Alfama, heart of Lisbon. What things to do and see in Lisbon's Alfama - post by maxyourtravel.com

Portugal may not be at the top of your list of travel plans if you're looking at your first trip to Europe but before you start planning and ranking your visits to the Old Continent give Portugal, its beautiful capitol Lisbon and especially Lisbon's old town - Alfama a chance.

Below you will find an outline of most of our sightseeing and activities while visiting this beautiful city including our walking map. I'm starting this post with it for those of you who aren't big readers :-) but my blog is also about sharing tips and lessons learned especially with those of you who are new to not only travel with kids but travel in general so I hope you'll check out the entire two part post for additional info and photos. This fist part features the first five items from the below list.

1. Best area to stay.

I'm sure Lisbon is full of great places to stay but to us the Old Town was hands down the best area for accommodations for our first time in Lisbon in order to get a proper taste of the city.

2. Rossio Square.

Otherwise known as the King Pedro IV Square is on of many in Lisbon but probably one of its most interesting squares - definitely a must to visit.

3. Santa Justa elevator.

Elevator of beautiful, unique architecture with a viewing platform for some great views of the city. Be aware of long lines though!

4. Rua Augusta.

Lisbon's main pedestrian street full of shops, restaurants, street vendors, artists and performers. An absolute must!

5. Lisbon's Fado music and street performers.

Lisbon is known for it's Fado music which you can find in many of it's bars but also around different streets and alleys of Alfama.

6. Rua dos Correiros.

Adjacent, parallel street to Rua Augusta but a little more quaint and narrower - is home to even more great restaurants and food options.

7. Arco do Triunfo.

Lisbon's' version of arch of triumph on Rua Augusta. Beautiful piece of architecture. Opens up to Praca do Commercio square. Has an elevator that will take to another great viewing point.

8. Praca Do Comercio.

The most prominent, grand of Lisbon's squares. With Arco do Triunfo on one side and nice vies of Taugus river on the other. Must visit!

9. Final thoughts on Lisbon's Alfama.

If you travel with kids be aware that towards the evening Alfama is full of nightlife (great for folks with no kids :-) ) and also don't be surprised if you'll come across folks trying to sell you stuff you don't want. No pushiness though from anyone. Desite this Alfama felt very safe and we would highly recommend it as the most attractive item on your Lisbon visit itinerary.

10. Other Lisbon attractions outside of Alfama totally worth visiting

• Praca do Imperio - one of the largest squares in Europe with a stunning fountain and city garden

• Parque Eduardo VII - Lisbon's largest central park with some nice views of the city and great landscaping

• 25 de Abril Bridge - San Franciso's Golden Gate's bridge's cousin, equally stunning

• Sintra - charming, quaint country town with a beautiful, elevated palace straight out of Disney

Click here for google maps walking directions to all of the above Alfama attractions. They originate at our accommodations so feel free to adjust them accordingly. They also include a stop at Brown's Central Hotel for some lunch and the Benfica soccer store, both highly recommended and both of which you can read and see more about below.

The directions terminate at the Tasca Do Chico bar. A Fado music spot which was also recommended by some of the locals but that we didn't get to enjoy though we will definitely save for next time.

Below you will find more insight into our first encounter with Portugal capital city's Old Town.

Our visit to Lisbon was the last leg of our most recent Europe trip in the Summer of 2019. The capital of Portugal did not disappoint although we had a bit of a rough patch getting there. Having flown with our now five year old son multiple times before he turned two we were surprised to discover that apparently flying with a lap child internationally is a bit more complicated than traveling domestically but that's a topic for another post. Despite the setback our determination wasn't going to fade not even due to multiple trips to and from the airport with kids and all the luggage, despite having to book another unexpected hotel stay and regardless of the fact that we were getting very close to missing out on a meeting with some of our friends who were scheduled to leave Lisbon what was now the following day after our new scheduled arrival.

