Created by 3GoExploring.
With its charming cobbled streets, iconic trams, and hidden alleyways, Lisbon is a treasure trove waiting to be explored. Our adventure started brightly in the morning with a sail into Lisbon. Following Storm Kirk, we were the first ship to be accepted into the Tagus River. It was a rather bumpy journey getting into the river, but we were quickly shielded by the storm once in.
Our day started as most do onboard, a good hearty breakfast, Lisbon was a first for us, however in this booming city there is always something new to offer and many tourists make return visits.
We started our adventure on a long walk to Belem Tower, the majority of this walk follows the seafront, you do have to navigate the train tracks at times and cross a few bridges! Google Maps was our greatest friend on this walk, the seafront is very popular and lively with locals and tourists. Belem Tower, built in the 16th century as a defence fortress, now a UNESCO World Heritage site is a must-see in Lisbon with intricate stone carving architecture.
Close to Belem Tower is a poignant monument known as the Monument to the Discoveries that commemorates the death of Prince Henry the Navigator.
Here you can also gain beautiful views of the Tagus River and Sanctuary of Christ the King inspired by Christ Redeemer in Brazil, a statue we will certainly see on our South America voyage in 2026.
Just a short stroll from Belem Tower is the impressive Jeronimos Monastery, an architectural wonder portraying the gothic design of the 16th century, we did not enter the Monastery but instead marvelled at the design from outside. Hot Tip, if you're planning on going to the Monastery, do take into account that it gets very busy and queues are 2 hours+ to get in.
Surrounding Jeronimos Monastery, there are plenty of parks and gardens. Empire Square Garden was a great area for us to soak in the atmosphere before starting our walk back into the city centre.
Ultimately Lisbon is divided into three districts: Bairro Alto, Alfama, and Baixa. Bairro Alto is known for its lively atmosphere, with narrow cobbled streets which are transformed into lively bars at night.
Alfama is Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhood and feels like a maze of winding streets and steep hills to negotiate. On our way to the castle, we stopped at Miradouro do Recolhimento, a great scenic point that overlooks the centre of Lisbon and the National Pantheon.
Castelo de Sao Jorge formally the royal residence with palace ruins, entrance into the castle is chargeable, however we walked around the grounds with the castle walls that are 1000 years old towering around us!
Alfama certainly deserves time to explore the alleyways and historical charm that it holds close to Lisbon, we found we were exploring Alfama for a few hours, with roaming the Cathedral to taking in the Trams.
Baixa is the heart of Lisbon, with the Arco Da Rua Augusta arch, a portal into Lisbon. We were after a secondary viewpoint and came across Santa Justa Lift, a 1912 elevator, you can go up halfway for free but otherwise must pay, you can access this freely through Carmo Restaurant.
We found that every district had its hidden alleyways with the authentic character of colourful buildings and traditional ceramic tiles. The iconic trams travel through all districts, the famous tram is Route 28 which takes you on a journey through Lisbon and you pass alleyways that are only passable by tram!
Check out our video of the trams passing one of the smallest alleyways. We also found the World's Oldest Bookstore, as you know Amy is an avid reader and delved into the book world in this store and we would highly recommend a visit.
We had a brilliant time in Lisbon and fortunately will be coming back here onboard Arcadia in May 2025. We found the city holds the grandeur of historical routes with a modern twist.
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