Travel

LIS: Lisbon was on my list for this year, so I was excited to spend my 32^nd birthday in country #35. I have to start off by saying how pleasantly surprised I was by this city. I thought it would be another “European” city but it was so much more. The history, the castles, colors, wine, views, tiles, I definitely recommend this as a place not to be missed. Below I have laid out my blog with the standard format along with a 4 day/3 night, long-weekend itinerary. WHERE TO STAY: We stayed further from the city center at The Vintage Hotel Lisbon. This full service 5* hotel and spa was only a 15-20 min walk or 5-6 euro taxi to the main city center. Though our room was not ready on early arrival, we were able to use the spa and shower. Then we left our bags with concierge and continued got a start to our day. The massuse at the spa was one of the best I have had, and the rooftop bar makes for a great evening sunset. We were considering using points and staying at The InterContinental or Sheraton. However, please note that these hotels are even further from the city center. Other hotels to consider is LX Boutique Hotel closer to the water front or 9 Mercy, just around from the nightlife scene of the Barrio Alto neighborhood.                   WHAT TO DO: In the city of Lisbon, be sure to check out the castle and Time Out Market for delicious local food. For a day trip, make your way to Sintra and Cascais. Sinatra is a historic town where Portuguese Royalty constructed their palaces. Visit the famous Pena Palace and Moors Castle. Make your way to the Gardens / Quinta Da Regaleira (suggest good shoes for this). You could get lost and spend hours in this World Heritage listed estate. Its amazing! Cascais is a fishing town with water views and a beach vibe. Makes for a nice lunch spot! For this day trip, be sure to go with a small group tour or hire a private driver to take you around and give you the most for your time. HOW TO STAY ACTIVE: Let me start off my saying that on day one, we walked over 26,000 steps! We started the day with Chill Out Lisbon’s walking tour. This company focuses on alternative routes and local favorites. If you want a tour with more iconic highlights, check out Sandeman’s walking tour. Another active walking tour we did was an evening food and wine walking tour with Inside Lisbon. Not only did we see new areas and spots (that we went back to during our trip), but we had a great introduction to the cuisine! For my YOGI’s out there, check out Rooftop Yoga Lisboa for a great flow and wonderful views! Check out our Long Weekend itinerary below: DAY 1: City Walking Tours Arrival 5:30am – Transfer to hotel. Shower and grab breakfast. We walked around and also got our first taste of the iconic Pastel De Nata Pastry 10am City Walking tour with Chill Out Lisbon 1pm Lunch and drinks over looking the city *Check out the Chiado area and the look out restaurants or Porto Do Sol 4pm – Food and Wine Walking tour. WE LOVED this!! Great way to try local foods and wines (Green Wine, Ginghiha Liqour etc) This was a LONG day of walking and exploring but definitely felt like we saw the whole city by the end of the day. From these walking tours, we were able to re-visit places on other days and gained our barrings of the city and it’s neighborhoods.   DAY 2: Private tour to Sintra and Cascais {See above for more information on this destination} We had a private driver who was great and went back to Cascais on the way back to Lisbon because of weather earlier in the morning. We had to pay for entry but having the private driver was wonderful. I recommend doing this as a tour or private day trip rather than the public bus. This evening we went to dinner at one of the famous Jose Avillez restaurants and enjoyed drinks with a view of the castle. DAY 3: City Highlights Sleep in (but not too late). We went to the Castelo Sao Jorge in the Alfama neighborhood and got there just in time before the crowds. Many people said that if we were going to Sintra, we would not need to go to this castle. However, we wanted to check it out and I am SO glad we did. Get there early or the line ends up down the street! That afternoon we went down to the waterfront at Praca de Comercio. Walk along Avenue Riberia Das Naus and enjoy a drink all the way down the end. Then make your way to Time Out Market Lisbon. This is a huge food hall with many of the famous local chefs. We grabbed food and continued to explore along the pink road. Enjoy sunset and check out the Barrio Alto scene! DAY 4: Last Day We woke up and grabbed brunch before exploring the last few hours of the city. By day 4, we knew the area well and felt like we had seen and accomplished a lot. Book the 5:30pm flight back to JFK to make the most of your day! For more information and a list of restaurants/bars, please feel free to contact me!