Lisbon: Holidays

Backpackers love Lisbon. As a holiday destination for trekkers, it is a fascinating, exciting and beautiful city with many facilities for young travelers and students. Travel in Lisbon is easy and most backpacker pensions and hostels are located centrally in Bairro Alto and Baixa, which is just where backpackers in Lisbon will want to spend their holidays. Lisbon is also the cheapest capital in western Europe and so eas-ier on the backpacker budget than most European cities.

Lisbon is the perfect European city break destination, with its old world charm and modern European flair. Inspiring views, architecture, and surrounding nature coupled with great sights, sounds and tastes, make Lisbon city breaks second to none. Lisbon’s museums, parks, historical sites, fantastic restaurants and nightlife can be reached on foot or via the city’s comprehensive urban travel system. Accommodation, dining and activities to suit most tastes and a level of development that hasn’t spoiled the city’s authentic and unique charm make Lisbon a city break adventure that is just slightly off the beaten path.

Lisbon is extremely close to many beautiful beaches and is therefore a great beach holiday destination. Lisbon’s residents head to the beach at any chance they get. Beach holiday makers may wish to try some of the several popular beaches which line the coast up to Cascais and beyond, such as popular Carcavelos or Tamariz in Estoril. Across the river from Lisbon lies the more expansive beaches on the Costa de Ca-parica; Meco, sandy Tróia, or secluded Adraga. Waters around Lisbon are generally quite cool and al-though there are plenty of family beaches with calm water, remember that Portugal is Europe’s surfing center and has many impressive surfing beaches with large, spectacular waves.

A camping holiday in the city? Lisbon’s Monsanto forest park has a four star camping facility (Parque Mu-nicipal de Campismo de Monsanto) and is conveniently located in the north of the city. It is not legal to camp wherever you like on the public beaches in Portugal, but the coast around Lisbon features several beach camping sites which are great camping holiday choices. Pitching fees range from around 14-30€.

Many Mediterranean, Iberian, Atlantic and domestic cruises start, finish or stop in Lisbon, making it a pop-ular cruise holiday destination and starting point. Cruise holidays in Lisbon include luxury ocean liners and large wind powered vessels. Operators for Lisbon cruises include Windstar, Seabourn, Princess and Royal Caribbean, which offer a great many itineraries to choose from.

Lisbon is known as the city of Seven Hills. Central Lisbon has many steep inclines, a lot of traffic and is not ideal for cycling. Up the coast towards Oeiras and Cascais, however, is some great cycling and mountain biking terrain. Cascais even has free bikes which can be borrowed from several locations. There is a terri-fic bike path up the coast from Cascais along the coast to Guincho, offering stunning views of the ocean and cliffs. Sintra and Monsanto Park are also of particular interest to mountain bikers.

Lisbon’s culture and arts scenes are thriving making it a great art and culture holiday spot. The revitaliza-tion of Lisbon in recent years has also seen a revival of art and culture within the city. Lisbon is home to several cultural museums, which display a wealth of cultural and anthropological history, while Lisbon’s fine and modern art museums showcase the country’s premier artists’ works. The Gulbenkian museum features an impressive assembly of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic and Asian artifacts, as well paintings by Rembrandt, Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Cassat.

Other museums of note in Lisbon include the Berardo Museum, Chiado Museum and Modern Art Center for contemporary art, the Ancient Art Museum (Portugal’s national gallery), The Tile Museum, Coaches Mu-seum and Maritime Museum for national history and culture. New impressive collections are housed at the Orient Museum (highlighting Portugal’s common history with Asia) and the forthcoming Design Museum in Alcântara. The Bairro Alto and Alfama districts are great places to experience fado, Lisbon’s notable home grown musical style.
 

As a holiday destination for disabled people, Lisbon is a bit of a mixed bag. There has been much im-provement in recent years in terms of disabled access in Lisbon and many of Lisbon’s hotels are fitted for disabled access. Still, Lisbon is an old and hilly city and many of the tourist sights are not very practical for the disabled tourist. Newer museums and areas such as the Expo Park (Parque das Nações) have many ramps and have excellent access for disabled visitors. There are also companies which offer holiday pack-age tours for the disabled in Portugal, including Lisbon.

