Traveling to Lisbon For the First Time? Here's What to Expect

Already a month into my volunteer program in Spain, I decided to visit another European country for the first time during the program. Was it difficult having to go all the way to Madrid from my small town in Castilla y Leon to catch a flight? Not really, but definitely time consuming so I had to plan ahead. I traveled to the nearest bus station early in the morning on a Friday, and arrived at the Madrid airport three hours later. This was when I realized I gave myself TOO MUCH time in between the bus ride and flight, because I arrived at the airport at 1 PM and my flight was ten hours later, haha! Too much time is better than no time at all, though! On the way home Monday was the same thing but in reverse: flight from Lisbon to Madrid, subway to Principe Pio train station, and then the ride back to my village. Planes, trains and automobiles in real life, am I right?! 

Anyway, let’s cut to the chase-Lisbon was a lot like Spain in terms of language, looks, and food but a guide for first time travelers is always necessary. I only spent two days there, but I made sure to see as much as I could, and here is what I have to say about it. 

Lisbon is very safe, and highly recommended as a first-time solo trip 

Not just by me, but several other travel articles. Portugal is also on many lists of top safest countries in Europe, and I am not surprised. There is not much pickpocketing, catcalling, or petty theft here, but I would still advise others to be cautious here as you would be everywhere. It is also one of the less crowded European cities, so it’s hard to get lost. People here are also very friendly and almost everyone speaks English except the elders. The elders don’t work in tourism anyway, haha! 

Do NOT take a taxi here, take an uber or public bus instead

Taxis are very expensive, and I spent 25 euros on one just from the airport to my hostel! However, when I ubered from my hostel to the airport, it was only 8 Euros. So uber is significantly cheaper! Public buses are only about 2 Euros per ride, but a pass is required to board one. However, public buses go all the way from the heart of Lisbon to the Belem Tower area, as well as the Christ the King statue across the bridge, so the pass could be worth it! Ubers are also about 8-9 Euros from the city centre to the Belem Tower area, so still not bad! The good news is that Lisbon is a very walkable city, and you really would only need to rely on transportation to get you to the Belem Tower area and across the bridge. However, Lisbon is very hilly so be prepared to be worn out while getting your steps in! 

Even though Portugal colonized Brazil, there are still things Portugal borrowed from Brazil

This includes the boardwalk design, the Christ the Redeemer statue, and the caipirinha. However, since I am not sure when I will make it to Brazil, I decided to enjoy these sights! The matching boardwalk design from Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro is found in Rossio Square, where most city walking tours start. And while the statue looks very similar, the Christ the Redeemer in Lisbon is actually called The Sanctuary of Christ the King, but was designed by the same sculptor! There is a running joke in Portugal about the reasoning as to why theirs is smaller than the one in Brazil and less known and it is that the sculptor did not have the money or time to make it as extravagant! Whether that is true or not, no one knows. But, this monument is right across Lisbon’s famous April 25th Bridge and a steep ten minute hike uphill! The tour guide told me this was the only way to access the monument and even said “if you are brave enough…” Truth is, even if you are not, the hike is only ten minutes and totally worth it! Thirdly, the Caipirinha is a cocktail that everyone thinks started in Rio de Janeiro, but it actually originated in Sao Paulo. Me, being a cocktail person, still went ahead and tried it during happy hour and it was still really good! Even though all these things are not originally Portuguese, they are still worth it in Lisbon. 

If the April 25th Bridge looks like the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s supposed to! 

The same bridge that leads to the Christ monument, this suspension bridge was built by the same person who built the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Funny that I have been to this one but not the original one! This bridge goes from the Almada District to the Alcantara District and you can see it from any rooftop in Lisbon. 

The Santa Justa Lift is a wonder but there is speculation on who the architect was

The walking tour guide told the group and I it was the same guy who built the Eiffel Tower, but when I went to fact check this, I was told differently. But, either way, this attraction can be found in the center of Lisbon and while it costs extra, you can go up it and see all of the city! 

Hostels are a great option in terms of accommodation 

Enough about architecture, let’s move on to solo travel talk, lol! I stayed at a hostel on a hill (or should I say one of the many in Lisbon!), near the Alfama District. This hostel was well organized with 24 hr reception, mixed and female only dorms (I stayed in a female one to be safe), and daily activities that included walking tours and pub crawls! There was also a lounge area upstairs where the guests hung out together and got to know one another. I bonded with a few people in my hostel, as we were all solo travelers who enjoyed sharing our experiences. Two of them and I also attended a walking tour of Lisbon together, so even though I was traveling solo, I never once felt alone! 

Cristiano Ronaldo is a popular face in Lisbon 

Is he from Lisbon? No. The iconic footballer is from the Madeira islands, but is the most famous person from Portugal. In every FC Portugal store in town, there is a wax sculpture of him. Usually wax figures creep me out, but these ones were too impressive! At the Saturday flea market, there are a lot of Jerseys with RONALDO on the back, as well as FC Portugal magnets and accessories. 

Lisbon has a lot of tiles, but the Portuguese did not start the trend 

The Moorish had a lot of influence on Lisbon, and they brought the tiles there in the Middle Ages. I did not have time to go, but there is also a National Tile Museum in Lisbon that I’m sure is worth checking out! Tile accessories are in nearly every shop in Lisbon and on many walls, and there is one interesting thing about the tiles developed by the Moorish as well. The Moorish took the fact that “Only God is perfect” very literally, as they should, so in every one of their works, one tile would be upside down. This was to show that everything but God was imperfect, including their artwork. In addition, the Sao Jorge Castle in Lisbon was not created by the Portuguese either. You guessed it, it was also built by the Moorish! 

The Francesinha is the national sandwich of Portugal 

It actually wasn’t originated in Lisbon, it was originated in Porto! But this sandwich is popular all throughout Portugal and consists of layers of toasted bread with melted cheese, thin steak, and ham all over hot tomato and beer sauce. There is also almost always an egg on top! Often served with french fries, this sandwich will fill you up but it is amazing! I looked everywhere for a restaurant that was open late at night and served this, and was beyond glad I found one. 

Want to know more about Lisbon and/or solo traveling there? Feel free to contact me!