The Jones List: 48 Hours in Lisbon
I’d never been to Portugal as Italy always has my heart but this year we thought we
would explore another country. I’m so glad we did as Portugal was such a feast for all
the senses.
We landed in Lisbon and decided to spend a few days here to get over the jetlag and to
see some of the city sights. We stayed at Look Living Apartments which I can not rave
enough about. There is something about having the luxury of space when you travel
and this roomy apartment was the perfect landing spot – high ceilings, a master
bedroom, kitchen and dining area and a large lounge room with a full size sofa bed for
our ten year old. The apartment is in a beautiful old building with the most incredible
staircase and shades of soft green accents.
When we landed in the morning I spotted some cool shops, you know, those quirky design led stores that get your heart beating when you drive past. But it was really in the evening when our street came alive, it seemed like each shop front was housing a tiny bar or restaurant each with it’s own unique vibe. We walked past a Japanese inspired wood encased bar with a wall of vinyl records then the next one was a dark and moody bar with central bar surrounded by bottles.
Of course with a ten year old we ended up in the smash burger shop but even
that was enclosed in the signature blue and white tiles and was utterly delicious!
With only 2 real days to explore Lisbon and the heat wave pushing the temperatures to
the high 30’s we had to choose our activities wisely.
I would recommend getting one of those tuk tuk tours as this gives you a good lay of the land with the city, you get to see it all without hiking those hills and with a good guide you get a great history lesson too. I took photos of all the places I wanted to return to as central Lisbon is surprisingly compact.
In the day we were there we managed to explore the Alfma district, eat at the Time Out
Market, do some shopping in the Chiado district, and then when the heat really hit and
our ten year old was fading we drove to the Aquarium and Pavilhao do Conhecimento
(Pavilion of Knowledge) which is the best interactive science museum. I didn’t realize
that the Aquarium is Lisbon is one of the best in the world and it was seriously
impressive and a wonderful way to escape the swealtering day’s heat.
With only 48 hours in Lisbon it’s left me with an ache to return and a massive sense of
FOMO. I felt we didn’t really scratch the surface but what I did see is enough to intice
me back for another visit.
Stay: Look Living Apartments
