rich elites used to flock to when avoiding the poverty of the central city back in the day. The numerous historical sites and museums will definitely keep you busy, like Jeronimos Monastery and the Car Museum.
For a full list of things to do in Belem visit: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g189153-Activities-Belem_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html
4. Jeronimos Monastery
IT’S SOO BEAUTIFUL you might die, obviously it’s a monastery so dress appropriately, but it’s cool because it’s kind of like a museum in the sense that it has a variety of exhibits that run throughout the year about the religious contributions to Belem’s history.
Opening Times:
October to May
From 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (last admission at 5.00 p.m.)
May to September
From 10.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. (last admission at 6.00 p.m.)
Closed: Mondays and 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December
For a full list of the most current exhibits check out: http://www.mosteirojeronimos.pt/en/index.php?s=white&pid=168&identificador=
5. Docas
The food is so fresh here, like literally my fish pie was full of bones! I would recommend Docas for both evening and day time, and 5 Ocean’s desert is utterly divine. Try the creme bruleé! However, there are alot of clubs/dance floor type lounges/restaurants here too, it’s quite a student populated place, so if you’re looking for something quieter i’d say avoid Docas really late at night.
6. Estrella Gardens
Finally, you can’t visit Lisbon without seeing the botanical gardens and the basilica, located just a short walk from the main Parliament building. Tropical plants and animals decorate this land mass which is home to numerous species of birds including wild peacocks, as well as cacti, palm trees and the like. As with many places in Lisbon, entry is cheap and cheaper if you’re a student. Head to the back of the gardens near the awkwardly broken into fence if you want to meet some hipsters, ducks and perhaps a flamingo or something even more random, but it’s certainly a site you really can’t miss.
