Lisbon, Portugal
A Trip to Remember
Lisbon, Portugal, completely stole our hearts! From the moment we arrived, we were swept up in the energy of the city, the stunning sights, and the unexpected little moments that made this trip so special.
First Night Surprises
On our first night, we checked into our Airbnb, which was right on a main street. Or was it? Honestly, in Lisbon, it feels like there’s something happening on every corner! We had paella for dinner (it was okay) but the Gambas à Guilho were my absolute favorite. I had it multiple times throughout the trip, that sauce was delicious! After dinner, the waiter brought us each a shot of ginja, a traditional Portuguese cherry liqueur, and we were so confused—was this a mistake? Nope, it turns out it’s a tradition! We loved it so much that they gave us another round. A perfect welcome to Portugal! I also tried a pastel de nata for the first time. I was expecting a sweet little custart tart, which is what it is, but it was so much better than what I imagined. The hints of cinnamon and lemon made me go from wanting just a bite to eating the whole thing myself. If you want to get a good pastel de nata, check out Manteigaria for sure!
After we got back, we looked off of our AirBnB balcony and saw tons of people swarming the streets. We wasted no time after this and headed straight downstairs for a night out. The streets were buzzing, and the bar scene was incredible. We even stumbled upon a bar where they give you a free drink if you hand over your bra LOL. The balcony was COVERED in them, which was absolutely hilarious. There were many more very interesting places that we saw as well. Lisbon was already proving to be full of surprises.
Exploring the City
Pink Street
The next day, despite the forecast predicting rain all day, we quickly learned how unpredictable Lisbon’s weather can be—it only rained for about an hour! We set off to explore walking down the street, and got to see Pink Street from above, which was NOT what I was expecting. It was quite early, so they were cleaning the street from the night before. Pink street was kinda looking like gray street from all that partying I guess. No cute pictures there for me!
We visited some of Lisbon’s most iconic spots, including the Arco da Rua Augusta, a beautiful triumphal arch with incredible views.
Miradouro de Santa Luzia
We also hopped on the famous Tram 28. As expected, it was super crowded, but it was still such a fun (and bumpy) ride through the historic streets. We didn’t get the best instructions on getting the tickets, so we ended up only getting a one-stop-only ticket. When we found this out, we thought we’d take it to the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, but, the tram ride ended and we were forced to get off. Another very confusing mishap. We ended up bolt-ing (the faster and wayyy more affordable version of Uber) to the viewpoint. The Miradouro de Santa Luzia gave us a stunning panoramic view of the city, overlooking all of the terracotta rooftops.
Then came one of the best parts of our trip: we took the ferry across the Tagus River. The ferry only cost €1.35 per person, and it was absolutely worth it. On the other side, we visited Restaurante Ponto Final, which is famous for its waterfront dining. We didn’t eat there, as we were still full from trying some authentic Portuguese fish a little earlier… and, well, we didn’t love it. But at least we tried! I mainly wanted to visit Restaurante Ponto Final because there’s a short scene in my favorite show Money Heist there, so I HAD to see it for myself.
I got to witness what was easily the most breathtaking sunset we’ve ever seen. The sky exploded in shades of orange and pink, casting a golden glow over Lisbon’s skyline. This was, without a doubt, my favorite part of Lisbon. I had seen so many videos and people talking about how beautiful the sunsets in Lisbon are, but I was not expecting it to be THAT breathtaking. From there, we made our way to the Cristo Rei (Jesus Statue) and saw an amazing view- I didn’t even know this statue existed until we saw it while watching the sunset!
First-Time Experiences & Funny Moments
While in Lisbon, I also rode a scooter for the first time! It was such a fun and easy way to get around the city (or should I say park…I only rode the scooter in Lisbon for a short amount of time. I was way too scared of a car running me over). Another unforgettable experience was trying ginja in chocolate cups for the first time. If you think ginja is good on its own, just wait until you have it in a little edible chocolate cup—it was AMAZING.
From the beautiful views to the unexpected traditions (and hilarious bars), Lisbon gave us an adventure full of laughter, surprises, and unforgettable moments. We left with full hearts (and maybe a little too much ginja), already dreaming of when we can return. Até logo, Lisboa!
