Lisbon, Portugal

• More about your oliver guide: Barbara Rees
• Trip type: Adult, Family, Beach, City
• Activity level: easy
• Ideal length of trip: One week

to & from

TAP, the Portuguese National Carrier, has direct flights into the Lisbon from the East and West Coast. The flight attendants have been named “the most handsome” crew by a popular London based magazine.

Where to Stay

There are so many options and it depends on how long you stay. For families, I recommend the group, Martinhal, with properties in Lisbon, the Algarve and Guincho. The Four Seasons has incredible service and is very old-world Portuguese with many staff members working there for decades. For a newer option, there The One which is well-located on Avenida Liberdade. Or for a perfect smaller hotel try the Valverde Lisboa. It’s also nice to start your trip outside of busy Lisbon in the seaside towns of Estoril or Cascais. From there you can take a 20-minute train ride along the coast into the city centre but your mornings or late evening are ideal for long strolls, bike rides, or runs on the 2-mile promenade from Estoril to Cascais. In Estoril, The Palacio Estoril has the feel of the Copacabana in Rio and is a little tired but still wonderful- make sure you take a room overlooking the pool. It’s one of the favorite hotels for European aristocracy, and has a connection to the James Bond films. Sadly, the Estoril Casino has been built right near it yet the hotel remains a quiet, elegant choice.

• The gym at The Four Seasons has a view over the city and an outside rooftop jogging track. The indoor pool is a beautifully designed space for pure relaxation.

Where to Eat and Drink

The Chinese Pavillion (Pivihlão Chinês) is a super cool bar with hyper decoration. It’s always been popular with locals (my husband is from Lisbon). Gambrinus is one very, very traditional Portuguese. Versaille for coffee and lunch in a beautiful atmosphere. And for Michelin try Fifty Seconds.

Garrett in Estoril is the place to be for breakfast, lunch and an afternoon aperatif.

Furnas do Guincho for a dinner on the ocean in the seaside area of Guincho- gorgeous, busy and food is delicious

What to Do

Culinary Backstreets has some fantastic foodie tours and I can’t recommend them highly enough. For fun shopping definitely go to LX Factory in a previous industrial area that is full of interesting boutiques and groovy places to eat. Also Time Out is a massive “food court” where you’ll sample every type of Portuguese food and other international selections. The tour books will list the major tourist site…may favorites

• Of course, visit Sintra, where nobles resided during the summer months to escape the heat of Lisbon. Visit the charming Pena Palace (Palácio da Pena) while having lunch at the Tivoli Palácio des Seteais. It's an 18th century palace which is now a hotel. The gardens are magical.
• The Ajuda Place is in Lisbon but slightly outside the centre but soooo worth the cab ride. It still preserves life of the royal family in the early 19th century.
• Grab a bike in Cascais and cycle to the beaches at Guincho. If you're a good surfer, it's world famous for its waves though not recommended for regular swimming due to currents.
• Keep the kids occupied with Clube Naval de Cascais for sailing classes that are fun and very popular for local families.
• Pedacos de Aventura in Estoril has a tree top ropes course that's a fun family activity. It's in a little park and my kids have done it many times over our summers in Portugal.
• If you want to experience Fado try Maria da Mouraria for dinner and song (Fado can be a little depressing-just a warning)
• Stop by Vista Alegre in Chiado for beautiful ceramics

inside scoop

Lisbon has become extremely popular. The fabric of the city has changed tremendously over the past decade due to the “golden visa” with about 40K foreigner’s moving to Portugal every year. The government has stopped the expansion of Airbnb within Lisbon and most foreign real estate investment needs to be made in other regions of the country. In the summer, Lisbon is very crowded and you’ll get a better feel of the authentic country outside of Lisbon. It’s better to visit in the month of May or October- avoiding last week in May with the UK bank holiday.

• The area of Chiado is busy and fun BUT on weekends can be an unattractive scene of binge drinking, partying young tourists.
• Be careful of the tile shops claiming antique tiles, go to reputable places, such as Cortiço & Netos
• Bordello Pinheiros (the gorgeous green "cabbage" ceramics) has an outlet one hour outside of Lisbon
• If the lines aren't to long the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is a visual feast for the eyes
• Stivali Lisboa boutique off of Avenida Liberdade- they have the best buyers and feature high end brands and others you may not have heard 0f- summer sale in July is fantastic

skip it

There is nothing Portuguese (any more) in the shops in the Baixa. It’s all tourist stores that are uninteresting and slightly sad in their efforts to commercialise anything remotely famous/traditional in Portugal. If you visit, don’t linger and spend time in exploring other parts of the city.

What to Pack

Hogan sneakers to make a casual look slightly more elevated. Can’t live without Argan Oil from Morocco to hydrate face on long flights. For travel thoughts and notes, Smythson Travel journal- super thin tissue-like paper that feels special. Cuyana carry on travel bags- good looking, well priced and designed for easy access of items during the flight.