Lisbon, Sintra, Obidos and Cascais
Time of Year: Spring 2024 (early April)
Duration of Trip: 1 Week
When we were booking this trip we were a little nervous about the time of year. Would the weather cooperate? As we got closer to departure, the weather was cold and rainy in Lisbon. The week before we were to arrive they had flash flooding in parts of the city. The forecast for our week was less than ideal. In reality though, we had sunshine every day but one, and the temperatures were consistently warmer than the forecast. We are not sure if that is common, or just a fluke, but that was our experience. Since the forecast had been for rain the whole week we did not pack sunscreen. Rookie mistake.
A couple things that took us by surprise were:
1) how friendly people are in Lisbon. Just about everyone we came across in Portugal were friendly, smiling and helpful. And most could speak at least some English (and the few that didn’t speak English were very patient with Kay's limited Spanish, which is still not their language!). The friendly demeanour and hospitality of the Portuguese definitely made the trip THAT much better! And
2) the air smelled floral everywhere we went. It was spring, and seemingly everything was in full bloom. Everywhere we went we could smell orange blossoms, wisteria, and roses. What a treat! Too bad we can't insert the aromas into the photos.
For getting around, we bought the 1 week transit pass for Lisbon. It cost us around €97 for two people. This card allows you unlimited rides on metro, busses and trams. It does not get you out to Sintra or Cascais, each of those destinations are around €5.50 return for the train and are easily purchased from the station. If you are staying in the more touristy areas of Lisbon, and are happy to walk all the hills/stairs then you could probably get away without a transit pass and just pay for the times you want it. For us, staying a little outside of popular areas it made sense to have the transit pass. The amount we saved on accommodation more than covered the transit pass.
Day 1:
Our flight arrived in Lisbon in the morning - around 10am. We only had carry on, so we didn’t have to wait for any checked bags. This was something we opted for both for budget and simplicity. We have travelled a lot over the years and have become very good at packing light. Getting through customs was very fast. The metro was directly outside of the airport - you literally walk out the doors and go down the escalators.
At the bottom of the escalators there are some ticket machines. There was a long line up for the machines and we had previously read that they are hard to use (we had to use them later in our trip, and they are actually quite easy), so rather than waiting in line we went into the little store that is literally right next to the machines. There is a sign saying that you can buy tickets there but after a brief conversation learned they do not sell the weekly ticket that we wanted, but there was a couple of staffed ticket booths just a little further past the store, with a very short line. We had our tickets and were on the train within 10 minutes of leaving the airport doors.
The metro system in Lisbon is great (as you would expect from a European city). It was very easy to navigate, with 4 lines (red, green, blue and yellow). You will find this map on every train:
We were staying in a budget hotel a little outside of the main area of Lisbon (only 10ish minutes by public transport), and we were not able to check in earlier than 4pm. So we had two options, either carry our bags all day or get them into a locker. Before our trip we had read that there are storage lockers in the main metro stations. Well, we looked and did not find any in the metro stations we visited. However, there are plenty of luggage storage places to choose from. We left our luggage at Luggage Storage Lisbon - Chiado | Cais do Sodré - which is a short walk from the Cais do Sodré metro station. It cost us €7 per bag for 5 hours of storage. You can opt to store for less time for a lower cost. The man that helped us (Miguel) was very friendly and helpful with some great tips for new visitors to Lisbon. Other storage places may be cheaper - we didn’t really shop around. This was just the most convenient for the day we had planned.
Before departing for Lisbon we had downloaded the map of Lisbon (and Sintra, Cascais, and Obidos - the other places we visited during the week) in Google Maps, and we flagged the places to see. To know what to see, beyond just a google search, we followed accounts on Instagram that are specifically about Lisbon, and any time we saw a video or post we would make a note and tag it on the map.
Very close to the luggage storage place we chose is the Pink Street. It's a beautiful street, painted pink (as its name suggests). It’s mostly restaurants and cafes, and we were there at the wrong time to sit down for a meal, but it definitely looks worth a sit-down if your itinerary allows for it.