Lisbon has much to offer as a family holiday destination. Its proximity to beaches, numerous parks and museums, beautiful weather and fantastic array of family accommodation make Lisbon very family friend-ly. Kids and parents alike will love the Oceanarium aquarium at Parque das Nações (Expo) and the real life fairy tale charm of nearby Sintra. Boat rides down the Tagus and family beaches on the coast up to Cas-cais, or across the river from Lisbon on the Costa da Caparica (where kids can watch dolphins at play) are just some of the many reasons to consider Lisbon for your next family holiday.

Lisbon is an excellent gay and lesbian holiday destination. The city is very multicultural with many cosmo-politan and forward thinking inhabitants. Gay and Lesbian nightlife is centered in the hip Bairro Alto dis-trict, where the bars and clubs are mostly mixed, rather than divided into gay or straight-friendly. Prin-cipe Real also has some gay and lesbian venues. Lisbon's Gay Pride festival takes place in June, by the water at the scenic Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) and features an all night party. The area's gay beach is beach 19 on the Costa da Caparica.

For hen parties Lisbon offers a wide selection of hotels, venues, clubs, bars and other nightlife options to suit most budgets. English is widely understood in most travel and tourist situations, so hen parties should be reasonably easy to arrange.

There are many spas in Lisbon and most large hotels offer massage and beauty treatments, perfect for hen celebrations. Of course the beach is nearby and the weather is great for recuperating after a night of partying. Restaurants are often on the small and friendly side, but larger eateries also exist. Drinks are much cheaper than most of Europe and parties often spill out onto the streets in this festive city. Lisbon is a friendly hen destination with many options and facilities and is still just slightly off the beaten path, so raucous crowds aren’t a problem like with many hen destinations.
 

For stag parties Lisbon offers a wide selection of hotels, venues, clubs, bars and other nightlife options to suit most budgets. English is widely understood in most travel and tourist situations, so stag parties should be reasonably easy to arrange. There are many spas in Lisbon and most large hotels offer massage and relaxation treatments, great for stag celebrations. Of course the beach is nearby and the weather is great for recuperating after a night of partying. Restaurants are often on the small and friendly side, but larger eateries also exist. Drinks are much cheaper than most of Europe and parties often spill out onto the streets in this festive city. Lisbon is a friendly stag destination with many options and facilities and is still just slightly off the beaten path, so raucous crowds aren't a problem like with many stag destinations.

Lisbon is a fabulous destination for a honeymoon holiday. The wealth of first class hotels, fine restaurants and entertainment options, cultural tourism and proximity to beaches make Lisbon a fantastic choice for a honeymoon. Romantic atmosphere, replete with awe-inspiring views, modern facilities and old world southern European charm are all plentiful in Lisbon. Honeymoon couples on holiday traveling to Lisbon will be spoiled for choice in terms of accommodation and things to do, while the mild climate and beauty of the city make it the perfect place to relax and simply enjoy your honeymoon.

The main nudist beach and naturist location in Lisbon is the Praia do Meco, south of Lisbon and considered a mecca for nudists & surfers alike. Other official naturist beaches are nearby Praia do Salto, Bela Vista and the highly rated Fonte da Telha. Naturist camping, swimming and sun-bathing have been growing in popularity in this area and throughout Portugal since the 1970s, though serious naturists can still experi-ence a great holiday in rare unspoiled wilderness just a short distance from Lisbon.

Lisbon’s singles life is lively, friendly and exciting, and makes singles or party holiday travelers feel very welcome. The large array of nightclubs, live music venues, bars and restaurants are enough for any taste and budget for a singles or party holiday. Nightlife, tourist and local student culture in Lisbon are plentiful in the Bairro Alto and Baixa, great locations for accommodation during a party or singles holiday. Riverside bars, clubs and music venues, and beach parties up the coast to Cascais lend variety and excitement to Lisbon’s party and singles scenes.