Once all of this was finally overcome, and at least momentarily forgotten for the sake of our vacation we were glad to finally get up in the air. Of course travelling with kids can mean that one unexpected challenge is followed by another. Thankfully a minor tamper tantrum on the plane can be managed by bribing your new aircraft co-pilot with some much needed attitude adjusting treat in a form of oh... for instance a Lufthansa KitKat bar or some other snack with the power of calming a four year old.

Positive attitude and making the best out of trying situations often turning them around into an even better outcome is essential if you decide to travel, especially on extensive trips as the longer you're away form home the more potential for something to go wrong. So despite the fact that we could no longer hang out with our friends for the two full days we had planned we decided to make the best out of our suddenly condensed time in the Portuguese capital city.

1. What things to do and see in Lisbon Alfama - Best area to stay.

Our lodging was at the Lisbon Service Apartments (Rua de Emenda 45) which is a nice set of historic properties renovated in a modern fashion. You can read about our particular apartment more in another, future post.

We decided to stay in the district of Alfama which is Lisbon's old town and by far the best place to stay in my opinion if you're visiting the city for the first time. The map further down below in the post shows our most common walking spots around Alfama. The walk from our hotel to the main tourist areas was a short 10 minutes although it took us longer since Lisbon can be challenging because of its hills and many up and down streets. As a matter of fact this was one of the first very interesting facts about the city that we realized especially since we travel with kids and a stroller so you can imagine how difficult of a time it was to push the stroller up some of the upward facing streets.

However we didn't get to work out a whole lot on the trip so in a way this was a welcome challenge. So yes moving a stroller up the streets and alleys of Lisbon is definitely doable but if you're traveling with small kids be both mentally and physically prepared for some extra pushing up those slopes and plenty of breaking going down hill. It's also important to remember there will probably be an occasional meltdown from your soon to be five-year-old who complains about being forced to get out of his exploring vehicle (since he shares it with his sister) and having to do some sidewalk climbing. We noticed multiple alleys and streets where as in the above image one side of the block was facing down but behind the building, on the other side of the block the street was going up. This could be a little confusing when you look at walking directions around Lisbon and it was another characteristic of this city that took us by surprise so we had to walk back a few times, sometimes up and sometimes downhill. I must say after this visit we are definitely lobbying for Google to add a walk with a stroller choice in its GPS directions ;-) which we will gladly use as often as we utilize the "avoid tolls" option while driving. Again, we're thankful for a workout opportunity though which can be scarce when traveling.

The first order of business on our first full day in Lisbon, after getting in late the night before and consequently waking up pretty late as well was to meet our friends for at least a couple of hours before they had to start getting ready to leave for the airport. Brunch seemed like the best option and so we picked a spot that's pretty close to our apartment especially since the first day for sure we were going to spend exploring Alfama anyway and not venturing out too far. Brown's Central Hotel restaurant came highly recommended by hubby's cousin because of its awesome white sangria which did in fact end up being an excuse enough for us to pick this place for brunch. We were able to order some standard brunch items like an omelet but the food item that deserves the most praise was by far their cheesecake.

Definitely recommend this place because of both the food as well it's location and of course as with most European restaurants during the nice summer days we recommend you pick the outside seating when possible.

2. What things to do and see in Lisbon Alfama - Rossio Square

Not far away from Brown's Hotel is the King Pedro IV square also known as the Rossio Square which is one of the two main squares in Alfama and an area where we happily made multiple visits to during our stay. Equipped with a charming fountain and surrounded by beautiful architecture this square is situated in the middle of bustling Alfama and has more of a local than touristy feel to it in comparison with is much larger sister square Praca Do Comercio.

The Rossio Square was also where the closest of the stops for our Hop on Hop off bus was located. More about our love affair with Hop on Hop off buses another time but this area was also home to a cute little market with some very enticing food and wine options we gladly sampled. This may have been a seasonal set up but it was great sampling different Portuguese street food and wine. By the way we totally feel that until you have some local street food you can't claim to have properly sampled local cuisine and therefore make it a point to always do so when possible.