After that we walked along the riverfront (foreshore) over to Praça do Comércio, took the necessary photos and walked up Rua Augusta. Run Augusta is a beautifully tiled promenade (pedestrians only - although it goes for many blocks and you do have to cross roads with cars/trams). The restaurants that line the road have outdoor seating areas which are quite nice EXCEPT that there are people all down the road trying to get you to eat at their restaurant. Nothing new if you’ve been a tourist basically anywhere… but the one night that we did eat on this road in the outdoor seating area, the guy trying to get people to eat at our restaurant kept running from one side to the other between tables. Three times he kicked Kay's chair as he was shouting at some passersby. If you choose to eat on this street opt for a table away from any obvious pathway between tables. Of course you could eat inside most of those restaurants too… but it’s Europe, and we wanted to be outside.
From here we decided to walk part of the way up to Castelo De São Jorge. We were tired from the flight and we didn’t want to go all the way up to the castle - we saved that for another day. There are so many routes you can take to explore the city on your way to the castle. We found ourselves walking along Rua Do MQ De Ponte De Lima - a flowering tree-lined cobblestone road. It did not disappoint.
We eventually meandered our way to a tram station and got ourselves over to São Miguel. Here you can find the very popular Miraduoro De Santa Luzia. It’s an Instagrammers fave. We were there in the middle of the afternoon and it was quite crowded. But we still managed to get some decent photos. If you get there early enough and beat the crowds you could get some pretty epic photos. For some things we definitely recommend getting up early to beat the crowds. But for us it’s more about the experience than the photo… We actually revisited this spot several times on our trip, and it’s nice with lots of people milling about, musicians playing in the background.
From the lookout we walked down Largo Do Limoeiro. It is really cool to watch the trams pass on this street. Especially by the Igreja de Santo Antonio de Lisboa.
Along the way we stopped for a refreshing cider under a beautiful bougainvillea (one of many in this gorgeous city). We continued to meander back towards the luggage storage place. Along the way we were able to hit up Rua Dos Bacalhoeiros.
We had a few minutes to kill so we found reclining style wooden chairs along the waterfront and just laid there for like 20 minutes. It was so nice after the flight and a long day of walking.
Day 2:
We started our day in Praça do Rossio (Rossio Square). The elaborate tiles is reason enough to visit this square, but you'll also find a monument and fountain worth a peek. Not to mention it's surrounded by beautiful buildings. There's a lot of shopping a restaurants nearby to Rossio Square, and plenty of public transport options - so a great place to start or end a day.
From here we walked to Praça da Alegria via Av. da Liberdade, where we had breakfast at Brooklyn Lisboa. The staff there were very friendly, and the food was good.
After breakfast we realized that we had dressed too warm for the weather and decided to go back to the hotel quickly to change before continuing with our day. And we are so glad we did. The sun was hot, and we had a lot of walking to do. Normally we wear clothes that layer, or can convert from pants to shorts. But we really were prepared for cold weather on this trip. The sun and heat were a welcome surprise.
After changing, our next stop was the Aqueduto das Águas Livres. In planning our trip to Lisbon we never came across anything about the aqueduct, which is kind of surprising and a little disappointing. It is built in the 18th Century, and quite remarkable. We only learned about it when Kay spotted it from the plane. If you have time it is absolutely worth visiting. You can see the aqueduct without paying to go in, but it was only €4 per person to go in and walk along the top of the aqueduct, through the middle and back on the other side - which offers great views of Lisbon. Usually there is a museum to check out as well, but it was closed the day we visited.
This is the free view from Rua 12 - a short walk from the entrance to the Aqueduct
We grabbed some lunch at Rua De São Paulo, and then checked out the Bica (elevator tram). We didn't actually take the tram at this time, we just walked up some stairs so we could watch it pass.
Literally a few steps away from the Bica is the Bike Bakery. This bakery has the best cinnamon bun we have ever tasted. Possibly the best in the world. And we don't make that statement lightly. When it comes to cinnamon buns, some people prefer the more bready style, while others like the skinny ones with more filling and less dough (cinnamon swirl?). Then there's the icing argument.
