It took me three years of living in Spain to finally make it to Portugal. I always thought the flights were too expensive or that the train took too long … it was just cheaper to go to another country. Finally, finally, I thought it was time to stop making excuses and just go. Man, am I glad I sucked it up.
I originally wanted to go to both Lisbon and Porto, but due to a lack of time and an increase in airline prices, I decided to only go to Lisbon. That was a great choice because it gave me enough time to see the city. Well, actually, there are still so many things that I want to do. I guess I will just have to go back again.
In the coming weeks, I’ll have a few posts about what I did there, but first, I thought I’d create a guide to help you make your way through Lisbon.
Speak like a Portuguese
Olá: (Pronounced “oh-la”, just like it looks) Same as in Spanish, it means hello. Everywhere you go, you’ll hear people say this.
Bom día: (Pronounced “bome dee-a”) It means good morning. You’ll hear people say this in the morning when you go to get your breakfast.
Um café/Uma pica: (Pronounced “oom cough-ay”/”ooma peek-uh”) This will be important to order a coffee in the morning! I learned that “uma pica” is the Lisbon way of ordering coffee. I just stuck with “uma café com leite” – coffee with milk.
Lisboa: (Pronounced “Lish-bo-ah”) Lisbon in Portuguese. I’m sure they will still understand you, though, if you say Lisbon.
Obrigado/a: (Pronounced “oh-bree-god-ooh/uh”) Thank you! If you are a guy, you use “obrigado” and if you are a girl, “obrigada”. If you want to say “you’re welcome”, a simple de nada will do.
Tchau: (Pronounced “chow”) Goodbye!
Getting Around Lisbon
Lisbon is very easy to travel around. There is the metro, buses, trams, and of course, your own two feet. If you really need it, there are also Ubers and taxis.
Getting from the airport is super simple. The “Vermelha”, or red (except it looks pink), line stops just outside the airport. Before you go, make sure to get a card for the metro. I loaded mine up with €10. It lasted me three days and I didn’t even use the whole €10. I had to change lines at Alameda to go on the “Verde”, or green, line. The journey took about 30-40 minutes and was super simple. If you prefer to take a taxi, though, they are cheap compared to other European cities. Each ride on the metro will cost about €1,31 if you have the metro pass.
The metro is a great way to get around Lisbon, but so are the trams. You may have seen pictures of the trams on the guides to Lisbon. There are the old trams that are one car, just like in the olden days. Trust me, if you are going to ride this, be prepared to wait in a very long line, especially for Line 28. I took a tram to the Belém area of Lisbon. It was a normal tram, but it was super simple to navigate. Trams are a little more expensive than the metro, at around €2,30.
Buses are another option. I only took the bus once, from the Belém area back down to Lisbon center. It was also very simple and very cheap. There are many stops and lines so it’s almost impossible to get lost.
If you have enough time, ferries are another mode of transportation! The Tagus River runs through Lisbon. The main area is on one side, but if you cross the river, you have a less-touristy option. I’ve heard they have amazing, cheap seafood that you can eat while looking out over the water.
Or, you can just walk. I ended up walking around the last few days. The weather was nice and when you walk around, you discover so many things! I stand by the fact that the best way to learn about a city is to get lost in it. Lisbon is a great city to do that.
Choose a Side
If you have the time and the opportunity, check out a football/soccer match! The two main teams in the city are Benfica and Sporting Lisbon.
I went to Lisbon thinking Sporting were the top club of the city. Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo, and Nani are just some of the names that have passed through their youth academies over the past decades. I was quite surprised to see so much Benfica stuff around the city!
It turns out, Benfica is the “working-class team”. Especially during the dictatorship of Salazar, Benfica was seen as the beacon of the working-class people. It makes me think of Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid is world-renowned, but Atleti is beloved by the working-class (and southern) madrileños.
Unfortunately for me, I arrived just after the Benfica game ended on Saturday and Sporting were playing away. Also, Sporting and Benfica play each other this coming weekend! What lucky! If you are going to be in Lisbon between August and May, I highly recommend going to a match. European games are something different!
Salazar: Recent History
Like Franco in Spain, but less known, Portugal was under a dictatorship until 1974. Nineteen seventy-four. How recent! Portugal are living with their first generation post-dictatorship.
Salazar wanted to have a stupid population. He convinced the Portuguese people that the best life was a rural, impoverished, country life. Coca-Cola and lighters were banned. (Matches were made in Portugal, thus it was more patriotic to use a match). It was illegal to eat food that had fallen on the ground. It was then the state’s property. Thousands starved in the countries, but if they dared pick fruit off the ground and eat it, they could be badly beaten. Portugal even formed its own gestapo.
Salazar died before the dictatorship ended. The end came with the Carnation Revolution on the April 25, 1974. It was a military coup d’état that didn’t even have to fire a single bullet. It was a peaceful overturn of power and the day Portugal gained democracy. It’s known as the “Carnation Revolution” because civilians placed carnations in the barrels of the weapons to make a statement for Peace. April 25 is a national holiday in Portugal. If you have the opportunity to go to Lisbon, going on the 25thof April is bound to be a special day.
Fill Up
Lisbon is known for its seafood, especially bacalhau (cod). I personally don’t like seafood, but if you love it, you’ll love the food in Lisbon. They also love bread, (Brazilian) coffee, and pastries.
Everywhere around Lisbon you will see the “pastel de nata”. If you go to Belém, it’s called the “pastel de Belém”. It’s a custard-type pastry in a crust. They are best consumed warm. I really enjoyed eating these and ate them whenever I had the chance! There is a famous shop in Belém called “Pastéis de Belém“. The line will look intimidating, but it goes fast. You’ll never wait more than 20 minutes.
My one word of warning is to be careful where you eat. I love the Baixo Chiado area, but I would never eat there. If there are people standing outside the restaurant with menus trying to lure you in, turn away. The food they serve there is not authentic. Try to look for restaurants off the beaten path or in the nooks of the city.
Bom Proveito!
Lisbon is an absolutely marvelous city. If I’m being honest, I went in with no expectations. I’m so glad I did that because I was pleasantly surprised. Portugal is often seen as the ugly step-child on the Iberian Peninsula, but boy, I can say that I really love both countries on this peninsula. I love the Portuguese language (and even had the opportunity to speak my broken Portuguese) and the Portuguese people were so kind and welcoming. I look forward to going back another time. Next time, I want to share it with someone I love.
