Natas and a heritage lesson on a Mouraria food tour, a Banksy museum that changed how I see his work, a soggy, roundabout day in Sintra, and a lot of hills on foot.
“I traded sightseeing for just walking.”
A sunrise flight back through Barcelona, and I was in Portugal for my last solo stretch. I spent it
on foot. I took the bus to and from the airport and walked everywhere else, apart from the train to
Sintra. The hills were fine and I got a lot of steps in, but I didn’t see as much as I could have,
and the food stole the show. No Belém and no fado this time.
It’s a 4 out of 5. I’d return to Lisbon, but I’d put other parts of Portugal first: the Algarve, or
the Azores, where our family is from. There wasn’t time for Porto on this trip, and I have no
regrets about that.
Highlights
The food tour, my favorite of the whole trip: a really great guide, perfectly cooked octopus, samosas at Cantinho do Aziz, and the best bite, the natas at Fábrica da Nata
Museu Banksy Lisboa: the explanations and the timeline of his work gave me much more appreciation for his art
Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra: the history, the layout of the grounds and palace, and how it changed hands and evolved over time
Walking everywhere: the hills, the miradouros, and just experiencing the city
Misses
Sintra's bus route is one-way. I didn't get off where Google Maps said (nobody else was getting off), ended up at the wrong palace, and had to ride the whole loop back
Rain on the Sintra day made finding the right bus more hectic
Didn't see as much as I could have: after the Majorca break it was harder to get my momentum back
No Belém, no fado
Next time
In Sintra, trust the map and get off at your stop, even if nobody else does
Look for a hotel with AC near Praça da Figueira
Next time in Portugal: the Algarve first, or the Azores, where our family is from
Bring a short history cheat sheet for sights like Quinta da Regaleira
Day by day
Sun, Sep 27
Baixa, Chiado & a first sunset
Pictures on every menu.
Arriving alone didn't feel odd at all after Majorca. It felt natural. The bus in from the airport showed me a lot of the city along the way, and after checking in I walked through an open-air market in the park along the Avenida da Liberdade.
Then Rossio, up past the Elevador da Glória into Chiado, garlic shrimp at the Time Out Market, the river at Cais do Sodré and Praça do Comércio, and up the Bica funicular street to the Miradouro de Santa Catarina at sunset. Dinner was at a kebab shop near the hotel, Xburger Grill & Kebab, in a tiled dining room, and it was really good.
Lisbon was harder to read when it came to finding good food. It felt more touristy, with pictures of the food everywhere and people trying to bring you in, which usually isn't a good sign. On the food tour I learned why: the pictures make it easier to communicate, since so many visitors struggle with Portuguese. That makes a lot of sense.
Planned: Check in 14:30 · Rossio · Tram 28 · Miradouro de Santa Catarina · Fado in Bairro Alto
"Welcome to Lisboa" from the airport busComing in over the Atlantic coastLisbon and the Tagus from the airRossio's wave-pattern cobblestonesRossio and the column of Pedro IVThe fountain in RossioUp the Elevador da Glória streetA painted Baroque church in ChiadoChiado's cobbled streetsRua do Alecrim from the bridgeTime Out MarketGarlic shrimp at Time Out MarketThe Tagus at Cais do SodréPraça do Comércio panoramaA steep side streetTracks of the Bica funicularSunset from the Miradouro de Santa CatarinaCristo Rei across the riverRua do Carmo toward the Santa Justa walkwayCastelo de São Jorge above the Baixa at duskAzulejo-lined dining roomTile panorama of old Lisbon
Mon, Sep 28
The food tour & the Banksy museum
Stories that need to be told.
Sunrise over Praça da Figueira from the window, and a coffee and a doughnut at Pastelaria Suíça.
I felt like I'd left a little part of myself in Majorca. I'd enjoyed it so much that it was hard to imagine anything being better. I didn't let that stop me, but it made it harder to get going and find the motivation to lock in. I found it again quickly, by walking around and letting myself experience things without expectation.
At midday, the food tour through Mouraria and the Baixa was my top memory of Lisbon and my favorite food tour of the whole trip. Every stop was really good. The octopus at one stop was prepared perfectly, and the samosas at Cantinho do Aziz were a major standout, but the best bite was the natas at Fábrica da Nata. They were amazing. It was the tour with the most dishes I enjoyed, and the guide did a great job explaining things and sharing the history. It was really nice to learn more about my own heritage while enjoying good food and drinks.