What we can tell you is that Bike Bakery has such amazing reviews of their cinnamon buns that we just had to try for ourselves. When we first saw the cinnamon buns on the stand in the shop neither of us were expecting it to be the best ever. It was the less doughy variety (like a cinnamon swirl), which quite often equates to dry pastry. That's been our experience anyway. Thankfully we tried one here anyway. OMG. It was the best cinnamon bun. In the week we were there we probably ate like 4 each. And we brought extras home for family. The best way we can describe it is a European brioche (not the brioche we get in the Americas), rolled to make thin layers, and then topped with dulce de leche (or something similar). If you're in the area, try for yourself. They were only €2.50 each. Also they are a sourdough bakery, and while we never asked, we suspect the cinnamon buns are also sourdough.
With all that sugar pumping through our veins, we walked up to the Castelo de São Jorge. We did not pay to go in, because the lines were so long and we just didn't feel we needed to. Seeing it from outside, and walking the surrounding streets seemed sufficient for us. Also, the surrounding streets are awesome. We even saw a few peacocks just roaming around.
This was the day to see Torre de Belem... but not before breakfast. We found the cutest little breakfast place that is a must visit during your trip to Lisbon. It is: Breakfast Lovers - Alfama. The ambiance is on point. The food is delightful. And the staff were so friendly. By the end of our week in Lisbon, we had eaten there 4 times. To get to Torre de Belem, you can take a train from Cais do Sodré. Or you can rent a bike. There are various bike rental places in Lisbon where you can get a good quality bike for around €35 for the day. We decided to use the city bike share rentals. For that you need to download the GIRA app. They have a website but we couldn't work out how to change the language to English. But the app is very easy to use. You pay €2 for a day registration, and then you pay for the length of time that you have the bike. It's very straightforward, and there are stations along the riverfront where you can return your bike when you want to walk around for a bit. The bike stations have free wifi to make the process easier. From the Gira bike stations you can get a standard or e-bike, both for the same cost. We opted for e-bikes and it was a nice treat.
To get to the bike station we walked via Rua Arco Grande De Cima. A slight detour from our ultimate destination, but we were able to see the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, and enjoy the views along Campo De Santa Clara. This led us down towards the riverfront.
Bike riding along the riverfront in Lisbon is beautiful, and a nice way to spend a day. There are lots of people around though, so you do have to be confident with your bike skills. For the most part there are dedicated bike paths, but a couple times you will need to ride on the road. Just be prepared for that. The drivers all gave us plenty of space and it wasn't scary at all. The only downside to riding on the road was the cobblestone. It's a bumpy ride!
Riding a bike rather than taking the train to the Torre de Belem allowed us to see all the sites along the way. There are beautiful markets, restaurants and parks. We rode under the 25 de Abril Bridge, saw the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and the Torre de Belem lighthouse.
The Torre de Belem is a 16th Century building that was used for the embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers. It's pretty cool to see. Again, we did not pay to go inside. It's probably super cool to see, but if you're not there early then you'll be standing in a long lineup. What was funny is the place to buy tickets is far enough away that you cannot see the lineup to get into the building. There was hardly any lineup for the ticket counter. But to actually see the attraction was probably a good hour of standing and waiting. TBH we were happy just seeing it from the outside and then spending my money on a delicious caipirinha and peri peri chicken.
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| The line to get into the Torre de Belem |
After the long bike ride we decided to go back to the Bike Bakery and have another cinnamon bun. We burned off all those calories riding, we had to replenish our bodies, right? lol.
A quick rest and outfit change at our hotel and we were ready to hit the streets again. Lisbon at night is just stunning, especially walking through Bairro Alto. There are some gorgeous little restaurants in there that are worth a visit. To end the evening we went to the Miradouro Sao Pedro De Alcantara.
