After one of the rare 10 do's and don'ts reports from Latin America (we are working to correct that) with Buenos Aires by Vanessa Camozzi, we cross the Atlantic and head for Portugal with 10 do's and don'ts of Lisbon by Luisa Santos an art curator who divides her time between London and Lisbon.
10 do’s and 10 don’ts in
Lisbon
Lisbon is the city where I
was born and raised. I have lived in some different cities, as Linz, Copenhagen
and London in my 20s and was lucky enough to get to know cities in different
continents as the USA, Europe and Asia. I cannot name a favorite city but if I
would have to name a city “home” that would certainly be Lisbon, where I find
my roots in the sea and my dreams in the bright white light.
10 do’s:
Go to old cafés like Pasteleria Versailles in Saldanha and Pastelaria Mexicana (it’s not a Mexican
café) located Avenida Guerra Junqueiro 30 C, founded in the 1940s, with its amazing tiles and a
sort of aquarium full of colourful birds.
Visit Gulbenkian. It’s composed of two Museums, a traditional one
and a Contemporary / Modern Art Center and it has the most beautiful gardens in
the city. It was planned and designed by architect Ribeiro Telles. The
exhibition programme at the Modern Art Centre is impressive and there are
always good concerts if you like classical music and jazz;
Save time for Miradouros as
Miradouro da Graça, Miradouro da Nossa Senhora do Monte and Miradouro de Santa Luzia. Lisbon is the city of the seven hills and the views
are amazing. From each point, the city is visible almost fully and the view to
the river is always quite refreshing and somehow, makes you feel like getting
into a boat, like the Lisboners of the 15th Century did in the
discoveries.
Get lost in the narrow
streets of Alfama , eat some fish and bread and sit with the locals by
the square of the Museu do Fado (above) honoring this Portuguese
music style.
Pay visit to Bairro de Alvalade, a neighborhood from the 1950s (which is something
rather recent for Portuguese terms), the architecture is very different from
the one in the old town (as Alfama and Bairro Alto) and there are many local
shops selling way nicer and cheaper products than in the touristy areas as
downtown (Baixa).
Have lunch at Martim Moniz
, a sort of a melting pot of cultures. There, you
can easily eat a Chinese meal together with an Indian Mango Lassi. It’s very
vibrant and it’s being renewed as it used to be a quite dodgy area.
Go to Estação do Rossio , it’s a beautiful train station located in
Restauradores on the end of Liberdade Avenue, a very posh avenue with shops like Louis Vouitton, Prada and the like. Restauradores is very near to Rossio Square, in the Pombaline Downtown (18th
Century, built after the 1755 earthquake and tsunami which wrecked the whole
city) of Lisbon.
DO go to Largo do Intendente.
Most people will tell you it’s the equivalent to the red district in Amsterdam.
That is partially true but it’s also wrong as it’s been subject to a huge
renovation and the Largo (square) is now full of artists, the Mayor has moved
there, you can find a residency for artists and there are always live concerts in the
Summer as well as performances and site-specific artworks which are changing a
lot the perception people have towards this area.
Visit Belém (take the tram
15 at Cais to Sodré) and have a Pastel de Belém at the Fábrica dos Pastéis de
Belém. The queue is long and full of tourists as well as locals. A Pastel de Belém
is not the same as a Pastel de Nata, it’s always warm, and the Fábrica dos
Pastéis de Belém is filled with beautiful traditional Portuguese tiles. Once
you’re in the area, have a look at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos , Padrão dos Descobrimentos and stop to watch the river. On the
other side of the river you’ll see Almada, which is also worth a boat trip from
Terreiro do Paço…
Make an evening stop at Zé dos Bois if you are into alternative / indie
music. It’s a very peculiar space, an old building in the old town (Bairro
Alto) with an exhibition space, a bookshop, a bar and a concerts’ room.
10 Don’ts:
DON’T go to any Starbuck’s
café. Lisbon is filled with traditional cafés, why would someone pay double for
an expresso (an expresso in Lisbon costs roughly 0,60 Eur and at Starbuck’s costs
around 1,20 Eur), which tastes bad? And it’s a chain that you can find anywhere
in the world.
DON’T go to any Padaria
Portuguesa. To a tourist, at first sight, might look as something traditional
but it’s not. It’s a chain and the quality is poor.
Stay away from Hard Rock
Café. The music is not terrible but there are so many nice concert and music
places in Lisbon that this one is the one to be missed.
Skip Colombo, Vasco da
Gama or any shopping mall. Please support local and small shops. You are in the
city of the white light, please don’t spend your days in a closed space.
DON’T visit Lisbon in August,
it’s way too hot and there are many shops closed for holidays.
DON’T go to a Fado House
where there is a person giving you a leaflet at the entrance and pushing you to
enter. The best Fado Houses don’t need to ask for clients
and are usually located in narrow streets and corners in Bairro Alto (old town)
and Alfama.
DON’T forget to try a Port wine. It’s from Porto but if you are in Lisbon you’ll find it as well.
DON’T rent a car if you are
staying in the city or even if you want to go to Cascais or Sintra. Take trains and metro instead. The traffic in Lisbon is unbearable and it’s very
difficult (and pricey) to park.
No need to take a cab from the
airport. Lisbon has just built a new metro station in the airport and it takes
you everywhere in the city for 1,50 Eur (a cab can cost you from 10 to 50 Eur,
depending on where you want to go).
No need to choose the cheapest
hotel or the most expensive (as Tivoli or Sheraton). There are very good deals
in areas as Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques, Saldanha and even the Old Town
(Bairro Alto). There are some new hostels that might be a good option but it’s
also nice to rent a flat from a local.
Thanks Luisa!
(* Photo credits: Pastelaria Versailles pastry box from Eating the World piece on this Cafe, Museu do Fado from Museu do Fado Facebook page, Rua Augusta in Pombaline by Osvaldo Gago via Wikipedia, Hotel DAH in Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques from Hotel DAH website,