Lisboa! A.K.A. Lisbon, as we English-speakers call it.
Not only is Lisbon is one of the great cities of the world, but it’s also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities out there. The only city in Europe that is older is Athens, Greece. Lisbon pre-dates most other European capitals by hundreds of years. And even before the founding of the city, this area was populated as far back as the Neolithic period (c. 10,000 BCE to 2,000 BCE). Since then, it was ruled by pre-Celtic tribes, then the Phoenicians, then the Romans, then the Visigoths (+ a few other Germanic tribes), then the Moors, until finally, in 1255 Afonso Henriques (later known at Afonso I of Portugal) conquered the city and founded what would become modern Portugal.
There is so much history here that it’s tempting to jump down a rabbit-hole, but I think that would actually be sort of a distraction. When I first arrived in Lisbon, although it was clearly rich in history, I spent most of my time just trying to wrap my head around how BEAUTIFUL it is. This is easily one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I haven’t been everywhere yet, but in terms of raw aesthetics, Lisbon rocketed to the top of my list quite easily, along side places like Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Valletta.
Despite Lisbon’s stunning beauty, storied history, rich culture, and global significance, it’s not a massive place. The population of its metro area, in 2023, was 3,001,000, with more than 70% of that spread around the suburbs of the Greater Lisbon area. Population-wise, it’s a similar relationship to that of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.
And, while I’m on the subject, I don’t think I am the first to observe that Lisbon feels quite similar to San Francisco (which is another city that I absolutely love). Aside from the obvious geographical similarities you will see when comparing the maps of the two, there are lots of surreal visual and contextual similarities, not the least of which is 25 de Abril Bridge, which is a spitting image of the Golden Gate Bridge. Before we get into the article, you’ll see a few pictures just below that map from Lisbon that felt particularly SF-ish.
Arriving In Lisbon
We arrived into Lisbon quite late a night. It had been a longer-than-you’d-think flight from Naples and we were exhausted. However, when the cool spring air hit my face as I walked outside to meet my Uber, I was already feeling refreshed. The air quality in the Bay of Naples had been quite poor during our visit, so it was a bit of a relief to breathe this crisp Portuguese night air. It was a quiet, peaceful night as we watched Lisbon whiz by from the back of an Uber.
Immediately prior to our arrival, Lisbon had been experiencing heavy rain and flooding. We showed up just in time for the first beautiful day in a while. Unsure of how long this sunny weather would last, I walked ALL OVER Lisbon that day. My travel companion was under the weather, I was flying solo for this entire day, which meant that I could wander to my heart’s content. So, yes, the photos for this entire article were shot over the course of a single day. And I was glad I pushed myself to do this because the rainy weather resumed the very next day.
Walking From Ajuda to Bairro Alto
My grand walk across Lisbon began in Ajuda, where we were staying. From there, I traveled east toward the old city center. It was a sunny crisp morning that reminded me of the idyllic weather that helped me first fall in love with San Francisco back in 2016. Although Lisbon was not without some grit, overall I was shocked by just how beautiful it was; it really blew my hair back! Even the “grubby, in-between” areas were photogenic. And somehow it managed to maintain an unassuming, even humble personality all the while. Lisbon, and its residents, all had a pleasantly understated disposition. Everybody was friendly and approachable, but always somewhat reserved. I never felt crowded or overwhelmed. I people always gave me space and yet never did I feel avoided or shunned. Lisbon walked a fine line in that way. It made for an easy, quiet walk.
Once I walked under the Ponte 25 de Abril (the big bridge), the density and beauty of Lisbon’s idyllic streets intensified quite rapidly. Building fronts were covered with intricately decorated colorful tiles. The sidewalks—no matter where I went in the city, even the outskirts—were always a consistent checkerboard of charming white stone. These distinct sidewalks actually have a name: “calçadas”. The mountainous topography frequently created urban vistas where I could see terracotta-shingled roofs layered in interesting configurations. The sea was never out of sight on my right-hand side, filling the narrow streets with a pleasant ocean breeze. Around every corner inviting little coffee shops and bakeries cast gentle aromatic nets that threatened to ensnare me if I didn’t push forward. I hadn’t even reach the city center yet, and it already felt like one of the most beautiful places I’d ever been.
I know this is a big ask, but I’d encourage you to look at these pictures on a large screen, and really spend 4-5 seconds on each one appreciating the details. And this is not me bragging about taking nice photos; anybody can do that in Lisbon. But there’s a LOT packed into these pictures; they are all quite dense. But when I stop and really observe one of them, I am transported back. Maybe you will be transported as well.
