Travelling Lisbon – Charming Portugal
Travelling Lisbon – Discovering the City
Lisbon, the capital and largest city in Portugal, is a cruise port which I always enjoy visiting. One of my absolute favourite things about travelling Lisbon, is the long, slow sail along the Targus River. It’s a truly amazing sail as you edge up the river and under the bright red Vasco de Gama Bridge. If you’re sailing on a large ship, it can appear as though the ship won’t quite fit under the bridge, although it comfortably does. When travelling Lisbon you’ll enjoy a range of attractions to keep you entertained, facilitating in an unforgettable holiday adventure.
You can see many of the city’s sights on the sail into Lisbon. On the Northern bank of the Tagus you’ll pass by The Monument to the Discoveries– a bright white monument which is dedicated to the so-called Age of Discovery, during the 16th and 16th centuries. Due to its perfect position at the edge of the Mediterranean, and the ease of access into the city via the Tagus, Lisbon was a major centre for trade, mercantilism and exploration during this period.
Their Christian statue, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ which looks over Lisbon, is also easily viewed on a sail into the city. It sits atop of a hill, and seems to look down over the city, watching and guarding it, much like the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio.
There are two different cruise ports for the city of Lisbon, generally your cruise line will offer a shuttle bus service from the port to Praca do Comercio. This is a stunning square and walking through the imposing arch will lead you towards the heart of the city.
Lisbon is relatively compact which makes it easy to discover on foot. However, if you wish to use public transport there is a fantastic retro tram system which takes you around town easily and quickly. Bright yellow tram 28 travels around most of the important tourist attractions in the city and also explores many of the smaller, winding streets which are so interesting. This is a great way to see as much of the city as possible in a short space of time, but it can get very crowded so it’s best to get there early.
When travelling Lisbon you’ll notice the buildings are undoubtedly beautiful and charming. Wherever you go in the city you’ll notice colourful and intricate tile work adorning buildings, both large and small. The streets are vastly different throughout the city- some are wide, spacious and lined with glamorous shops, others are narrow, winding and mysterious. These differences mean that there’s something different to discover on almost every street.
There are plenty of chic shops and boutiques in the city centre if you doing a spot of shopping while you’re travelling Lisbon. There are also a multitude of cafés, bars and restaurants that are perfect for partaking in a spot of people watching whilst enjoying the sunshine and sampling some local food or drink (or both!).
There are many places in the area around the city that you may like to explore if you’ve been travelling Lisbon before, or would simply like to escape the buzz of the city. Cascais and Estorial, two beautiful seaside towns, are easily accessible by train from the centre of the city. They both have gorgeous sandy beaches and are perfect spots to relax in the sun for a few hours. When travelling Lisbon there’s certainly an abundance of attractions to immerse yourself in, treat yourself to city escape and discover Lisbon’s array of majestic enticements.
Emma shares all of her travel adventures, tips and advice on her two websites Emma’s Travel Tales and Emma On Board, as well as writing for a number of other online publications. She has also partnered with many large companies and tourism boards around the world. She’s busy making memories around the world…
I’m Emma, a twenty-something Scottish girl who’s obsessed with travel.
I’ve been to 38 countries so far and had some incredible adventures around the world.
My passion for travel and writing led me to create my person blog Emma’s Travel Tales.