Lisbon: an Immersive Sunny Experience

Lisbon, Portugal… I had dreamed of visiting for quite some time. I had read countless travel articles extolling the virtues of this colorful city with its tiles and sunshine and food and affordability. Friends who had visited came back and told me about their new favorite destination. Travel shows highlighted the singularity of the culture. This city of seven hills gleamed brightly on my travel list for quite some time. So when international travel began to open up after the pandemic, you can bet I jetted off to Lisbon.

Truly the tiles in this city did not disappoint. It’s breathtaking in person- the detail in these tiles! Seeing these works of art just hanging out on the sides of buildings kept reminding me of how this is one of the oldest cities in the world & full of stories.

We chose a lovely Airbnb in the Alfama. It’s the oldest part of the city, and as such the streets make no sense. The Alfama is a marvelous maze of tiny cobbled streets, sweeping overlooks with views of the rest of the city, colorful old buildings, and stairs for days. The neighborhood winds uphill, surprising you at almost every turn. You never know what the Alfama may throw at you next. Locals still live there, running errands, hanging laundry across the alleyways, letting the kids play in the courtyards. At night you can hear sad strains of the traditional Fado music floating through the streets. And if you wander down certain busy streets at the right time, you might catch the local old ladies setting up their little tables to sell their homemade ginja, a delicious local cherry liqueur. There’s even an ancient castle at the top of one of the hills!

I could write an entire blog post about this secret bar that appeared every evening on our street. The owner was so kind and welcoming to us! I would learn later that he would be the first of many Portuguese people to show us unmatched hospitality. Over the course of my time in Portugal I became impressed with how people genuinely wanted to stop and have a conversation with us, offer us food or welcome us into their home or business.
Suffice it to say, this little bar treated us like locals and made us feel like we truly belonged in this adorable little alley in the Alfama.

I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed life on this quite street. The magical tiny bar two doors down, the laundry strung across the alley, the old man across the way who smoked cigarettes out of the little window in his front door. Staying here truly gave us travelers the feeling of local life in Lisbon.

This neighborhood is rich with culture! Even if you don’t stay here, you must spend some time in the Alfama if you visit Lisbon.

We snagged the last two seats at this tiny Fado restaurant and enjoyed the most amazing dinner of fresh seafood and local dishes while listening to the haunting music. It was an unforgettable travel moment.

The hype around the food in Lisbon is no joke either. The fresh seafood, the vegetables, the flavors, the spices, the Vinho Verde. Lisbon is overflowing with delicacies, and it’s quite inexpensive to eat well here.

This place is crazy colorful right? I love it.

Can we just talk about the rooftop bars in Lisbon? I had read several travel articles about the incredible selection of rooftop bars in this city, but I was still in awe of what we discovered. I have to say this sunset at the rooftop bar at this gorgeous boutique hotel in the Alfama took the cake. You don’t even have to be a guest there: just ask for the bar and the friendly staff will wave you upstairs to a gorgeous spacious patio where you can enjoy delicious local wine and a view that is unmatched.

Have you ever been to a cathedral with no roof? Lisbon’s Carmo Convent lost its roof in the great earthquake, and now it’s a museum that you must check out. Being inside an ancient European church with only the sky above us was fascinating. I always try to consider famous tourist sights when I travel to new places, and I was so glad I made time for this museum.

Shoutout to one of the best travel buddies out there- my BFF Kendra. If you travel with me, you automatically become the subject of some spontaneous portrait photography.

Until next time, Lisbon. You are such a beautiful city.