Obidos! There are several day trips from Lisbon that one can choose from. We did 3 in total: Obidos, Sintra and Cascais. Obidos and Sintra we booked in advance. Cascais you can keep in your back pocket and go if the weather permits. We ended up going to Cascais on our second last day in Portugal, since that was the day with the best weather. The other days were windy and a little cooler - which on the coast can be miserable.
We took the train to Obidos, which is the cheapest option to get out there. You can also take a bus - which is apparently quicker than the train, but more than twice the price. You might get better schedules with a bus - we left Lisbon at 5:45am and got into Obidos at 8:20am. Which was very early, but the next train was scheduled to come at 10:30am, but actually ended up being delayed and not getting in until almost 1pm. Our train going back to Lisbon was also delayed. We were scheduled to depart at 7:30pm, but the train didn't show until around 9pm, which made for a very long day. If we had a redo we would just pay the extra for the bus. The chairs on the bus are probably more comfortable, and the departure times probably better. Oh well, you live and learn. We are not at all disappointed that we visited Obidos. But we don't think you need a full day to truly experience it. 5-6 hours max is all you need.
Obidos is a walled city, and in my opinion definitely worth a visit. You can spend some time walking the wall. After having done so, we would recommend going early to beat potential crowds. The walls are narrow in places and it would be awkward to pass another person.
We also enjoyed seeing all the espalier trees and gorgeous flowers.
Obidos is known for Ginja de Obidos - a cherry liqueur that is served in a chocolate cup. It is so yummy.
Day 5:
Sintra!! Okay, if you are going to Lisbon you ABSOLUTELY NEED to visit Sintra. It's a bunch of palaces surrounded by paradisiacal gardens.
Note: if you book your tickets ahead of time you save time by not having to line up, and the park offers you a discount if you book several attractions at the same time. Also, if you book at least 3 days in advance you get an additional 15% discount. You can find all the information you need at www.parquesdesintra.pt
We started our day with Pena Palace, then the Moor Castle, then we walked through the gardens before going to Monserrate Palace. There are many more things to see at Sintra. In hindsight we should have planned to stay overnight in Sintra and spent two days exploring. We regret not spending more time there. It's spectacular. But you never really know before you go. We had read other blogs about how beautiful it was and that you "could" spend several days exploring. But we think you should spend at least two days exploring. So worth it.
Getting to Sintra is very easy, you can take the train from Rossio station historic centre of Lisbon. It costs €5.50 return, and takes approx 1 hour.
When you buy your tickets for the Sintra palaces, you can also buy the bus transfer. You will want the transfer if you don't wish to do the hike up to Pena Palace or the Moor Castle. It is a strenuous hike UP to Pena Palace. The trail is paved for most of the way, and in the forest sections it's groomed and mulched. From the train station to the Palace it took us 1 hour at a brisk pace. We are reasonably fit. So plan accordingly. When you buy tickets you select an entry time slot and you have to enter at the time you select.
Pena Palace:
The entry fee for Pena Palace also allows you to see the gardens. (You can pay for entry for just the gardens if you don't wish to go inside the Pena Palace). There is no time slot for entering the gardens, and your ticket allows for multiple entries in the day. Be sure to plan some time to explore the gardens.
Castelo Dos Mouros (Moor Castle):
This castle in ruins, but you can still walk the wall and enjoy the views from there. You can see out to the ocean, and back to Pena Palace. In fact you can see all of Sintra from up there. The moss and greenery enveloping the stone castle gives a very serene and peaceful vibe.
Don't miss the cistern! We almost missed it - there's a pathway close to the cafe and toilets that leads down to the cistern, which you can go inside. The entrance is unassuming, and easily missed. So look out for it.
There is a small museum building before you enter the castle that has some artefacts to check out.
Monserrate Palace:
We decided to try and take a "shortcut" to get to Monserrate Palace, which lead us out of the beautiful gardens and along a road. It ended up being way longer because there are no entry points where we thought there might be. Don't make that same mistake. Just stay inside the gardens and follow the signs. If it seems too far to walk, take the bus. There are plenty of them. Our walk was still pleasant. We saw parts of the park that most tourists won't see. There were locals around, mostly people on bikes. But the park set up for tourists is the better attraction...
