Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is a vibrant coastal city known for its rich history, colorful architecture, and scenic views. It has quickly become one of Portugals most visited cities due to its amazing food, friendly locals and laid back vibe. We spent 4 days and 4 nights in Lisbon and it was the perfect amount of time. Lisbon is great city to pop in on the way to another destination.

How to get there:

We flew through Air Canada with a 3 hour connecting flight in Toronto. Our total travel time is 15 hours, definitely long but definitely worth it. This was our first time flying with Air Canada and they were great. Due to Lisbon being a big but condensed city Uber is a great option when things are a bit too far too walk. When arriving at the airport we took an Uber from the airport to our AirBnb. The ride was a bout 20 min and we paid 9 euro.

AirBnB

Cozy Apartment with a Balcony

If you have been following a few of my other destination blog posts, you will know that we always stay in an AirBnB when traveling to Europe. European hotels don’t allow for 4 people to stay in the hotel, they will usually ask you to book 2 separate rooms in which as you can imagine can get very expensive, so we always opt out for AirBnB’s. This apartment in Lisbon has probably been one of my favorite AirBnB’s we have ever stayed in. It has all the amenities that makes it feel like home. Washer and dryer combo in the apartments, two bathrooms, big kitchen and living room and in a nice quiet area. I could honestly see myself buying an apartment just like this one if I would ever move to Lisbon. We also absolutely loved our host Maria, she was very quick and responding any of our messages and checking in to the apartment was super easy via lock box.

This AirBnb was close to Barrio Alto which is one of the most popular areas for eating out. Barrio Alto has loads of restaurants, bars, and shops. Now the downside to not staying right in Barrio Alto which we found we kept coming back to was the walking. We do not mind walking at all. I think when you travel to Europe you know walking is part of the package but Lisbon is built like a rollercoaster. So a 10 minute walk meant you are most likely going to have to go up hill at some point.

First Day: Favorite breakfast spot and wondering through Lisbon.

Dear Breakfast

Lisbon is a hardcore brunch destination. They have plethora of breakfast spots and 99% of them serve breakfast well into the afternoon. Dear Breakfast was by far our favorite. Their French toast and eggs Benedict is a must, not to mention, their coffee was delicious.

Second day activities

Visited the Castelo de São Jorge

Breakfast at Seagull Method
Most amazing pizza at Pizzeria Maria

Visiting Catelo Sao Jorge is a must. The tickets to get in are really inexpensive and you can wonder around the castle on your own. Not to mention the amazing views from the inside. On our way back to the AirBnB we came across this amazing Pizzeria and let me tell you, their pizza was delicious. Definitely a must try, it tasted like Italy

Third Day Activities

Carmo Convent
Pastel De Nata at Manteigaria
Dinner at Ponto Final

Ok, so we aren’t usual convent architect people but this convent took our breath away. The architecture is absolutely gorgeous and it was one of our favorite things to do. After the convent we decided to head over to Manteigaria which is known for its Pastel de Nata. It’s literally a factory for Pastel de Nata and they have several locations around Lisbon. Unfortunelty, it wasn’t our favorite. This was our first time time trying Pastel de Nata so we didn’t know what to expect but these particular ones were very very sweet.

For dinner we went to Ponto Final. It was recommended to me by a friend and she absolutely loved it so we decided to give it a go. Ponto Final is across the bridge so you have to take a ferry to get across. One you arrive at the station they have a kiosk where you have to purchase a card and load “trips” on to the card. It was very inexpensive, only a few euro. The ferry runs every 15 min so no need to worry if you miss it. The ferry ride is only about 20 min. Once you arrive you make a right, right by the water and there is a walk way that leads you right to the restaurant. Unfortunately for us the walkway was closed due to construction so we had to Uber to the restaurant because it was too far to walk. Once you Uber you will go down quit a few steps or you can take an elevator down. Now, we didnt have reservation so our wait was pretty long, we waited about 2 hours to be seated. They do have a bar where you can get a glass of wine and appetizers while waiting, but even then, the bar is pretty packed and there is a long line. It does get pretty cold and windy at night so make sure you take a jacket. I am not sure this resurant is worth the hassle but the views are amazing.

Ponto Final Restaurant

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Fourth Day Activities

Breakfast at The Folks
Best lunch at Tapa Bucho
Train ride to Lagos

Our fourth and last day was more about making our way over to the train station to head to Lagos. We had breakfast at The Folks and the coffee here was great. After breakfast we wondered around a bit and had lunch at Tapa Bucho before heading over to Lagos. This was one of our favorite spots for lunch. The food was traditional Portuguese tapas style. Our favorite dishes were the cauliflower two ways and the Pica Pou. The sangria was amazing and the churros after were perfect.

Cute might paint later; art inspiration

Lisboa, Portugal

Conca Dei Marini, Italy