Exploring Bairro Alto, Chiado & Baixa de Lisboa
I am making somewhat arbitrary decisions about how to break this article up, because I was truly just wandering. However, there was definitely a large portion of the middle of this walk that seemed to have cohesive identity as the “center of town,” and that was Bairro Alto, Chiado, and Baixa de Lisboa. I should caveat here that I did not do a guided tour of Lisbon or anything like that. This is just my thoughts based on having walked around a lot. 😂
This is where I might have put some historical or cultural information about each of these respective areas… but I think this article is more about seeing and feeling. These are all well-to-do, beautiful areas with expensive shops, nice restaurants, and trendy nightlife… but I didn’t really experience any of those things. I came here to see and feel, and that’s what I did. I wandered and I took all of it in.
One particularly good place to do that is a lookout point called Jardim do Alto de Santa Catarina / Adamastor. Located just southwest of Bairro Alto, this plaza overlooks Cais do Sodre below, Baixa de Lisboa to the east, and the mouth of the Tagus River, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a really incredible panoramic view that gives you a great feel for the topography of this hilly city. The rolling hills of rooftops are an incredible sight to behold.
Meanwhile, back on the bustling streets of the Lisbon city center, trolleys quietly crawl past bakeries with pastel de nata (Portuguese egg custard tart pastries) sitting appetizingly in the window. A short walk from the tourist beat, these old fashioned trolleys are replaced by modern European trams that slither swiftly and silently through the streets and plazas like big cartoon snakes. One of my favorite places was Praça Dom Pedro IV, which is the plaza pictured below with the wavey tile pattern you’ll see below. The image of Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II in the background looks like a painting.
I wandered through these areas for quite a while. Although I know there is more than one neighborhood encapsulated in the gallery below, it all felt to me like it had a single cohesive aesthetic identity. I didn’t really feel like I had passed into a new area until I was walking up Av. da Liberdade, which is the green, leafy streets at the end of this gallery.
Pena & Graça
Walking northeast from Av. da Liberdade brought me into an immediate uphill climb toward a decidedly less glamorous area called Pena. Although the streets, at a micro level, quickly took on a much more gritty character, at a macro level the city maintained an impressive sense of beauty and cohesion. When I finally reached the top of the hill, the narrow urban corridors gave way to a leafy park which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be the home of a group of free-roaming roosters!
There are images of roosters all over Lisbon. I would come to learn that the rooster has long been a staple of Portuguese folklore as a symbol of luck and prosperity. I didn’t know that at the time… but I had seen enough images of roosters painted onto tiles by this point that seeing actual roosters walking around in urban Lisbon was somehow unsurprising.
From there I continued on toward a neighborhood called Graça.
I had heard tell that Lisbon is one of the best cities in Europe for street art. Up to this point, I was unconvinced. But I only embarked on the hike up to these areas because there were supposed to be murals here. Up next I’ve got a whole installment purely on Lisbon’s street art, so you know I found some good stuff. I don’t want to give everything away, but I don’t feel like I can really show you what Graça is all about without giving you a sneak peek at some of these murals. It’s a really defining feature of the neighborhood.
I was wandering aimlessly at this point, at every intersection just walking in whatever direction seemed most interesting. Ultimately this led me back downhill toward the sea. My descent landed me in something of a no-man’s land at the intersection of Calçada dos Barbadinhos and Rua da Cruz de Santa Apolónia. At this point I had been walking for hours and reached what felt like a bit of dead end. Of course there was more of Lisbon to be seen, but I had already walked at least 3x as far as I had intended when I left my Airbnb back in Ajuda. I was playing with the idea of going a bit farther, but then I stepped in dog shit. I took that as a sign that it was time catch an Uber back “home.”
Dog shit aside, Lisbon was magical. It was perfect sunny day, with a bit of a chill in the air just how I like it. And the fact that it started raining again the next day might have made it even better. The rain forced me to relax just enjoy the aura of the city instead of rushing around to do and see new things. And it gifted me with this picture of a rainbow out the window of my Uber. Also from that Uber ride is this picture of Lisbon’s Golden Gate Bridge equivalent. See? SF!
UP NEXT: Lisbon Street Art!
We’ll end with one of my favorite songs of the last few years. I’ve been saving it for a worthy destination, and I think this is it. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with Lisbon or Portugal. But it’s the kind of song that just fits so well when you put your headphones on and are walking through a beautiful new city all by yourself. I love that the chorus starts at half-tempo before dropping into full-speed. I can’t think of another song that does that. I play air drums every time I hear it.
