Lisbon’s Famous Five!
“The only downside to living in Madeira is trying to leave the place, usually manifesting in missing flights to my onward destinations! The solution? Head out a day early and grab some extra time in Lisbon!”
I’m in love with this city! It’s one of the most exciting, unadulterated urban environments in Europe! For a major capital with half a million people, it’s got to be one of the more authentic hotspots on the planet!
FAMOUS FIVE DISTRICTS
Lisbon is a ‘walking city’! The best thing you can do is wander or maybe jump on the occasional tramcar.
There are five neighbourhoods in the city worth getting to know, each completely unique and
BAIXA
The area called ‘Baixa’ largely makes up the city’s centre, The riverfront is connected to the rest of the downtown area via ‘Avenida da Liberdade’. This is Lisbon’s upmarket shopping district where you’ll encounter all the luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Christian Dior and Chanel. If you’re into that sort of thing, take a stroll and you’re in for an opulent overdose!
With a distinct Parisienne flavour, Baixa is also home to all the main embassies and diplomatic missions. This is the historic backbone of Lisbon where the majority of tourists mill around until they realise… there’s more going on… and at much better prices!
The Santa Justa Lift is one of the main attractions of the area and it’s also a good way of getting out - depending on the queues. Take your walking tour to the next level… Chiado!
Street-level entertainment doesn’t get much better…
2. CHAIDO
Chiado is still fairly upscale but it’s moving in the right direction! The most famous streets are Rua do Carmo,
The Praça Luís de Camões, where the Carnation Revolution took place marks the border between Chiado and Bairro Alto.
You get a nice view from the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcántara with São Jorge Castle across the valley but I like it from our favourite hotel in this district, Hotel do Chiado.
The view of Lisbon’s São Jorge Castle from the rooftop bar of Hotel Chiado. Even drop in for a G&T
3. BAIRRO ALTO
Bairro Alto is where you find the best little restaurants in Texas, sorry Lisbon, uber cheap, very Portuguese and unquestionably delightful. I’ve got to say though, they’re getting a bit thin on the ground. We visited for my birthday, 14th Feb 2023 and were slightly dismayed to see that, since our last visit, many of the little ‘tascas’ or simple eateries are disappearing.
But Bohemian Bairro Alto still retains a life of its own with street art, quirky bars and evocative Fado music emanating from what’s left of the traditional Portuguese restaurants. I think there’ll be a balancing act soon between the old & new here and it’s still very much worth a wander.
4. ALFAMA
The Alfama is the oldest neighbourhood of Lisbon and has an organic appeal of pre-earthquake Lisbon. It’s ironic that many of the buildings in the Alfama survived the ‘quake’ as this was a poor district inhabited by fishermen and the underprivileged. It still has that ‘earthy’ vibe but each year more and more of it gets renovated and refined. I’d ban AirBnB but probably most of you will be staying there.
Alfama is an Arabic name relating to "hammam" or hot baths. Lisbon was a Muslim city for nearly four-and-a-half centuries. The Iberian Peninsula was taken over by the Moors (Arabs & Berbers) in AD 711 and ruled by Lisbon soon after for the next 433 years. It took less than four months to end over 400 years of Muslim rule in Lisbon.
There are some great Fado bars and restaurants in the Alfama along with a chaotic appeal of apartments hanging their washing out above the streets. And the smell of sardines cooking over charcoal fires. What’s not to love?
5. BELEM
A well-dressed street artist poses outside the walls of São Jorge Castle, himself a bit of a work of art.
São Jorge Castle was extensively restored in the 1930s by the government of António de Oliveira Salazar along with the castles at Sintra and Silves.
Lisbon is surely one of the safest and ‘happiest’ cities in Europe!
Hills Tramcar Tours is a good way to get to know the city with its onboard audio guide.
TRAM 28 - WHERE ARE YOU?
Tram 28 is a journey back in time connecting the most popular tourist districts of Alfama, Baixa, Estrela and Graca.
This is an added bonus and one that unites all the Famous Five districts. One of the most endearing items in downtown Lisbon is its trams. These old, electric streetcars have been trundling around the city’s hills and medieval streets since the early 1900s and are still an intrinsic part of the city's public transportation system.
There are five different tram routes in Lisbon and 58 trams still in operation, 40 of them being of the vintage variety.
The most iconic line is No 28, a 7km (4.5 miles) stretch between São Jorge Castle and Bairro Alto .Martim Moniz Square and Prazeres circumnavigating the neighbourhood of Campo de Ourique. The tram is still one of the best ways of getting people around the city as it navigates some of the old, narrow streets.
Tram 15 is also worth catching as it connects the city centre and Belém.
HOTEL DO CHIADO
Hotel do Chiado really is perfectly placed to explore the city’s centre. We were upgraded to the 7th floor with views across the east of the city towards Fort San Jorge. A quick shower, a G&T in the bar that shares the same view and we were fully refreshed and ready to hit the town.
SOUTH SIDE
Just 40 minutes south of the city, David McLay Kidd, the Scottish architect is putting the finishing touches on ‘Terras da Comporta Dunas’ while Sergio and José María Olazábal are finalising their plans on a neighbouring site called ‘Terras da Comporta Torre’. Add to that the already existing ‘super natural’ links at nearby Troia and Lisbon is suddenly a viable destination for top-class golf encounters.