Colorful castles, lively people, and delicious food!

FOOD

Salty cod. Fresh seafood. Silky pastel de nata.

FUN

Conquering castles. Touring the city through food and drinks. Cheering on the local soccer team.

TRAVEL

Lisbon

Santa Justa Lift - an elevator with an observation platform at the top with amazing views of the city (looking towards Castelo de São Jorge).

Instead of paying for the elevator ride, walk past the queue. Once on Rua do Carmo, take the first right onto Rua Garrett, follow the street up a small hill, take the path to the right of the Carmo Convent ruins. You should see the observation deck - and get to skip the long lines!

Castelo de São Jorge - a castle with gorgeous views of the city and peacocks greeting you as you wander through the history

Food tour - the best way to see different sides of Lisbon while also trying so many delicious foods! We booked a tour with Oh! My Cod Tours and had an amazing time. 4 hours of walking through different neighborhoods, trying 4 different family restaurants with 17 different food and drink tastings, and listening to the owners of one shop sing fado. A small group and a great way to see Lisbon!

Visit LX Factory - the art center of Lisbon with trendy bars, restaurants, and shops. We wandered through on our way home one afternoon.

S.L. Benfica soccer game - join the tailgates before the game and embrace the excitement around you. The stadium was full of energy and we watched a win!

Visit Belem
- Walk around Belem Tower
- Eat Pastel de Belém (a secret recipe version of the Pastel de Nata)
Day trip to Sintra
- A quick 40 minute train ride away is a beautiful town with lots of castles to explore! We were unlucky with the weather during our visit so many of the views were covered by fog. But the castles were colorful and we had a great time! To get around, we either walked between attractions or took the bus (434 and 435).
- Quinta Da Regaleira Palace - channel your inner royalty as you wander this beautiful palace grounds. Be sure to visit the “Initiation Well”.
- Pena Palace - the most colorful castle! We opted not to wander around inside but loved walking the grounds, enjoying the colors and detail of the castle.
- Moorish Castle - just down the hill from Pena Palace, explore medieval ruins and walk along the castle’s walls.

Nata de Lisboa - a spot to try Pastel de Natas, the famous Portuguese egg-custard tart.
Frangasqueria Nacional - highly recommend stopping at this hidden gem. It was the best (and very affordable) peri peri chicken. The inside of the restaurant only seats 6 - we were able to grab the last two seats. We had the best time chatting with the chef/owner and the other four patrons (two of which were local Lisbon chefs if that tells you anything…).
TimeOut Market - a huge food hall and a great spot to try a variety of foods!
M’arrecreo Pizzeria - Delicious pizza close to the train station - so a yummy spot to hit on the way back from Sintra.
Romaria de Baco - perfect lunch spot in Sintra! Sip on a glass of wine and enjoy some tapas.
Carmo rooftop - stop here for a snack or a glass of wine after visiting the observation deck (or Santa Justa Lift).
Imprensa Cocktail Bar - fun cocktails and vibes! Very busy but anyone without a seat was enjoying their drink on the cobblestones out front.
Many amazing places on the food tour, including Portuguese and Mozambican cuisines!

Browns Central Hotel
- Clean, comfy, and the perfect central location. Would stay here again!

PORTUGAL: Lisbon

PORTUGAL: Travel Tips