In the afternoon I walked up through the tiled streets to Museu Banksy Lisboa. I'd found it while researching Lisbon and really wanted to go, and I'm so glad I did. I spent about two hours there, photographing basically every piece along with its description card (far more than are here). Seeing the explanations and the timeline of his work gave me much more appreciation for his art. For me, Banksy uses his art to tell the stories that otherwise go untold. So many underrepresented groups in the world don't get proper coverage, and the way he provokes an emotional response is really inspiring. It picked up a thread that kept coming back all trip, from the Orsay on: my own creativity, and my ability to express myself.
Back via Marquês de Pombal.
Planned: Museu Banksy Lisboa 10:30 · Alfama · Castelo de São Jorge · Portas do Sol
Sunrise over Praça da Figueira from the windowCoffee and a doughnut at Pastelaria SuíçaRestauradores and the Avenida PalaceRestauradoresA classic car in a courtyardMouraria on the food tourTiles, cobbles and a blue doorMouraria stairs and street artThe Santa Justa LiftFábrica da Nata: the best bite of the Lisbon food tourNatas being made at Fábrica da NataAzulejo sign: Leitaria e ManteigariaTiled façades on the walk northTiled façade and twin doorsTiles and street artPatterned-tile buildingMore tiled façadesMuseu Banksy LisbonBanksy: "No Future" girl with balloonBanksy: the Buckingham Palace guardBanksy: Devolved ParliamentBanksy: "I want to be what you saw in me"Banksy: Sale Ends TodayBanksy: No TrespassingBanksy: the girl frisking the soldierMarquês de PombalTram lines at Praça da Figueira
Tue, Sep 29
Sintra in the rain
That one was my fault.
Sintra was the letdown of Lisbon. It was sprinkling when I got to the train station, which made finding the right bus more hectic. There are multiple palaces and the bus route is one-way. I didn't get off where Google Maps told me to, because nobody else was getting off and it didn't seem right, so I ended up at the wrong palace and had to go the whole way around the route to get back to the stop I should have taken.
It was my own mistake, but I wasn't hard on myself. I switched straight into fixing mode and worked out how to get things back on track. Being on my own made it easier: there was nobody else to let down, and I was the only one who had to adjust.
I missed my timed entry at Quinta da Regaleira by about five minutes, but a quick stop at the ticket booth and they let me right in: the Initiation Well, the grottoes and the gardens. Learning the history, seeing the layout of the grounds and the palace, and reading about how it changed hands and evolved over time was really interesting.
I had mixed feelings about the Initiation Well. Walking down it was definitely interesting, but my limited knowledge of the Masons gave me pause about what it really represented. I try not to let conspiracy talk get to me, but between not understanding what they're about and the things I've heard, I was left wondering what those rituals really meant. Next time I'd like a short history cheat sheet for places like this, so I know what I'm looking at. I didn't make it to Pena, and I'm not sure I'd make the trip again just for another palace.
Back in Lisbon by mid-afternoon. At night, students in academic capes paraded through the square below the hotel.
Planned: Train from Rossio to Sintra 08:30 · Pena Palace · Quinta da Regaleira · Tram 15 to Belém · Pastéis de Belém
Quinta da Regaleira, finallyLooking down the Initiation WellThe Initiation Well's spiral galleriesThe bottom of the Initiation WellLooking up from the bottomRegaleira's grotto and pondThrough the tunnelsThe Unfinished WellRegaleira's terrace and towerThe palace through the treesCastelo de São Jorge from the BaixaRua Augusta and its archStudents in academic capes parading at nightThe student parade in the square
Wed, Sep 30
Last coffee, on to London
Was London worth it?
A cinnamon bun and a flat white, a walk up to the Alameda, then the bus to the airport.
Honestly, I wasn't really looking forward to London. I was wishing I could go back to Majorca. I was flying British Airways, so I had a nice, relaxing time in the lounge, but I was still pining for the island. London is so expensive, and I'd started thinking about how much the trip was costing and whether that much time there was really going to be worth it. Don't get me wrong: I love London, and I'm glad I went. But at the time, I was questioning it.
Planned: Fly LIS→LHR
Last-morning cinnamon bun and flat whiteThe view down the Alameda
Arrival: PMI→BCN→LIS with a Barcelona layover, then the bus into the Baixa
Figueira House in Beira Minho · Praça da Figueira, Baixa · 3 nights · 3/5 Amazing, super-convenient location, and Rosemary was super nice and memorable for her charm. But no AC in hot, humid weather, a noisy window over the square, nothing commercial-grade in the room, and tiny towels (one barely bigger than a washcloth, one a bath mat). The entrance was hard to find because a flower shop fills the entryway by day. Fine solo, but I'd look for another place near that location.
Playbook from this leg
Worked Museu Banksy Lisboa is worth the visit
Do differently Expect a momentum dip after a beach break
Do differently Sintra's palace bus is one-way: get off where the map says
