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Southern Travel Guide

Our perspective of the best spots and hidden gems in Lisboa

Image by Aayush Gupta
Image by Ronan Furuta
Image by Mélanie Arouk

Lisbon

Lisbon is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city located south of the country surrounded by beaches

Places to see/things to do:

  • Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira

  • Palácio dos Marqueses da Fronteira - famous palace/gardens in lisbon

  • Pink Street  - famous for the pink flooring, near main downtown area

  • Rua Augusta  - main strip in downtown Lisbon

  • Praça Do Rossio  - the center of Lisbon, has the famous floor tiling and fountain

  • Torre de Belém  - famous tower on the ocean

  • Pena Palace  - in Sintra, if you have time to visit

  • Miradouro de Santa Luzia - great sight seeing spot, has overview of the city/ocean

  • Museu do Tesouro da Sé - ancient museum in downtown Lisbon

  • For the beach: 

    • Berlenga Island  - right off the coast of Lisbon you can take a boat there, amazing beaches

    • Sublime Comporta Beach Club - white sand bespoke beach club 

 

Places to eat:

  • Breakfast/Coffee/Snacks:

    • Belem Pastries  - Must try pasteis de nata, famous dessert from portugal 

    • Manteigaria - Another great pasteis de nata space 

    • Nicolau Lisboa - Cute brunch spot with typical American dishes with a Portuguese style

    • Isco Padaria e Bistro - amazing bakery 

    • Cafe Janis - great brunch spot, Parisian like with bistro seating

    • Comoba Lisboa - modern take on breakfast 

  • Lunch/Dinner:

    • Pateo  - great seafood

    • Sala de Corte - Steakhouse

    • Bahr - beautiful views, traditional plates 

    • BouBou's - bistro 

    • SEA ME - seafood spot, fresh fish market right in the restaurant 

    • A Valenciana - Eat like a local, charcoal grilled food, piri piri chicken 

    • Cevicheria  - amazing ceviches, a bunch of different types

    • Restaurante O Topo  - great views/wine

    • Taberna da Rua das Flores - seafood

    • La Paparrucha - Really good churrasco, served in a mini grill on the table

    • Pigmeu - Best pork/pig roast in lisbon 

    • Cervejaria Ramiro - great seafood spot, best for their shrimp

    • O Frade - Traditional portuguese, large wine menu 

    • Red Frog - Cocktail bar with small pairing menu

    • Time Out Market  - has a ton of food vendors, but very touristy 

    • Rocco - in the Iven’s hotel - Old school Crudo Bar and restaurant - portuguese meets italian 

  • Upscale: 

    • Prado - Not very pricy but beautiful ambiance and great food

    • Boi-Cavalo Restaurante - 7-table restaurant in an old butcher shop

    • Cura - In the four seasons, great ambiance and seafood

    • Belcanto  - Tagide  - Michelin with views of the city

    • Tasca Da Esquina - Petiscos (Portuguese tapas)

    • Attla Restaurante - Michelin Asian/Portuguese fusion 

    • Feitoria - Michelin star with small plates 

    • Restaurante Via Graca - amazing wine selection, get the octopus, beautiful spot with great views 

    • Praia no Parque - high quality sushi

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  • Nightlife:

    • By The Wine - wine bar 

    • Sky Bar - Bar with good music

    • Rive Rouge - Nightclub

    • MOME - Nightclub 

    • Lust in Rio - Nightclub 

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Places to Stay:

  • Wine & Books Lisboa Hotel - Opened in 2021 

  • Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel

  • Olissippo Lapa Palace - 5 Star

  • Memmo Príncipe Real - In historic Lisbon

  • Browns Central Hotel

  • Bairro Alto

  • The Ivens

  • Altis Belem

  • Four Seasons Ritz 


 

Additional Cities Nearby to Consider:

Sintra 

  • Castle of the Moors is a hilltop medieval castle located in the central Portuguese civil parish of Santa Maria e São Miguel

  • Pena Palace is an iconic yellow palace that stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains 

