48 HOURS IN LISBON, PORTUGAL

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, lies at the mouth of the Tagus, the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. Its large, sheltered natural harbour made the city an important seaport for trade between the Mediterranean Sea, northern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and even the Americas. Today, the waterfront is packed with docks, wharfs, and marinas – ensuring it remains as important now as it did in the past.

Lisbon is also a city of culture and cafes. It is easy to walk around without a car, and there are plenty of places to stop, relax, and enjoy a drink or some food.

As my regular readers will know, my advice when visiting a new city (or one you haven’t been to for a long time) is to buy a ticket for a hop-on hop-off bus tour. These buses allow you to get a sense of the city and see some of the most important sites, plus you can spot places you’d like to go back to and spend a bit more time at.

One place you may like to spend a couple of hours, is the Vasco da Gama Tower. This has been closed for over 25 years but has just re-opened (Spring 2023) after a full refurb, and it is well worth the visit. It is currently the tallest skyscraper in Lisbon and offers fabulous views over the city and Tagus River.  Take the glass elevator to the top, enjoy the scenery, treat yourself to a drink and fill your camera with photos.

The Tower is easily accessed via a walk through Parque das Nações. The area is colloquially known as ‘Expo’ as it was built on the site of the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition. It’s a combination of residential and commercial, with shops and cafes, plus a number of internationally themed gardens each inspired by a different area of the world. It’s a great place to walk and hang out. Choose the buzz of the cafes or quietness of the gardens – take your pick!

While there, make sure to admire the giant, colourful sculpture of an Iberian Lynx. It is made entirely from waste plastic by the artivist Artur Bordalo (Bordalo II).  His art from waste, usually depicting various animals, can be spotted all over the city including adorning the rough concrete walls along the edges of busy main roads. Keep your eyes peeled!

Don’t want to walk? Then take the sky gondola: the Telecabine Lisboa also referred to as the Nations Park Gondola Lift. The trip lasts about 10minutes travelling 1230 meters along the edge of the Tagus River – with, once again, some wonderful views.

As the city sits on the mouth of the Tagus (or Tejo, in Portuguese), a river trip is a must. There are plenty of tourist boats to choose from, including the blue hop-on hop-off Lisboat. Alternatively jump on the public ferry and cross the river to explore the opposite bank. And if you fancy trying your hand at sailing then Jose Almeida, owner of Tejo a Vela, will ‘show you the ropes’ on one of his small sailing yachts where you can get truly close to the wind and the water.

Whichever option you choose, seeing Lisbon from the water gives you an entirely new perspective on the city. And if you are lucky, you may even see soe dolphins. These beautiful creatures started to return to the estuary during the Covid lockdowns when the river was quiet, and the noise and pollution of the human occupants was less intrusive.  They can still sometimes be seen today, most often at high tide.

If you have a bit more time to spare, then I recommend hiring a car and driving across the 11km Vasco Da Gama Bridge for a stay at the lodges of Companhia das Lezírias. It feels like another world, so far from the bustle of the city. Here you can relax in nature and take a deep, soothing breath to let the stress fall away.

 

 

If you are a wine lover, I suggest a visit the vineyard to try their organic wines. For those suffering with a sweet tooth, ask to sample their new dessert wine which is reminiscent of the honey-flavoured Tokaji wine from Hungary. Delicious.

The farm also grows cork oak and olives and is dedicated to working with, not against, nature. At EVOA they have set aside around 70 hectares as wetland specifically for migrating and resident birds. This is a great place to spend a few hours; flat paths take you between the tall grasses to a variety of hides positioned to allow you to watch pink flamingos and purple herons stalk through the water among marbled teals, avocets, redshanks and sandpipers.  Need a break from your binoculars? Then head to the café for a light lunch or coffee.

And when it’s time to go home, Companhia Das Lezirias is only 30minutes from Lisbon city centre and the airport.

I was lucky enough to be shown around Lisbon by Paula Gonçalves from Companhia das Lezírias. Paula is passionate about the connection between green spaces in urban environments and human wellbeing. As Paula pointed out, if you create a lovely space for people, they will use it, and if they use it, they feel better. For example, a small, grassy hillock was buzzing with families picnicking, and a series of wide stone steps leading to the water’s edge hosted couples and groups of young friends drinking take-away coffees and iced sodas. It seems Kevin Costner had the right idea: if you build it, they will come.

Generally, Portugal isn’t the easiest place to find vegan food. Vegetarian is relatively straightforward, but vegan is a little trickier. However, Lisbon has really embraced the move to plant-based eating with a wide choice of vegan eateries. Check out DaTerra which serves buffet style meals and has a range of vegan desserts including a delicious banoffee pie.

I stayed at the Vila Galé Opera Hotel. It is close to the waterfront with easy access to the restaurants of the marina, and only about 15minutes by taxi to the airport. It has comfortable rooms, a buffet breakfast (not much for vegans, unfortunately) and, in the lobby, a fascinating wall of glass cases containing costumes from the opera.

Lisbon is a great destination in itself, but it’s also the perfect place to start your adventure into the less explored countryside of Portugal.

 

FACT BOX
Companhia das Lezirias – cl.pt
DaTerra – daterra.pt
EVOA – evoa.pt
Hope-on Hop-off bus tour – shop.visitlisboa.com/collections/tours
Lisboat – visitlisboa.com/en/places/lisboat
Parque das Nacoes – visitlisboa.com/en/places/jardim-parque-das-nacoes
Tejo a Vela – facebook.com/tejovela
Vasco da Gama Tower – visitlisboa.com/en/places/vasco-da-gama-tower
Vila Galé Opera Hotel – vilagale.com/en
Visit Lisbon – visitlisboa.com

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chantal Cooke is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and co-founder of PASSION for the PLANET.

Chantal is passionate about tourism being used as a force for good.  You can follow her adventures on Facebook and Twitter @chantalcooke and on Instagram @Chantaldcooke