Monserrate Palace is breathtaking. First up, the cafe at Monserrate was by far the best of the three that we tried (Pena, Moor and Monserrate). The pastries were phenomenal. Plus the seating area was the nicest too, surrounded by gardens full of azaleas.
We didn't budget enough time for walking through the gardens.
Day 6:
The weather was a bit windy, and we were tired from all the walking at Obidos and Sintra, so we planned for a sleep in, leisurely brunch at Breakfast Lovers - Alfama and to do some shopping. It's impossible to go to Europe and not spend a little time clothes shopping. Here's a helpful hint: when you buy clothing in Portugal, you can get your tax back at the airport. However, when you are making the purchase you have to ask the store owner for the Tax Free Form. Not all stores participate, and you will need to show your passport to prove that you are a visitor to the EU. At the airport you will need that form, your receipt, and to be able to show the goods at the VAT refund desk. There is a desk before security so that if you wish to check your items, you can do so. But if you are not checking your items, they ask that you proceed to the refund desk after security. It is very easy to follow the signs. Purchases under €50 are not eligible. Europe is not the only place that offers this service.
Day 7:
This was the warmest day of our trip, and the sun was shining bright. The perfect day to spend at the coastal town of Cascais. We headed to Cais do Sodre station and bought return tickets to Cascais. It costs €5.50 return per person. There are ticket machines as well as staffed kiosks at the station where you can buy tickets. The machines accept cash or card.
The train takes approximately 50 minutes. The track follows the coastline, so if you're able to sit on the left hand side of the train on your way to Cascais (or on the right side on your way back).
When you arrive you can start at Praia da Rainha (Rainha beach) which is a stones-throw from the station.
You'll also want to walk down Rua Frederico Arouca and Alameda Dos Combatentes Da Grande Guerra. You will find many stores, stalls and restaurants along the way.
This will lead you down to Praia da Ribeira. There is a lovely promenade to walk along, and while we were there some markets were set up along the promenade.
From there we walked around the harbour. Then through the Parque Marechal Carmona.
Then we continued along the coastline up to Boca do Inferno. Somehow we did not take any photos here... If you do walk up to the Boca do Inferno, make sure you have coins with you. The only bathrooms were stalls that you had to pay to use. There are stores where you can change money if you need to. Make sure you have hand sani and tissues with you (Kay always has these in her purse when we travel).
Finally it was warm enough we could sit at the beach. So we made our way back to Praia da Rainha - which offered the most protection from the wind that had started to pick up.
We got to the beach and settled ourselves along the wall, where others were laying down. Within 5 minutes a rogue wave came and hit us. Thinking back, it must have been quite comical to watch us all scramble to save our shoes and belongings whilst still recovering from the shock of being hit with a wall of water. (approx 15" of water hit the wall behind us... so it was no small wave) That kind of changed our whole afternoon. Kay sat the remainder of the afternoon on the beach trying to dry our shoes and towel, while Dean went to a laundromat to wash his coat in hopes of avoiding salt stains. Such a random thing to happen. For the rest of the afternoon there wasn't a wave that came even close to that one.
After that whole hullabaloo, covered with salt and sand... shoes still damp... we decided to go back to Lisbon and get changed for the evening. Our original plan had been to have dinner in Cascais, but the wave washed that notion out to sea.
Our final dinner in Lisbon we chose to go back to Bairro Alto and find a tapas place. There are many to choose from.
Day 8:
The day we flew home :( It's always sad to leave Europe. And we really loved our time in Portugal. Our flight was at 11:30am, so we had time to sneak in one more visit to Breakfast Lovers in Alfama. So worth the early morning. Those guys just know what they are doing with brekky.
Our one week transit pass worked to get us back out to the airport. We thought we would have to purchase a ticket on our last day. But the pass worked. It must have expired around the time we purchased it, which was about the time our plane took off. So, it worked out really well for us.
Hopefully you are able to visit Portugal, and our experience can help you in your planning. Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section.
Dean & Kay
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