Guest post by Juliane Burton

What is there to do in Lisbon? For me, the question is not easy to answer. I think that most people who have been to Lisbon say that is one of their favorite cities. I definitely agree—you can have the best trip of your life there.

But it’s not just one thing, there are so many things to do in Lisbon. Here you’ll find some of the things Lisbon is famous for and why it is worth visiting.

Although Lisbon is an ancient city, many of landmarks we see today were built after the late 1700s. That’s because on November 1^st, 1755, a massive earthquake, followed by a raging fire, destroyed much of Lisbon.

But there’s plenty of historical sites to see. Start with the neighborhood of Alfama. This is the oldest section of the city, the authentic Lisbon, because it escaped the earthquake. It’s all alleys and tiny tucked away restaurants. Get ready for a workout—Alfama is built on a hill, and you’ll be doing lots of stair climbs.

Go to the very top to visit the fortified Castelo de Sao Jorge, the 11^th century Moorish castle. It’s the highest point of the city, so you get amazing views in all directions.

Walking around, you can’t miss Lisbon’s bright yellow trams. They’re all over the city. The most famous one is on line 28 because it takes you through the most scenic and popular neighborhoods of Lisbon.  It’s often crowded, so you may have to wait. One thing to watch for: pickpockets. Be careful with your wallets and purses!

In the west end of the city, in the Belém neighborhood near the waterfront, visit the Jerónimos Monastery which was built in the 1500s and sustained only minor damage during the earthquake. You can tour the monastery and its grounds.

Be sure to also see the Belém Tower which guards the entrance to the harbor.

Near the monastery is one of the best reasons to save time for Belém: Lisbon’s famous dessert, Pastéis de Belém. The shop with the original recipe for these delicious egg tarts is easy to find right by the monastery.

Also known as Pastéis de Nata, these egg tarts are sold all over the city, and if you want to have a friendly argument with a local, you can debate which bakery makes the best ones. Pro tip: wherever you buy them, order at least two each, probably more. We can’t blame anyone for eating them without control, hahaha!

Other food to try in Lisbon is Bacalhau, made with salt cod, potatoes, eggs and onions, Cozido a Portuguesa, a mixed meat boil or the famous Chicken Piri-Piri.

If you’re in Lisbon for more than a few days, you might want to go to the beach. There aren’t any beaches right in Lisbon, but one of Portugal’s wonderful sandy beaches, Fonte da Telha is just south of the city. It’s about 30 minutes by car, under an hour by bus. Pack your swimsuit if you’re a fan of ocean beaches. You’ll find plenty of restaurants near the beach.

One of the things we’ll never forget about Lisbon is the beautiful sunsets from the various “miradouros”, the lookouts on many of the hills. Some of the best panoramic views are Miradouro de Nossa Senhora do Monte, Miradouro das Portas do Sol and Miradouro da Graca.

As an old man once said: “Sunsets can cure all bad moods”.

After a day of sightseeing, you might need a rest before heading out for some of the best nightlife in Europe. The Portuguese capital offers everything from old-fashioned wine bars, Fado music, discos, and beating nightclubs.

The best Lisbon party neighborhoods are Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodre, even though the nightlife action takes place all over central Lisbon. It’s easy to see why stag dos in Lisbon truly have it all.

Combining soothing bar crawls with adrenaline-rushing activities, Lisbon parties are in a league of their own.

About Juliane Burton

Juliane is the number one fan of pleasure travelling and living an adventurous life. In 2020, Juliane travelled around Europe for nine months visiting Portugal, Spain, Germany, Poland, Italy and Albania. Her favorite experiences were in Portugal.

Juliane wants to encourage people to be curious about the world and find ways to fit more travel into their lives. She hopes to inspire others to say, “Because of you I didn’t give up.”

There’s nothing like having WiFi wherever you go. We rented a Teppy portable WiFi and carried it with us everywhere. With a Teppy, you can connect your phones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles just like you connect to WiFi at home.

Use the apps on your phone including your favorite GPS apps without paying expensive cellular service fees.

It’s also perfect for uploading pictures, sending emails or just web browsing. We also used it for online work on the road including web updates and social media.

Teppy portable WiFi works around the world. Try it on your next trip.

We’ve also rented Airbnb throughout USA and Europe. We wrote an article about renting Airbnb, 12 Tips for a Great Renting Experience to help you make the right decision. If it’s your first time renting Airbnb, click here to get the equivalent of $50 CDN off your first booking.

These days there are many things that can happen when you travel, aside from getting bumped from a flight. That’s why we always get insurance for our trips. It covers damage, loss or theft of our belongings, health issues and if necessary, emergency evacuation. Better safe than sorry.

Whether you’ve just booked your trip or are already underway, you can get covered by World Nomads. It’s one of the most popular insurance companies designed specifically for travellers. See if it’s right for you.

Portugal, outside of the main cities, is a wonderful country to drive. We rented a car for three weeks and the drives were one of the highlights of the trip. Here’s what you need to know for a great experience renting a car in Portugal.

We loved Lisbon, but Porto has its own charms, especially if you’re a Harry Potter fan. Sit in the same Porto café as J.K. Rowling where she started to write the first Harry Potter book.

Look here for more things to do if you’re planning a Lisbon trip.