TRAVEL GUIDE + PHOTO DIARY OF LISBON.

While I expected to love Porto, Lisbon stole my heart. It was quainter, and had a warmer, more welcoming feel than I thought it would. I hope you can tell from the photos how charming it is for being considered a large city.

We had three full days in Lisbon before we began our road trip through the mountains to Porto. Our airbnb was a miss, so I won’t be suggesting it you. The photos are deceiving. It smelled like cat piss, the bed was tiny and there was no insulation so you could hear all activities outside and in the other apartments. Not the most welcoming establishment after a 13 hour flight from Cambodia…but, it was a decent location, and it did the trick I suppose.

Stay close to the center if you can. Like many old European cities, the center is where it’s at. All the sights, markets, cafes and shopping are going to be here for the most part. But transportation is also great in Lisbon. So if you are staying a bit further out, you shouldn’t have a problem using public transportion or Uber.

Now for the must see and do activities in Lisbon.

Visit the Aqueduct

We took an Uber from our place to the aqueduct. You can drive under it on the freeway, which is a fun sight to see. But I do suggest paying the small fee to actually walk up on the aqueduct itself. It’s a short activity that provides amazing views of the city of Lisbon. You can even walk inside, where the water would have flowed through (third photo down).

Streets, Cafes, & Squares

There is so much to do and see in the streets of Lisbon. I was expecting it to feel more like a big city than it did. Perhaps this is because we stayed in a central location. But the cobblestone streets and architecture make Lisbon a real charmer.

All of the squares are near one another. We visited four I think within a few blocks of one another. You’ll find cafes and shops in all of them. They’re also in close proximity to the water front, so that makes for a nice transition.

Walk the Entire Waterfront

Lisbon has a very well groomed, easily accessible waterfront. There aren’t many cafes, but it is great for a morning stroll, running or cycling. You’ll see sculptures, gardens and old buildings along the way. It is a decent walk for sure. But we took an Uber to the waterfront, then walked it, and got an Uber to our next location. On that note, the Ubers were very nice in Portugal – easy to use, professional, and not over-priced.

Lisbon is very walkable, but we were hot, and had a lot we wanted to get done on this particular day.

Eat all of the food

You can’t really go wrong with food in Lisbon. Portugal is known for amazing food and wine. We ate at so many random spots, and were pleased every time. They also have many high quality coffee roastries so I definitely suggest looking some of those up if you fancy a solid medium roast.

Go to Portugal my friend. We loved Lisbon more than we expected to. Really, we just loved the entire country of Portugal. You can’t go wrong with the slow pace of life, amazing food and kind people. The perfect weather didn’t hurt either.

Planning a trip to Portugal? Pin this post for later!

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