Lisboa
Below is a very personal guide that I put together collecting tips that friends and acquaintances have asked me about the city over the years. I lived in Lisboa from 2008 to 2012, I go back every year to visit friends. Today Lisboa is a very different city than the one I used to know, this mini-guide dates back to those times.
Baixa: This bairro is located between Alfama - medieval quarter, with castle, one of the 7 hills of Lisboa - and Bairro Alto - night district. The main street of the Baixa is Rua Augusta, it ends with an arch that faces Praça do Commercio and then the estuary. Note the flooring made entirely with the technique of calçada portuguesa, handmade mosaic, without the use of cement. Don't be scared if, as soon as you arrive, ciganos will try to sell you so-called "drugs". Don't say no, don't say yes, say nothing and move on, if you interact, they will annoy you.
The Baixa is full by day and then, around 10 PM it starts to empty.
Bairro Alto: Going up from Baixa you first find Chiado - middle-bourgeois district, to note here is the Caffè la Brasileria, where F. Pessoa drank coffee and absinthe in the 30's, in fact there is his statue outside. Once you reach Praça Camoes on the right side, going up, you climb a labyrinthine network of alleys, that is the Bairro Alto. It is sold as a nightlife district, but in reality, it is very touristy. Some streets of the Bairro Alto that I like with its bars: Rua da Atalaia, there is a tiny bar with live DJs every night called "Capela". Or the Maria Caxuxa.
Alfama: Beautiful, uphill, medieval, romantic, great view from the Miradouro da Graca, the castle, the cats, the sardines, the houses with small little doors ... There is a flea market called "Feria da Ladra", very nice to look at, it's 2 days a week.
Cais do Sodré: One of my favourites for nightlife. Bars to see: Music Box, Viking, Sol and Pesca, Pensao Amor, Jamaica. Here there is an absurd mix of hipsters, stragglers, serious people, jocks, prostitutes, pimps, all mixed up: very beautiful.
To see:
- Lounge Bar in rua da Moeda, also in Cais do Sodrè - my favorite.
- Take a 1 euro beer at the miradouro of Santa Caterina, also called Adamastor.
- Eat the frango in the "Casa da India" restaurant, top!
- Good restaurant in Baixa: Os Dois Arcos
- Go and greet Valter, Mario, Natacha and Ines at the Living Lounge or Lisbon Lounge Hostel!
- Drink a Ginginha in a tiny bar, near the theater at Praça Rossio. Without cherry, please!
- Visit the Casa do Alentejo in rua das Portas de Santo Antao.
The Baixa is full by day and then, around 10 PM it starts to empty.
Bairro Alto: Going up from Baixa you first find Chiado - middle-bourgeois district, to note here is the Caffè la Brasileria, where F. Pessoa drank coffee and absinthe in the 30's, in fact there is his statue outside. Once you reach Praça Camoes on the right side, going up, you climb a labyrinthine network of alleys, that is the Bairro Alto. It is sold as a nightlife district, but in reality, it is very touristy. Some streets of the Bairro Alto that I like with its bars: Rua da Atalaia, there is a tiny bar with live DJs every night called "Capela". Or the Maria Caxuxa.
Alfama: Beautiful, uphill, medieval, romantic, great view from the Miradouro da Graca, the castle, the cats, the sardines, the houses with small little doors ... There is a flea market called "Feria da Ladra", very nice to look at, it's 2 days a week.
Cais do Sodré: One of my favourites for nightlife. Bars to see: Music Box, Viking, Sol and Pesca, Pensao Amor, Jamaica. Here there is an absurd mix of hipsters, stragglers, serious people, jocks, prostitutes, pimps, all mixed up: very beautiful.
To see:
- Lounge Bar in rua da Moeda, also in Cais do Sodrè - my favorite.
- Take a 1 euro beer at the miradouro of Santa Caterina, also called Adamastor.
- Eat the frango in the "Casa da India" restaurant, top!
- Good restaurant in Baixa: Os Dois Arcos
- Go and greet Valter, Mario, Natacha and Ines at the Living Lounge or Lisbon Lounge Hostel!
- Drink a Ginginha in a tiny bar, near the theater at Praça Rossio. Without cherry, please!
- Visit the Casa do Alentejo in rua das Portas de Santo Antao.
Costa Alentejana
The most beautiful and pristine piece of coast in my opinion is shown below: Costa Alentejana. Look at the beaches highlighted on the left side of the map, Zambujeira do Mar, Arrifana, Odeceixe, Carrapateira. Then there is one called Galé, with an attached campsite.
