Liberation in Lisbon

Intro

Lisbon was a fine city. I loved the square and being able to walk along the river with a beer. While I was there, it was Dia da Liberdade (Freedom Day), which was amazing to see, especially the march open to anyone in the public.

The food and culture were very similar to Porto. The main difference was that there were a few little pockets of nightlife throughout the city instead of being all centred in one location.

Overall, Lisbon is worth the visit. There are many great sites and experiences. However, it is a larger city, which has its downsides. Spend a night or two here while going to the Algarve or Sintra.

Lisbon is likely not a good city for you if you cannot travel up hills or stairs. It is incredibly hilly—think San Francisco level.

Quick Facts about Lisbon

Getting Around: The tram system easily takes you to Belem and nearby suburbs. Don't bother with the historic tram in Central Lisbon unless you do it early in the morning. The carts are tiny and get completely packed. Be prepared for lots of stairs and hills when walking.

Accommodation: Lisbon accommodation is expensive, but it shouldn't break the bank. Due to housing affordability issues, there is an anti-AirBnB sentiment within Lisbon (and Portugal). I'd suggest choosing traditional Hotels or Hostels to support the locals.

Must do

Dia da Liberdade (Freedom Day)

I was lucky enough to time my trip to Lisbon with Dia da Liberdade (Freedom Day), the Portuguese national day, which occurs every year on the 25th of April. This day celebrates the Carnation Revolution, in which the last dictator was overthrown, and Portugal became a democratic country. 2024 was also the 50th anniversary, so the celebrations were on an extra scale compared to what they normally would be.

There were two major components to the festivities that you should see:

Festival in Praça do Comércio
Freedom Day March

Festival in Praça do Comércio

One of the centre points of celebrations is Praça do Comércio. Here, a festival runs throughout the day and the surrounding days. You'll see everything from light shows to live music. The highlight I saw here was a light projection show. This show projected images across the Triumph Arch and the surrounding buildings. It told the story of the revolution, the people involved, and its impact on Portugal. Seeing this on the night of the 24th helped to set the context and tone for the day itself.

Freedom Day March

Another important event during the day is the march. Every year on the 25th of April, there is a parade through Lisbon, starting from the Parque Eduardo VII and heading down the Avenida da Liberdade. This march is open to anyone and everyone. It was a unique experience. Coming from Australia, protesting isn't ingrained into our culture like in other nations (historically, Australians haven't had to fight too hard to gain rights). Seeing a completely open protest march, with different groups joining to protest their issues, was a completely unique experience for me; I have never experienced anything like that before.

Belem

Belem is a very interesting area on the western side of Lisbon. You can easily spend a whole day in this area. Here, you will find plenty of museums, historical monuments, one of the largest monasteries in Portugal and a unique version of the Pastel de Nata. Two locations to see are Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and Torre de Belem.

Maritime Museum

For anyone aware of Portugal's history, a key aspect is its maritime history. Portugal was one of the nations that, in the 16th-18th century, was sailing around the world and discovering the New World. (Yes, this new world was not being truly discovered; instead, they were colonising and taking land from the native people.) This museum has a great collection of items to show off Portugal's maritime history, seeing what it was like for the people on the ships and how they could travel the globe.

Coach Museum

A unique museum, the Coach Museum, featured a collection of classical old coaches, from prisoner transport wagons to royal carriages. It was incredibly interesting to see how royalty travelled a few hundred years ago. I wouldn't want to travel in even the best one now.

Pasteis de Belem

If you've spent some time in Portugal, you have had one (or many) Pasteis de Nata. Belem features a unique version called the Pasteis de Belem. What makes it unique is the recipe and way of making it. The only location in the world that has the recipe to make the Pasteis de Belem is the bakery of the same name. This recipe is unique since it comes from the nearby Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and is completely secret, known only by the bakers. Try one and compare it to the de Natas you have had throughout the rest of your trip.

Cascai & Sintra

A must-do day trip is to Cascais and Sintra. Here, you will find amazing natural views and castles. The tour I went on was run by the hostel where I was staying, but you can easily do this yourself, or there are countless tours you can find going from Lisbon.

Palacio de Pena

Palacio de Pena is the most striking location in Sintra. It is a palace on the peak of a hill painted in traditional Portuguese colours (red and yellow). It is iconic and visible from many locations nearby. You will likely find that it is very busy and potentially hard to find tickets. If you don't get a ticket to the palace, go to one of the nearby vantage points to view the palace from afar.

Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleria is a property in Sintra. It features a gothic manor house, a massive garden space to explore and some iconic interiors. One of the most iconic locations here is the Initiation Well. This well, where you can walk from the top down into the tunnels below, is incredibly interesting. The view from the bottom is completely unique as if you're looking out of a tower and into the sky. Leaving via the tunnels, you will find some amazing waterside cave openings. It is one of the more stunning locations to see during the day trip.

Cape Roca

A trip west of Lisbon wouldn't be complete without visiting Cape Roca. Cape Roca is the westernmost point of mainland Europe. This in itself is cool. However, the beauty of the ocean adds to the whole area. Looking out to the seemingly endless Atlantic ocean, coupled with the forts and buildings dotted along the coast that are hundreds of years old. Here is where your day can open up. You can use the time to surf at one of the numerous beaches, hike along coastal walks or even relax by the sea.

Places I listed to visit

Places I liked

Alfama - This is a very interesting district in Lisbon.
Mosteiro dos jeronimos - Amazingly large monestary
Praça do Comercio - Everything happens here, very much the centre of town
Torre de Belem - Great little tower in the water
Bairro Alto - Another very interesting district within Lisbon
Chiado - Same again as the others, one of the nice districts in Lisbon
Santa Justa Lift - This interesting historical lift gives access from the bottom of Lisbon to the top. Don't ride up it. Walk around and enter from the top.
Livraria sa da Costa - The oldest continuously running Library in the world.
A Brasileira - The cafe that originally popularised coffee in Portugal
O Trevo - Really, really good bifana.
Sintra
Maritime museum
Coach museum

Places I didn't get to

Lisbon aquarium
Callisto gulbenkian museum
Musei national do azulejo
Feira da ladra

Places I didn't like

Castello de st Jorge - Not the most interesting place and costs too much to enter.

Conclusion

Lisbon is definitely a city that is worth visiting. It wasn't as good as Porto, but that comes from being a larger city for me. If you really love cities then you very well could enjoy Lisbon more. Even though it was bigger I did find I got bored quicker in Lisbon than in Porto. With it's proximity to popular regional areas of Portugal it would make a lot of sense to fit Lisbon into your trip, especially passing through on the way to the Algarve or to Cascais. I did realy enjoy how each neighbourhood felt distinct and the history of each neighbourhood really shone through. If you're doing a trip to Portugal you should definitely fit it in, but don't build a trip around visiting Lisbon.