In September 2023 I went on a solo adventure to Lisbon in Portugal. This (ahem, eighteen months late) blog post is part one of a series of travel diaries documenting what I got up to whilst I was there.
Travel Addict
I love to travel – in the UK and abroad. I caught the bug at an early age thanks to road trips to Cornwall every summer when I was little. I have fond memories of my Mum and I playing I-spy and singing along to old music on cassette tapes as our ancient little Renault 5 trundled down the motorway. At twelve years old I took my first solo flight to spend time with my family in Spain. I’ve been to the other side of the world and spent over a year exploring Australia and New Zealand at 19. I’ve visited a friend in Ireland, been on a trip to Italy with my cousin, travelled to Paris with my best friend (twice), and spent time in Europe and the USA with my family, as well as heading state-side on my own on three separate occasions.
Somehow, in all my decades of travel, I’ve never quite made it to Portugal, despite it being on my wish list for years. Earlier in the year, during the bleak, cold and grey February days, I spontaneously booked a solo adventure to Lisbon – I wanted some sunshine, somewhere new to explore and something to look forward to.
Where I Stayed
I spent ages researching where to stay. I wanted to be close to the city centre so that everything was walkable and so that I could get a real experience of Lisbon life during the five days/four nights I’d be there. Eventually, after hours and hours of searching accumulated over the course of several days, I discovered this cute little Airbnb apartment in the Chiado neighbourhood, and immediately booked it – it was perfect for a solo adventure in Lisbon. The hosts were very responsive and helpful, they happily answered my (many) questions, and even left me two pasteis de nata (Portuguese egg custard tarts, which are utterly delicious) as a welcome gift.
This little one-bedroom Airbnb apartment was perfect for a solo adventure in Lisbon – I loved the floor-to-ceiling windows and all that pretty light!
The comfy lounge area
The bedroom
Solo Adventure in Lisbon
The loose plan for my trip was to see the major sights and discover as many off-the-beaten-path hidden gems as possible; to go on some pre-planned day trips; and to simply wander the city getting lost amongst the side streets as well. In the weeks leading up to my flight to Portugal, I mapped out several potential itineraries in advance (and changed them multiple times). Then, on arrival, I promptly abandoned the majority of them and decided to simply go with my instinct and see how I felt each day, trusting that I’d end up where I was supposed to be.
Of course I took into account the heat & weather, and how close in proximity various things I wanted to see were to each other. I was also reliant on my ability to read Google Maps (which is to say… questionable). I’m well-known within my family for being the girl that gets lost in shopping centres, so a labyrinthine city full of alleyways and staircases was always going to be a fun challenge.
The ‘no-plan’ plan worked 🙂 Below I’ve detailed what I did on each of the first three days of my solo adventure in Lisbon. The final two days will be in Part Two of this blog post.
Travel Diary
SUNDAY – {travel day}
I’d booked a super-early flight, hoping to be able to really make the most of every moment of my first day in Lisbon once I arrived. The airport was a breeze and before I knew it, we were boarding… only to be apologetically told, once we were all sat down with seatbelts dutifully fastened, that there was a two hour delay to our take-off time due to mist in Lisbon, meaning that no planes were able to land there and we needed to wait for it to clear. The lady next to me sighed deeply, rummaged in the bag at her feet, tucked under the seat in front of her as per instructions, and extracted some knitting. It was unmistakeable that we were likely going to be there for a while.
Eventually, we got the go-ahead to take-off. The flight was smooth right until the last few minutes – we were halfway through our descent when the plane pulled back up sharply, our first attempt at landing abandoned. We circled for a while before trying again, this time successfully. The passengers around me cheered and I let go of the breath I’d been holding. It was certainly an unexpectedly adventurous way to start my trip!
After disembarking and collecting my luggage, I navigated my way to the bowels of the city (the Metro), found my way to downtown Lisbon, and subsequently, my Airbnb (via a seemingly endless myriad of tiny streets, ridiculously steep staircases and slippery cobblestones). Once checked in – later than planned and thankfully the hosts were very understanding – I instantly headed back out again to investigate my immediate surroundings and source some supplies. My solo adventure in Lisbon had officially started…
Sunrise at Heathrow Airport, whilst waiting to board
It was drizzling with rain, the intricately cobblestoned streets glistening and wet, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from exploring. My Airbnb was one street over from Ascensor de Bica – one of the oldest funiculars in Lisbon, dating from the 1880’s – so that was my first port of call. It really is quite an extraordinary feat of engineering. Slowly, carefully, I made my way down the slick pathways to ‘Pink Street’ (Rua Nova do Carvalho) where bright rainbow-striped umbrellas jostled for position above my head and a glossy, hot-pink road stretched out under my feet.