Lisbon is a great destination for a couples holiday. The wealth of first class hotels, fine restaurants and entertainment options, cultural tourism and proximity to beaches make couples holidays in Lisbon a choice option for couples. Romantic atmosphere, replete with awe-inspiring views, modern facilities and old world southern European charm abound in Lisbon. Couples traveling to Lisbon will be spoiled for choice in terms of accommodation and things to do, while the mild climate and beauty of the city make it the perfect place to relax and simply enjoy the company of your companion.

Lisbon is a great option for golf holidays, with many courses in close proximity to the city. All of Lisbon’s golfing locations have great views and the average weather conditions for golfing holidays are second to none. From Belavista, Portugal’s first municipal golf course – located near the airport and close to the heart of the city – to the many first class golf holiday locations in and close to Greater Lisbon, golfers have numerous locations to choose from. Beach-side courses such as Quinta da Marinha near Guincho beach and Tróia (situated on a peninsula across the water from Setúbal) offer breathtaking backdrops during play. Other top options for golf holidays in Lisbon include Estoril Golf Club, Penha Longa, Quinta da Beloura, Lisbon Sports Club, Aroeira 1 and 2, and Quinta do Peru.

Scuba diving in the Lisbon area is varied, including deep diving, reef, wreck and drift spots. Closest to Lis-bon is Fonte da Telha for scuba diving amongst friendly fish and dolphins. A bit further south lies the fish-ing village of Sesimbra, Portugal’s premier diving location, with its great beaches and seafood. Sesimbra features a variety of oceanic fauna and the massive wreck of a Nigerian cargo vessel.

Lisbon has become a great holiday shopping destination in recent years. A formerly largely isolated Portu-guese economy has opened up to international brands and shops, while still maintaining its strong local identity and craft industry. High end and designer shopping can be done on the attractive streets of Chia-do (also good for handicrafts) and in the massive department store El Corte Inglés, located between Par-que Eduardo VII and the Gulbenkian. Lisbon is also home to gigantic shopping malls such as Vasco da Gama shopping center, Colombo and nearby Cascais Shopping. Prices tend to be slightly lower than in the rest of the European Union, but not necessarily for high-end articles. One cannot have a shopping holiday in Lis-bon and leave without some traditional ceramics or tiles (azulejos), which can be purchased throughout the city and metropolitan area, but notably in Bairro Alto, Chiado and Sintra.

Well-being and spa holidays in Lisbon have recently grown in popularity, as have healthy living, vegetarian diets and yoga. Lisbon’s near perfect weather and proximity to beautiful nature and beaches make it a great location for a spa holiday. Many Lisbon hotels include spa and well-being services such as massage, relaxation and beauty treatments. Popular spa facilities include City Spa, Le Spa and H2Omem (a men-only spa).

Wine tasting tours in the Lisbon area cost around 125-150€ per person for the entire day, plus 25€ per ac-companying child. There are many wine bars and wine shops where hundreds of Ports can be tasted. Por-tugal is of course a center for wine and the Lisbon region has them all on offer. Port, Moscatel and Vinho Verde (green wine) varieties are among Portugal’s favorites and are all available in Lisbon starting at very low prices. Wine estates in Azeitão, just south of Lisbon and Port wine master classes in picturesque Sintra are also great options for wine tasting holidays in and around Lisbon.

Holiday makers in search of winter sun will usually find it in Lisbon, though the winter months are consid-erably more rainy and cool than during the summer. The second half of the winter (March and February) are considerably drier than the late fall/early winter months. Lisbon does not get as cold as most of Eu-rope during the winter, but keep in mind that many guest houses and apartments will not have the same standard of heating as northern Europe and may lack central heating all together. Still, the winter sun does shine and shine brightly. It is not uncommon to see local sunbathers and holiday makers from throughout Europe on the beaches near Lisbon during the winter months.