Lisbon and Surroundings (Portugal)

As 50% of our relationship is made out of best portuguese quality, it was finally time last summer for our first trip to Portugal together as a couple. And maaaan it was awesome! 😍

I mean, not that my expectations were low but this trip definitely made me fall in love head over heels with this southern beauty. Portugal has something that is hard to describe. If it was a person i’d say even if it doesn’t have much, it would give you everything in a minute and with a smile on its lips. It has scars but it’s not even a bit less beautiful because of that. But let’s start from the beginning:

We arrived in Lisbon and stayed there for one day.

Our trip started at Lisbon Airport from where we got the metro to the trainstation Oriente. This is a huge modern building with lots of shops and one of the main stations in Lisbon. We stored our luggage there and went to have lunch in the Vasco da Gama mall, which is right opposite of the trainstation.

To get around we bought a metro card that you can charge and reuse any other time. you can get them in any metro station. As we were there just for one day, this was a cheap and easy way for us to get wherever we wanted.

In the afternoon, we took a walk in the Parque das Nações, which is right in front of the mall and by the river (Rio Tejo). It was built for the EXPO in 1998, alongside with the trainstation Oriente, the Oceanario and the Teleférico, which is an aerial cableway alongside the river. It’s a cool way to see the area from above and get an overview (5.90 adult/both ways). This area is really modern, in contrast with the old town of Lisbon – Baixa de Lisboa.

After our walk, we headed exactly there – to the city centre of Lisbon. First, we walked through the Rua Augusta to the Praça do Comércio which was destroyed in an earthquake in the 18th century and  is now one of the most famous spots in Lisbon. It’s by the river and has an impressive architecture. We strolled through the narrow streets, up the steep hills and admired the buildings and the eléctricos, those typical yellow trams that the city is famous for. And of course we had to try them👌 We took the Ascensor da Gloria line from the Bairro Alto down to the Avenida da Liberdade. It’s a short ride but very steep and impressive plus, it’s quite cheap. It’s a good option when you want to try the eléctricos out for a little moment.

If you want to have a break and relax a bit, we can recommend you a place called Bambu-Feed your spirit. It’s a little outdoor restaurant we discovered in Avenida da Liberdade 13, right in the heart of Lisbon, surrounded by some trees. You can enjoy a sangria, a refreshing drink or have a snack, accompanied by some live music. It’s really chilled out, the staff is friendly and you can observe the city around you and lean back.

After dinner with old friends we stayed in the flat of a friend in the north of the city. If you are looking for a cheap stay, be sure to check out Airbnb. There are also plenty of hotels or other accomodations in the city centre.

The next morning, we picked up our car that we rent in advance for that week in Rentalcars. We drove there with an Uber, which is also a fast and quite cheap way to get somewhere. After picking up the car, we drove around one hour south to Setúbal, from where we entered the Parque Natural da Arrábida, which is a protected area. You can park your car in payed parking places or just alongside the road like many other people. To acess the beaches, you need to walk a few minutes through the bushes. The paths are narrow and steep, so make sure you stay safe. But once you got that, you are rewarded with beautiful beaches and super clear and blue water. You can even take your snorkelling stuff because the water is just awesome (a bit colder than in the south, but it’s totally worth it). We first went to Praia dos Galapinhos which is quite long and has a small foodplace. In 2017 it was selected as the most beautiful beach in Europe by European Best Destinations.  Mostly the beaches have no food or toilets, so we recommend you take your own food. This makes the area really special because you really are in nature, you have secluded beaches (not very crowded) and bush walks. After Praia dos Galapinhos we went on a little walk to Praia dos Coelhos, which is smaller and more secluded which made it even more special because we were almost alone.

Those beaches are for both of us one of our favourite places we’ve ever been to and we can really recommend you to go there.

Later that day, we drove down to Algarve. More about our favourite spots and adventures there soon on the blog.

Thanks for reading until now! Do you know any spots in Portugal you’d like to share or do you want to give us a feedback? Then leave us a comment, we’d be happy to hear your opinion!

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