Ascensor de Bica
It really is an ingenious mode of transportation
Rua Nova do Carvalho
‘Pink Street’
I wandered along Avenida Ribeira das Naus, which hugs the shoreline of the River Tejo, heading for Praca do Comercio – an impressive 18th century gateway to the city. From there I half-walked & half-slithered my way along the slippery pavements to Se de Lisboa, a gorgeous gothic cathedral, before eventually calling it a day and returning to my Airbnb (via a local supermarket to pick up some basic supplies).
Praca do Comercio
Se de Lisboa
Back at my Airbnb, having dried off and settled in for the evening, I reflected on my initial impressions of Lisbon. At first glance it seems quite… downtrodden. Almost every surface is absolutely covered in colourful graffiti, and any part of a building that happens to have been left untouched by a spray can is subject to peeling paint and cracked facades.
I loved it instantly.
The stories held in the walls; the unique colour palette and light; the incredible tiled frontages; the enormous and imposing doors; the tiny bars, restaurants and cafes that spill out onto the streets; the reassuring grumble of trams shuddering past… it’s not downtrodden at all. It’s vibrant and full of life and colour and character. I’ve never been anywhere like it before. As I watched the sunset from my little balcony, I felt excited – I couldn’t wait to see more.
MONDAY – {morning adventures}
Day two of my solo adventure in Lisbon: I was up before dawn, and out of the Airbnb super early as I wanted to catch the sunrise. I’d heard that the views across the city from Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara were incredible and I wanted to see them for myself. The rumours were absolutely true – you could see for miles. The light touched the rooftops as the sun emerged from the horizon line – I was the only person there and it felt really special to be able to witness it. I always try and catch as many sunrises (and sunsets) as I can whenever I travel, so I know I’ve really made the most of every single day. There are miradouros (lookout points) all over Lisbon so I had plenty of options to choose from!
Sunrise view from the Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara
The views across the city were quite extraordinary
The advantage of being out and about so early in the morning is that you beat both the heat and the crowds. I made my way to Ascensor da Gloria – Lisbon’s second oldest funicular – which has been in operation since 1885. It’s located on an incredibly steep street. All the way along one wall next to the tram tracks was Calcada da Gloria, which is essentially an outdoor art gallery. The whole space was covered with big murals and street art – very different from the graffiti tags that engulf almost every other surface in the city – and the displays change regularly as artists create new work. I walked carefully down the hill – my quads complaining furiously the entire time – squeezing myself in the very narrow space between the tracks and the wall. There was a pavement there but I definitely had to breathe in when a tram trundled past. There wasn’t much to see once I got to the bottom, so I huffed my way back up again (I’d just missed a tram), to get myself back in alignment with Google Maps so that I could head on to the next place I wanted to see.
Casa do Ferreira das Tabuletas is an incredible display of azulejos (traditional hand painted Portuguese tiles), and is well worth a visit. I almost missed it – it’s perched nonchalantly above a cafe/restaurant. The detailing is wonderful. If there is one tip I can give you for exploring Lisbon, it’s to remember to look up! From there I made my way to Elevador de Santa Justa – a wrought iron vertical street lift built in 1902 and designed by the apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, who built the Eiffel Tower in Paris. There was a huge queue, so I chose not to go up (I regret this decision now – next time I’m in the city I’ll definitely do it) – the views from the platform at the top are supposed to be amazing.
Ascensor da Gloria, with the beginning of Calcada da Gloria (an outdoor art gallery) on the left hand side of the photo
Casa do Ferreira das Tabuletas – this is the top half of the building. Underneath is a row of bustling cafes and restaurants.
