As you all know, recently we went on a trip to Lisbon with Expedia.ie. When the opportunity arouse for us to spend a few days exploring and filming in Lisbon… We of course said yes. Our aim during our visit to Lisbon was to explore the city a little bit and also check out the sports of Handball and Futsal. So we decided to show you our adventures in a new way… you can follow our daily adventures of our trip on our short vlog(video blog) with Expedia.ie.
Lisbon is the capital and the largest city in Portugal and is know as the hilly capital of Portugal. Lisbon is known for its café culture, fadó music and colourful landscape.
Day 1 – It was our first day so we decided to get our bearings and wander around the city. Sometimes it really is the places you stumble upon that you end up remembering. When getting lost, you always stumble upon little treasures! First thing we stumbled upon was the Elevador da Gloria (Electric Tram). It opened the doors in 1885 and to the day it still climbs the unique streets of Lisbon city. It runs from Praça dos Restauradores and climbs up to a beautiful view at Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. Afterwards, we headed to our first handball match. The atmosphere, energy and fans made it a game to remember… check out the game on our video here.
Day 2 – Today was our day to experience the sport of futsal. While in Lisbon, a Futsal Game is a must. It is a tradition in Portugal to support and encourage your team. Going to a game allows you to get sporty and also allows you to get to know the locals and learn a little about a new sport. We also paid a visit to the famous Stadium of Light. Next up was a walk around the picturesque Alfama which is one of the traditional areas of Lisbon. You can wander around the old cobbled streets and get lost in the café culture and quirky shops. We finished the day by walking up to explore the castle and enjoyed a sunset from high above the city… it was breathtaking.
Day 3 – We got the metro to Orient which allowed us to explore the newest part of Lisbon city. We decided to go on the Oceanario Cable Car and got to look down at the beautiful Tagus River and view the iconic Vasco De Gama bridge from above. It is a short cable car ride but definitely worth it for the views. We then headed back to the airport to catch our flight home after a great weekend.
Top Travel Tips:
- Get a Lisbon city card. It is the best card for transport while exploring Lisbon. It works on the metro, buses and even the electric cable car. It also gives you discounts in various museums and attractions across the city. You can get a 24, 48 or 72 hour pass.
- A great time to go to the castle is two hours before sunset. It gives you time to explore the castle in the daylight, while also ending your day with a beautiful sunset overlooking the colourful, vivid landscape.
- The Alfama neighbourhood is very near the castle so slot in some time here before you go to the castle. Enjoy the beautiful cobblestoned streets, café culture and explore the traditional area of Lisbon.
- Take a Electric tram ride …. climb the tiny steep streets in this traditional masterpiece.
- For all sport fans, the Stadium of Light (Estadio de Lux) which you can get the metro to (just get off at the Luz stop). The Stadium of Light hosted the UFEA championship final 2014 and it also hosts the home games for SL Benefica.
- Go to a futsal game – enjoy the atmosphere and get to know the locals.
- One of the biggest shopping centers I have ever seen in my life is located at the metro stop for the Stadium of Light. So maybe plan a little extra time for some shopping!! (a girl has to shop… right?)
What a trip – we laughed, ate delicious food, experienced a new city, a new sport, got lost in the café culture and entered a world of magic with the colourful landscape all around. Now the only question is… When can we go back?
