Lisbon, Portugal

One Day in Lisbon, Portugal: A Cruiser’s Guide

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One of the stops I was most eager about on our recent Semester at Sea cruise was our one day in Lisbon, thanks to an amazing two weeks SVV and I spent in Portugal in 2006. I sort of can’t believe it took me the better part of a decade to get back!

Lisbon, Portugal

And while it was hardly the same—nothing ever is, is it?—it’s still an architecturally fascinating city nonetheless.

Lisbon, Portugal

Some things you need to know about Lisbon:

There are hills. A lot of them. Wear close-toed shoes (those cobblestones can be a bitch when you kick them with flip-flops; I speak from experience) and be prepared to feel the burn.

Lisbon, Portugal

There are peacocks. A lot of them. Be prepared to not piss them off.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

The castle has some of the best views in town. Get there early before the tourists descend upon it.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Drink all the sangria you can stomach. Specifically, try both the red and white from the comfort of a seaside perch at Restaurante Portos do Sol.

Lisbon, Portugal

Hop on the cable car toward the beginning of the line. Otherwise, good luck squeezing in.

Lisbon, Portugal

Travel with others who will indulge your photographic whims. ‘Nuff said.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Chase the pigeons. (That’s Jevin’s tip, not mine.)

Lisbon, Portugal

Try the live snails. They’re a local delicacy after all. The first time we were in this region of Europe, SVV was approached on camera and asked to eat one—and he did it, too!

Lisbon, Portugal

YOLO, y’all. You’re only in Portugal once (or OK, in my case twice).

Lisbon, Portugal

Even if you just have one day in Lisbon, that’s still plenty of time to cover some serious ground. I’ll guarantee one thing, though: You’ll be wanting to plan a much longer return trip to Portugal when you leave—one that likely spans weeks!

COMMENTS
  • August 24, 2013

    THESE PHOTOS ARE AWESOME! Makes me want to go to Portugal even more now! I can’t believe you can EAT live snails!

  • August 25, 2013

    Great shots of an amazing city! I fell in love on my first visit and can’t wait to get back!

  • August 25, 2013
    Mom

    Great post!

  • August 26, 2013
    Haidang

    for a second i thought your sister wrote this post bc her pictures are all over it haha! where are your jumping ones?!

    mid photo looks like sf- golden gate bridge

    sangrias in portugal better or same or worst than the ones in spain? never been 2 either so just a random thought

    i think this is the 1st time you used the B word in a public post. channeling real life language to the online world or just getting more comfortable w us and showing us the cobblestone a hurting KL you!? 😀

  • August 26, 2013

    great peacock pics!

  • August 27, 2013
    tracy

    i love the street car picture. and a special thanks to all the tourists who wore red to coordinate with the red street signs in that pic. makes it even better!

    we were in lisbon last october. absolutely lovely city!

  • August 28, 2013

    Absolutely love your photos! Some pretty poses, totally fun! And your last jump in the air pose is the favorite!

  • August 28, 2013

    seeing the pics it seems like you had a tough exercise in portugal. provoked me to visit portugal. nice post and images. the last image is fantabulous.

  • August 29, 2013

    It’s all terra cotta! You have the best Photo Friday, really!

    The cable car cables somewhat destroys the view, though, much like the electric cables and posts in Japan!

  • August 30, 2013

    Great shots. Lovely peacocks.

  • August 30, 2013

    Lisbon looks amazing…I have to include it next time on my travels to Europe!

  • August 30, 2013

    God it’s such a gorgeous city!!! And peacocks! Remember Cuba?

  • August 31, 2013

    I LOVE Lisbon! One of the coolest cities in Europe!

  • September 1, 2013

    Glad you enjoyed “my city”!

    But… you ate the snails ALIVE?!? Normally they’re steamed with butter, wine and herbs. I can’t believe you might have had them while still moving! :O

    If you’re into sangria, next time try the sparkling white wine with red fruits (“espumante com frutas vermelhas”).. it’s a new(ish) thing, not the typical one, but does wonders in a hot summer day! 😉

    Cheers!

  • September 4, 2013

    those peacocks are serious business lol but your shots are great! when we do crazy-funny shots like that, we just look crazy haha

    Going to europe the start of next year and this Portugal seems like a cool place to visit! thanks for sharing!

  • September 11, 2013

    Portugal is such a beautiful country. This looks like a very peaceful place to visit.

  • September 15, 2013

    Great photos. Lisbon is high on my must-visit list.

  • September 17, 2013

    hey, that pictures about peacock are so stunning. well, now i’m so certain that Lisbon is a nice place to visit.

  • October 11, 2013

    Portugal is high on my bucket list, I can’t wait to go. Your pictures are fantastic!

  • October 22, 2013
    ggt44

    As far as i know, nobody eats live snails in Portugal.

    loooooooolll

    Funny 🙂

  • May 20, 2014

    Next time you’re in Lisbon you should totally check out the nearby beaches and do some surfing 😀 For a local friendly laid-back experience I’d recommend Yellow-Van. There’s nothing like experience a city with local cool people 😉 Great pics!

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