On the way to Rossio square, on Rua do Carmo you will pass by numerous stores, very difficult to resist without stopping in, including perhaps the largest H&M store I've ever seen. Shopping while traveling is another one of those activities I would recommend trying if you're new to travel. I'm not talking about spending your whole day rummaging through local stores but picking out a few pieces of clothing, especially of a fashion that's difficult to find at home is a great reminder of your travels ranking up there with some of the best souvenirs. While local, unusual retailers are obviously the preference to your surprise many of the international chains will carry items that are unique to local fashion as well. They can be a great find but more so will feel great wearing or using when you get home.

3. What things to do and see in Lisbon Alfama - Santa Justa elevator.

On Rua do Ouro you will find the Santa Justa lift. A very unique piece of architecture - a tower like, steel elevator that serves as a elevated viewpoint onto Alfama and the rest of Lisbon. We must warn you about the wait at this place however. You will most likely find a long line in front of it and on the stairs surrounding it.

We recommend you go the front of it and ask how long the folks there had been waiting. That's exactly what we did, multiple times with each attempt ending in a decision that the hour or longer wait wasn't worth it although it probably is. If you decide to skip this attraction make sure to snap a couple of pics of the lift as it really is a unique structure.

Though I don't remember the ticket prices when we looked them up I want to say they were under 5 euro and easy to get as there's a machine located right on the spot.

You can find more info on the lift as we as tickets here - http://www.carris.pt/en/elevator-funiculars/ .

4. What things to do and see in Lisbon Alfama - Rua Augusta.

Perhaps the most intriguing activity you can get wrapped up in while in Alfama is getting lost along the Rua Augusta.

This is a spacious pedestrian street lined with shops and restaurants and full of street performers and vendors that leads to Lisbons version of the arch of triumph and opens up into the other major square in Alfama - Praca do Comercio.

A walk down Rua Augusta is a must when in Lisbon. As a matter of fact I recommend planning to spend at least a half day leisurely strolling up and down this street and checking out it's many merchants as well as its surroundings. This includes an abundance of the aforementioned local street performers you are likely to bump into.

Whether you decide to have a meal here or on the neighboring Rua dos Correiros you will not be disappointed and I can say the same about your shopping experiences.

Rua Augusta is quite wide and can feel like a long square with many restaurant patios set up right in the middle providing ample opportunity for some people watching and for your kids to roam around freely while you enjoy a drink, a lunch or dinner.

Be sure to walk it all the way to the Arco Triumpho also known as the Rua Augusta Arch and Praca do Comercio which I will cover further in the second part of my post on Alfama.

It is very easy to get carried away checking out all the retail and food spots along Rua Augusta. One place worth stepping into, especially if you're a soccer fan like my hubs is the Benfica Lisbon official store. Portuguese love their soccer especially since one of the sports current best players, Ronaldo hails from there and Lisbon, as most European capitals has two big clubs that have both seen quite a bit of success in their history - Benfica and Sporting.

If you liked this post and want to know more about Lisbon stay tuned for additional posts where I will share more info and experiences from the rest of our encounter with Alfama and other parts of Lisbon as well . For now I will end by highlighting the fact that Lisbon's Old Town has a lot to offer and is definitely one of those places it's worth getting yourself immersed in so whether you follow our basic outline or just try to wing it you will not be disappointed visiting Alfama. As a matter of fact if you do have time we do recommend spending at least one day by simply going out in Old Town without a plan and trying to see where the streets of Alfama will take you. Here are some more photos of what I'm excited to share in my second part post on Alfama itself as well as what I will definitely also have to cover separately regarding the city's other surroundings. If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out the rest of my blog at www.maxyourtravel.com for other write ups on our family's travel tips, experiences and reviews.

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