Every year, around Christmas, there are always those ubiquitous “gift guides” you find online. You know…
If you’re visiting Lisbon in late spring, early summer, you’ll have the chance to see something truly spectacular at the Carmo Convent. The Carmo Convent is already a pretty astonishing place, but from May to July, when the sun sets, there is a phenomenal transformation which it undergoes. This phenomenon is called ‘Lisbon Under Stars’. In 2018 over 30,000 people came to see this award-winning show and in 2019 those numbers should almost double since they added another month onto the performances dates due to its overwhelming popularity. I was lucky enough to see the show when we were travelling to Lisbon this summer. I was really blown away by the performance and the technical ingenuity it took to bring the whole piece together.
Lisbon is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Steeped with history and painted with one of the most colourful palettes, there pretty much isn’t a single street you can walk down, without being wowed at all the fantastic hues and views along the way. For photographers and bloggers, this place is a dream!
For many people visiting Lisbon means one thing, trying as many Pastel de Natas (Portuguese Egg Tarts) as possible! We made it our mission while we were there to eat one every single day – for research, of course! You’ll find these famous baked treats in almost every bakery window you pass by. From mom and pop bakeshops to fancy patisseries, there are thousands of different tarts for you to try! But if you’re only in Lisbon for a short time or just don’t have the room in your stomach to try them all, I’ve made a list of our favourite places! I divided the list up into the various neighbourhoods to makes it easy for you to try a tart while exploring that particular area of town. And it was interesting how the different regions personalities were actually reflected in the desserts themselves.
Just an hour outside of Lisbon, you can escape the crowds and find yourself in the coastal town of Cascais. Cascais was the beachfront getaway for much of Lisbon’s aristocracy throughout the 1800s and as such, it still to this day remains one of the most elegant and relaxing cities to visit outside of Lisbon. From the town of Cascais, you can take the road less than 30 minutes up to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost part of continental Europe and visit a few of the most picturesque beaches on your way back into town. Who knew all these could be found just an hour outside of Lisbon.
The Moorish Castle, of the ‘The Castelo dos Mouros’ is an ancient world heritage site, found in the hilltops of Sintra, just an hour outside of Lisbon. The secret garden of the Portuguese countryside. It was first built in the 9th century but fell into ruins after its final abandonment in the 18th century. When King Ferdinand built his fairytale castle just down the road, he also took it upon himself to retake these ruins for the people of Portugal so that this magnificent piece of history may be preserved for years to come. To this day, it is one of the most amazing places to visit when coming to Sintra. Most people visit this site as a part of a Day Trip to Sintra, but if you’re into history and hiking, you can easily make an entire day out of touring this site and exploring around the surrounding areas.
Pena Palace is one of those destinations which seems too magical to believe it’s real. Atop the Sintra hills, the golden walls, blue tile and red painted exterior of the palace begin to emerge from the abundant greenery below. Seeing this palace in real life is nothing like seeing the pictures. I really don’t think they can do it justice. There is something about walking up those cobblestone steps, which makes you feel like you’re walking into a fairytale, and yet you can smell the flowers and touch those ethereal details
Sintra is one of those destinations which seems too magical to believe it’s real. It’s a charming town, full of fairytale castles, historic battlements and a rich tapestry of cutesy stores and gourmet cafes.
Lisbon is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Steeped with history and painted with one of the most colourful palettes, there pretty much isn’t a single street you can walk down, without being wowed at all the fantastic hues and views along the way. For photographers and bloggers, this place is a dream! The “miradoures” (viewpoints) which you can find all over the city seem to open Lisbon up like a pop-up book. The intricate tiled walls and buildings are like a patchwork quilt across the city. Make sure you have a few extra batteries with you because you’re never going to be able to stop snapping! Below is a list of my favourite places I found in Lisbon and at the bottom of this post I’ve made a google map of where you can find these spots for yourself!
Having just returned from my trip to Lisbon, I wanted to put pen to paper right away to share all the things I learned when travelling to Portugal for the first time! Lisbon is just as wonderful as you hear it is, the streets are as vibrant as the personalities, and it’s a tremendously laid back and yet bustling city all at the same time. I was so busy leading up to this trip, so I felt more unprepared than usual and as such made a few blunders which I felt like needed to be shared for other, just as unknowing travellers, to learn from.