Lisbon weekend break - recommendations

So, accom now booked, we are staying in Baixa.

We found out at Cascais / Estoril was nicer - amazing beaches, close to a national park or three, still easy access back to the city (one trainline, lots of stops) and lots to do between Cascais and Lisbon.

I was there a week for work, mrs_oab joined me on the Thursday and we were home the Sunday evening.

There are some work pics in here as well as nice place pics from mrs_oab

https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/albums/72177720311570164/

Great pics Matt 👍

It was the first time we have ever done a short winter & foreign warmer place trip - triggered by my work there. It. Was. Ace. Really liked Portugal and the warmth for a few days...

Baixa is a nice vibrant area.

Stroll out to Belem and have a custard tart at Pasteis de Belem.

Visit the castle in the town centre.

Go on a Tuc tuc tour

Depends what you’re interested in.

I recommend Plano for dinner and Uber is very useful and cheap. Also Lis is bastard hilly!

Depends what you’re interested in.

Mooching down interesting alleys, coffee and cake, parks, local street food, people watching, old buildings.  I have a limited tolerance for museums and galleries which Mrs Bloke will undoubtedly test to its minuscule limits.

Alfama is the old town where the castle is, well worth a day to explore the place, and if you are adventurous eaters can recommend a small family run restaurant called Ovinhaca, limited menu of meat and fish but amazing wine and port selection, not cheap and needs to be booked in advance

Pop out on the train to Sintra for the day too.

Thanks all. Odd coincidence. Was out riding last night and a friend mentioned Sintra.

Ovinhaca looks great.

Like you maob, we had a break in Porto. Loved it and had the most amazing octopus. Really looking forward to the trip

matt_outandabout - we have booked two week family holiday in cascais for August.  Any tips for stuff to do welcome.

Lovely pics

Cheers

Try Taberno do Mar for dinner, very good place. You’ll need to book.

Time Out Market Lisboa
+351 21 060 7403

https://g.co/kgs/nYz38L8

When we went this place was quite unusual and set a precedent for what is now a fairly common type of place. But I don't doubt it's still well worth a visit

Thanks all

Pop out on the train to Sintra for the day too.

Another vote for a trip out to Sintra if you've got the time.

Some nice places to eat on the riverside at Las Docas.

Sintra is nice day trip

Bairro alto has some good bars an restaurants.

Tram up to the castle is good fun.

As for Cascais...

The Castle thing looks quiet and nowty but there is a nice bar within it, nice  place to sit with a cold drink.

If you are on the beach and the locals all start packing away and leaving , that usually means they aer about to release a bull on to the beach.

Continue thru Cascais to the Atlantic coast (walakable), theres a lighthouse converted to a bar and the beach runs for miles with pretty wild waves, lots of surfers, goes all the way to Sintra (i think). Seom pretty good mtbing just off theat coastal stretch.

I lived in Cacais for a year or so, but was a while ago so memory a little fuzzy,

I’d recommend a bike tour - no hear me out: although it’s hilly there are morning tours that start up at the park on the hill so they are down hill all the way to the riverside. A well as a nice ride you get to see lots of places in the city you probably wouldn’t see otherwise.

That sounds great but my OH isn't too keen on cycling

Here's my recommendation.  Be very careful of pickpockets on the trams. I'm sure you can work out how I know this,  the bastard. 😡

We went in October (last trip held over from covid).

We did a walking tour with https://lisbon-chillout-freetour.com/ it's "free" in that there is no fixed fee, but you do tip. Our guide was really fun, and we got a lot of history.

We also did an e-bike tour with https://www.lisboncycletours.com/ the bikes were a bit shonky, and the history was slightly duplicated with the walking tour, but the guide was really enthusiastic about Lisbon and it was a lot of fun.

Have a read about the earthquake of 1755 its fascinating

e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aughinish,_County_Clare

LR

More votes for Cascais, Sintra and TImeOut foodmarket. In Sintra go to the Pena Palace https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/parks-monuments/park-and-national-palace-of-pena/ Book tickets online as otherwise it can sell out. You will still queue to get in, but the place is mad.

Take as trip on the older tramlines.

The castle is good, as is the trip up to Miradouro da Senhora do Monte - the highest lookout point that looks towards the castle from the other side of the city. Go in the evening for sunset, and laugh at all the Instragrammers trying to get their pictures!

The Gulbenkian is worth a look - intersting architecture and a slightly strange collection of (expensive antique) bric a brac. The gardens around there are nice too.

One tip - if you are walking anywhere steep, make sure you have grippy soled shoes - the polished stone pavements are really slippery, even in the dry.

Stroll out to Belem and have a custard tart at Pasteis de Belem.

Unless you are passing, I wouldnt bother - just as good tarts elsehwere, and the tower of Belem, whilst interesting wasnt really worth the queues and price.

have a custard tart

everywhere!

Cascais, we did a week in a few years back, I'm not sure about the bull comment above, they had some food/drink vans and movies on inflatable screens most nights the week we were there. We didn't really stay to watch whole movies, but it was cool to see the local kids finish school, hangout on the beach then watch movies later, a very different way of life to the UK.

I remember restaurant options being limited, within a 2 week trip (to the hijack poster not the OP) you'll have exhausted all the options I'm sure.

Time out market!!!!
Watch a couple of the TV shows, Rick Stein was good, and Travel man I think did one.
Don’t think about going ‘out out’ till at least midnight even then it’s quiet, gets properly busy by 2.00am.
It’s great.

TimeOut market is ok as long as your hearing works ok in a hububb of noise or you're not a sensory overload sufferer. It's very noisy in the evening.

If you need my recommendation to which part of Portugal to visit, I would say Setúbal.  It is a coastal city south of Lisbon, is surrounded by the Arrábida Natural Park, which is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arr%C3%A1bida_Natural_Park

Here’s a guide I found which you could find useful for your travel to Portugal https://gowithguide.com/blog/tourism-in-portugal-statistics-2023-the-ultimate-guide-5600 It contains top destinations, hidden gems, festivals, food, weather, transportation, dos & don’ts, and safety tips. Have an enjoyable and safe trip, @blokeuptheroad!

Just back, had a great weekend and would love to go back. Sintra was great, especially the Moorish castle. Other highlights were the No.28 tram, wandering around the backstreets in Alfama, custard tarts, Portuguese craft beer, wine. Very weird was the city cemetery with 'streets' of above ground crypts with windows showing the stacked coffins, some of which were falling apart spilling their contents! I also couldn't quite get my head around the OTT sardine shops with a Willy Wonka vibe! Cool, unusual and fun place!

I also couldn’t quite get my head around the OTT sardine shops with a Willy Wonka vibe!

I remember we were visiting the castelo s.jorge on a roasting hot day, we didn't have any water with us. Trudging round I saw a little coloured cart in the distance, all greens and yellows, figured it must be selling fruit, or smoothies, or the most wonderful refreshing cold drinks due to the fact it was so colourful. Parched, we dragged ourselves over to find...... Sardines. No liquid refreshment at all.

Museu do Aljube covers the resistance and civil war, I found it moving and a bit of an eye opener.

Another plus one for a trip to Sintra - you would really need a whole day though.