Elevador de Santa Justa
My final destination for my morning adventures was Convento do Carmo and I am SO glad I added it to my plans because it was so much more, in every way, than I thought it was going to be. The convent was founded in 1389, and almost fully destroyed in the three earthquakes that devastated the city on 1st November 1755. These ruins – pillars and arches now left completely open to the sky and the elements – were among the few things left standing. In all the time that has followed, they’ve never been restored and, quite simply, they’re amazing to see. It felt very special to be so close to such a significant part of the history of the city.
What I hadn’t expected was a/ the resident cat, basking quite happily in the sunshine on a stretch of artificial grass in the nave, wooing everyone who walked past into giving it a rigorous chin-scratch and a quick belly stroke. And b/ the archaeology museum. When I stepped inside the museum, housed in the main chapel of the convent, an instant hush surrounded me. There was a sense of deep reverence in there – I could feel the history and the magic and the stories in the air and on my skin. There are five rooms in total, full of excavated artefacts dating from the 15th century all the way back to Roman times and BC, all preserved in intricate detail – it really was quite something to see. I’d say it’s a must-visit if you are ever in Lisbon, especially as it has a very reasonable 5 euros entry fee. I got there when it opened (also recommended, it gets busy very quickly) and spent about an hour and a half there in total.
Inside Convento do Carmo
The resident cat!
Inside the archaeology museum
A sarcophagus and two mummified children inside the archaeology museum
MONDAY – {afternoon explorations}
There were a few things outside of the city that I wanted to see and thankfully the Lisbon train and metro systems are very efficient. I only used the metro twice (to get to and from the airport) and opted to walk everywhere else whilst I was exploring the city itself. I did, however, make good use of the overground trains.
I decided to spend the afternoon at Cascais (pronounced ‘cash-kai-eesh’), a popular beachy town situated west of Lisbon. It’s not quite the western-most point of Portugal, but it’s not far away – Cabo da Roca is about 13km further around the coast. I caught the train from Cais do Sodre station and it was one of the prettiest train rides I’ve ever taken (so far anyway) – the route hugs the coastline so you can see the ocean for most of the journey.
Cascais definitely had a more upmarket feel to it than Lisbon – there was no peeling paint here, and very little graffiti. I meandered through the town (once a sleepy fishing village and now filled with cute boutiques and tourists) and made my way down towards the sea. Golden sandy beaches crowded with tanned bodies filled the space along a path that eventually led to the marina. Here I found the utterly beautiful Mirador Casa de Santa Maria and Santa Marta Lighthouse perched on rocks above water that transformed in ombre colours from perfectly crystal clear in the shallow spots to an intense turquoise green/blue in the deeper areas. Locals were paddling and swimming in the water, jumping off the bridge, and sunning themselves on the rocks.
A pretty corner in Cascais
Praia da Ribeira
Mirador Casa de Santa Maria and Santa Marta Lighthouse
Keeping cool in the shade of the bridge
I could have turned around there and headed back to the city, but I’d heard of a geographical landmark that I really wanted to see – a natural arch, cave and blowhole created by the waves, called Boca de Inferno (Hell’s Mouth) – so I continued onwards. After a half hour trek I arrived, exceedingly hot and sweaty, to find that the area the I’d thought was going to be relatively wild and untouched was actually a fully blown tourist attraction. There were coachloads of people constantly arriving and departing, souvenir shops, a restaurant and cafe, and even a busker on the clifftops! Even so, it’s worth going to see it – it’s really cool (I loved geography at school so seeing stuff like this in real life brings it all back). Just don’t expect to be able to stand quietly and absorb the awe-inspiring beauty of nature and sheer vastness of the Atlantic Ocean stretching out ahead of you for more than about 30 seconds before someone jostles you out of the way with a sharp elbow so that they can take a selfie.
By this point it was late afternoon, so I walked back to Cascais, found my way to the train station and headed back to Lisbon.
Boca de Inferno
Boca de Inferno from the other side
I was determined to catch the sunset, so after dinner I made the punishingly steep uphill walk to Miradouro de Santa Catarina, which was literally only five minutes away from my Airbnb. There was a large crowd of people gathered there to watch the sunset, and it had a chilled out party vibe to it – there was a busker and people dancing too. The sky transformed through a selection of beautiful colours, and the silhouette of Ponte 25 de Abril dominated the skyline.
Sunset view from Miradouro de Santa Catarina
Loved this piece of street art painted on someone’s chimney. Life is good indeed.
To be continued…