  • Quinta da Regaleira is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

  • Initiation Well i’ll let the pictures speak for it LINK

 

Comporta

  • Quiet luxury beach town known for its horse-back riding, known as the "Hamptons of Portugal" 

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Setubal

  • Small city surrounded by natural parks and beautiful beaches

  • 40 Minutes from downtown Lisbon​

  • Praias da Arrábida and Praia de Galapinhos have crystal blue water

  • Tróia Golf Course is one of the nicest courses in Portugal

 

Cascais

  • Beach town next to lisbon 

  • Farol de Santa Maria is a beautiful place to swim or even visit the lighthouse 

  • Praia Rainha and Conceição Beach are both nice beaches 

  • Furnas Do Guincho Restaurant for good seafood 

 

Nazare

  • Great beach, olympic surfing

  • Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo Peak of the beach, usually can see surfers risk their lives

  • Praia de Nazare can relax, get some seafood on the strip or learn how to surf  - surf school on the northern end

 

Algarve

The south of Portugal, known for its cave beaches and golf resorts

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Faro

Places to see/things to do:

  • Monte Rei Golf & Country Club - Best golf course in Portugal

  • Visit Old Town

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Albuferia 

Places to see/things to do:

  • Montechoro Strip  - strip of bars, restaurants and local shops

  • Pescadores Beach  - go through a cave tunnel that lead to the beach. There are chairs/umbrellas right at the beach around ~10 euros for the entire day

  • Elevador do Peneco  - high mountain viewpoint of the ocean

  • Peneco Rock  - rock structure on pescadores beach

  • Libertos Lounge Club  - outdoor bar

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Places to eat:

  • Iguana Café  - café/bar with an outdoor terrace overlooking the water

  • Restaurant O Veleiro  - hands down the best , and i think only truly portuguese restaurant around the area. The owner Maria is a sweetheart and cooks incredible traditional dishes

  • Roca Beach Bar & Restaurant  - Beach bar with food and drinks, right next to the standing pier

  • Castelo do mar  - One of the most beautiful restaurants in Albufeira, unique sea and Marina views, outside terraces and a relaxed ambience in an elegant setting

  • No solo agua albufeira  - Oceanview portuguese

  • Al Quimia   - Contemporary/Mediterranean portuguese food

 

Places to stay:

  • São Rafael Atlântico

  • AirBnBs are best if you are staying in the center of town

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Vilamoura 

Places to see/things to do: 

  • Purobeach Club

  • Dom Pedro Golf Course

  • Well Beach Club

  • Água Qlub

 

Places to eat:

  • 2 Passos rooftop terrace/restaurant

  • Salmora - Live Kitchen & Bar

  • Pepper's Steakhouse

  • The Bold Octopus

  • Well Vale do lobo - Fresh Sushi

  • Sky Valley Vilamoura

  • The Beach Bar Vale do Lobo - Beach dive bar 

  • Maria's Restaurant and Beach

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Places to stay: 

  • Anantara Vilamoura Golf Resort - Large resort with access to the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course 

  • Hotel Tivoli Marinotel

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Lagos

Places to see/things to do: 

  • NoSoloÁgua Portimão - beach bar club, towards Portimão side 

  • Cave Tour LINK Plan in advance

  • Ponta da Piedade  - rock formation/peak area. Can see dangerous waves/surfers, caves

  • Praia do Camilo  - GET THERE EARLY! Spots are very limited, walk down 200+ steps to get to this resorted beach

  • The Star  - Karoke Bar

  • Whytes Bar  - Beat the Bartender game, Sundays from 10 PM to Midnight. The game seems simple: roll a higher dice than the bartender and your drinks are free! Even when not trying to score free drinks

  • Inside Out  - fishbowl cocktails

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Places to eat:

  • Casa Do Prego  - Rooftop terrace

  • Petiscos  - Seafood

  • Nah Nah Bah  - "best burgers in the Algarve" - owned by a portuguese american

  • O Mexilhao  - steaks/seafood

  • Crema di Gelato  - dessert/Gelato

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Places to stay:

  • Baía da Luz

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