Amazing Places We Visited on Our Lisbon, Portugal Trip
Recently, I went on one of the most memorable trips I've ever been on—my boyfriend and I's first couples trip to Lisbon, Portugal. It's safe to say we made the most of the five days we were there and visited as many places of interest as we could!
Here are the fantastic places we visited on our trip, from cathedrals to gardens, national monuments, and more.
Se Cathedral Lisbon (Lisbon Cathedral)
This was the first primary site we visited after leaving the Humberto Delgado Airport. We had a few hours to spare before checking into our hotel.
A couple of underground trains and roughly seven kilometres later, we arrived at downtown Lisbon and ate a quick bite before making our way up to the cathedral.
As you can see from the photos, it’s a beautiful cathedral with lots of history. Built in the 12th century, its architecture is a nice mix of gothic and medieval design. Interestingly, the cathedral's cloisters were once the site of a mosque.
From the main outdoor balcony, we could see the Christ the King statue (situated in Almada, Portugal), which overlooked the city of Lisbon.
Though the main cathedral itself was free to view, we paid €5 per person to explore the surrounding areas, including the towers and museum.
Jardim Botânico Lisbon (Lisbon Botanical Gardens)
The Lisbon Botanical Gardens, known to have one of Europe's largest collections of subtropical vegetation, had over ten acres of beauty. I liked how the various species of flora were labelled. My favourite was the giant monster plants! I’d have a monstera plant at home if I knew my kitten Xylo would leave it alone. A girl can dream. I was sure to take photos in front of that display.
There were many sculptures scattered around the gardens. Though some areas were a bit overgrown, it wasn’t at all a deterrent. At €4.00 per person, you can even visit the palace from the 1600s, which displays an exhibition.
“Lisbon is clarity through the air. Lisbon is the stained color of the walls. Lisbon is new moss rising over dry moss. Lisbon is the design of cracks, like lightning, running down the surface of the walls. Lisbon is a judicious imperfection. Lisbon is the reflected sky.”
Castelo de São Jorge (St. Jorge’s Castle)
Thirty minutes of an uphill walk from our hotel led us to Castelo de São Jorge, a historic landmark and a must-see. The castle's fortifications date back to the first century BC and show signs of human occupation in the eighth century BC.
The Moors later modified it in the eleventh century. Having housed several Kings of Portugal, royals and bishops until the sixteenth century, the castle was restored in 1938 and has since been a well-visited site with newly found Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian ruins.
Expect to see some peacocks walking along the castle wall and on the grounds. Also, don’t forget to check out the castle’s café, where we had some great sandwiches and some of the city's best views.
We could see the castle’s silhouette from our hotel, which was well-lit at night.
Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square)
The Praça do Comércio is a popular harbour-facing central plaza. Its buildings are yellow and Pombaline-styled. At the centre is a statue of King Joseph I on his horse, Gentil.
According to Visit Portugal’s post, before the 1755 earthquake, it was called the Terreiro do Paço (Royal Yard). The Royal Palace had been sited on the square's western side since the 16th century when King Manuel transferred the court down from the Castle of São Jorge (St. George). In 1580, Filipe I of Portugal ordered the building of a new square, which was the work of Filippo Terzi and Juan Herrera (the architect responsible for the Escorial).
Jardim do Príncipe Real (Prince Real Garden)
Unfortunately, we didn’t take any pictures at this stop. However, Jardim do Príncipe Real was a scenic green haven in the city. It provided calm and quietness, nestled in the urban landscape as we planned our next tram ride.
We planned to check out the underground stone reservoir beneath the garden; however, there were no English guides then. The reservoir contains the National Monument water museum called Águas Livres Aqueduct.
“Portuguese is cheerful and sweet, like a language of birds.”
Torre de Belém (Belém Tower)
The queue for the Belem Tower stretched to Mars and back, so we didn’t bother to head in. Funnily enough, we stood outside the tower and watched a random YouTube walking tour, so we were able to see what it looked like inside anyway. I’m sure the view of the waters would have been beautiful, but I’m glad that we were able to save a few euros either way.
Jerónimos Monastery & the Church of Santa Maria
The monastery was built by King Manuel I in 1502. It’s astonishing and only about a twenty-minute walk from Torre de Belém. The pictures would have to do all the talking for this fantastic, well-crafted monastery.
The surrounding grounds were just as picturesque, and its church's display of wealth and architecture was breathtaking. The church houses the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões, a Portuguese poet and writer.
P.S. Maybe buy a ticket when you get there; otherwise, you may be ridiculously overcharged if you order one online (depending on the website)!
Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries)
After a full day of exploring the city centre and visiting Torre de Belém, the Jerónimos Monastery, and the Church of Santa Maria, we headed ‘under’ the major road to access the Padrão dos Descobrimentos.
It was such a relaxing outdoor spot to unwind and glance at the monument to our near left and Torre de Belém in the distance on our far right.
Oceanário de Lisboa (Lisbon Oceanarium)
On the day that we visited Oceanário de Lisboa, we took one of the Lime scooters near Praça do Comércio and rode to its location in Parque das Nações. It was much further than anticipated, so we just took a bus back.
The oceanarium is one of the largest indoor aquariums in Europe. It was my first time visiting a place like that, so of course, I was in awe. You can tell that the animals are treated well, and the surroundings are well taken care of.
Walking Tour
The walking tour we did deserves a separate blog post. It covered Lisbon, Portugal’s rich history by delving into sites such as the Church of St Dominic with its blood red roof and monument, Al Ginjinha shop, Santa Justa Lift, squares and much much more!
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