PORTUGAL IS (STILL) OPEN, AND LISBON IS LOVELY
Despite being as historic as Rome, as quirky as London and as pretty as Barcelona – with architecture, beaches, culture, fresh seafood, rooftop bars and sunshine in spades - Lisbon remains relatively under the radar. The upside of not shouting “come here tourists, we have it all,” though, is fewer tourists than Rome, London or Barcelona, giving visitors a more authentic experience.
Start the day by wandering around the narrow cobbled streets, flanked by crumbling, pastel-hued buildings - coffee and custard tart in hand - before embarking on an afternoon of lunching, shopping and sightseeing. Come evening, head to a rooftop bar and admire the sea of terracotta roof tops seemingly tumbling down to the blue ocean. Lisbon is extremely family friendly, too, with zero curfews on children being in bars and restaurants, and many hotels offering babysitting services – so, parents can go out for a drink safe in their knowledge that their offspring are being well looked after. We say cheers to that.
Do/see:
One of the best ways to see Lisbon is on the iconic yellow Tram 28 which heads around most of Lisbon in about 30 minutes for around £2.50. There are tram stops all over the city – stand by a sign for 28E and wait (it gets very busy so be prepared to wait for another one to arrive or to stand the whole way). En-route, you will see the castle, the sea and people drinking coffee (or beer) in pretty squares.
The Oceanarium (aquarium) is a great choice if it’s raining. This is Europe’s largest aquarium and you can easily lose three or four hours staring by sharks, mantra rays, clown-fish, sea otters, penguins and colourful fish. It’s an all ages spell-binder, basically. Afterwards walk around the eco-friendly shop (even the coat hangers are made out of cardboard) or head into the ice-cream shop for a scoop with sprinkles (for them) and beer (for you).
A great thing to do when the sun shines is take the 30-minute train journey out to Cascais, a pretty coastal town with beaches, tree-lined squares and a good amount of culture. Praia Ribeira beach is right in the centre of town and has a large arc of soft, caramel sand and boats bobbing about on the water. Spend a couple of hours watching people play volleyball, paddling in the sea or looking for pretty shells before grabbing ice-cream in town.
Shop
The Ler Devagar bookshop is so colourful and quirky it will take a while for your children realise you have actually taken them shopping. Among some of the decorative madness is a baby climbing up a wall on the outside, a bike hanging from the ceiling on the inside and several colourful pieces of artwork. The shop itself sells thousands of books, and runs literary events for adults and children.
Translating to Thieves Market, Feira da Ladra is the equivalent of a car boot, and takes place in the city’s premier market on Tuesday and Sundays. People come especially to buy (and swap) household junk – one man’s trash…
The Time Out Market (aka Ribeira Market) is an indoor hub of shops and food outlets carefully selected by writers at Time Out Lisbon. Buy flowers, fruit and veg, locally-produced crafts and local wines. This is a great place for a quick lunch, too, with a good number of local dishes to choose from, as well as pizzas, burgers and chips, making it kid-friendly. Unlike the food halls in shopping centres at home, the Time Out Market is stylish and sophisticated with each outlet selling beer and wine alongside plates of food. My cod and Chorizo croquette served with a crisp white wine was both good value and tasty.
Nosh/slurp
The main thoroughfare in Cascais has cobbled streets leading to a large square – we stopped at The Palm Tree for lunch, tucking into grilled codfish and Piri Piri chicken and chips (local specialities) while watching the world go by. All the waiters here are fun and friendly, and fully geared up for tantrum-throwing toddlers.
For an evening meal in Lisbon, head downhill to the Tagus River where you’ll find a string of restaurants with seats outside facing the water. Children will love the quirky décor of Vestigius
– think swing seats made out of tree trunks, half a boat for a bar and hundreds of crystals hanging from the ceiling. The menu is a little on the pricey side but come before 7pm and you can order a series of small plates and a glass of wine or a juice for 15 Euros. Still hungry? Head to the Gelato place next door for some of the best ice-cream this side of Italy.
Night owls
Livraria Bar is a bar-cum-bookshop located on Pink Street, the old red light district that’s now more Soho than sleaze. Drink a large Superbock, order a cheese board, grab a poem from a jar and watch a singer play sultry jazzy tunes, all while poring over classic novels.
Meaning ‘fate’, Fado is a mournful form of music based around the notion of longing. There are several places around the city to watch this for free: try nini, a restaurant hosting Fado music every night.
Got a babysitter for the night? Fancy a drink with a view (erm, yes)? then look no further than the Entretanto Rooftop Bar in the Hotel do Chiado, with its large terrace offering panoramic views of Lisbon’s iconic red roof tops. Inside, the bar is stylish and relaxed, with stark white walls, grey sofas, and black and white artwork. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring the outside in.
Bedding down
The Martinhal Chiado is the newest property in the group with 37 studio, one- or two-bedroom apartments, a café/bar and a free kids’ club with a climbing wall; book your child in for a Pyjamas party and then leave for a night on the tiles (that’s right). The one-bedroom apartments are spacious and stylish; the large lounge has an over-sized orange sofa, large flat-screen, faux Eames chairs and large French-style floor-to-ceiling doors (which are permanently locked for safety).
In Cascais, The Sheraton Cascais Resort is geared up for children with an outdoor play area, a large outdoor pool, a spa which children can use at certain times of the day (put them in the hydro-pool if it’s raining or go for a spa treatments - we tried the Princess Nails) and a children’s menu in the restaurant. Every room in the hotel also has a large kitchen, too, vital for parents with babies and young children with unusual eating habits.
Getting there/around
If you live in London, getting to Lisbon is easy, with a comfortable flight time of 2.5 hours (rather than four for the Algarve) and plenty of airline choice, including low-cost carriers and TAP Air Portugal, the local airline.
From the airport, taxis to the city centre take 25 minutes and should cost about £12. The Aerobus 91 (£3, 8am-11pm) departs every 20 minutes from outside arrivals, takes 30 minutes and stops and picks up from Pombal, Avenida da Liberdade and Praça do Comércio – all in the city centre.
The Metro is the quickest way to get from the airport to the city-centre. The Red Line connection runs directly to and from the central Saldanha station (£1.70; 6.30am-1am).
Don’t miss
Eating Pasteis de nata, flaky tarts with a set custard in the middle, is a Lisbon must. You can grab them from most bakeries and cafes, where they come straight out of the oven, or look out for them at the breakfast buffet.
Top tips
If you don’t want to stand on the 28E tram, get on at the last stop (Martim Moniz) and travel around the other way.
The aquarium can get really busy so buy tickets in advance if you can (either online or at your hotel) or visit after lunch when it tends to be les busy.
Heels are for the brave – or the stupid. Ditch them or risk being stuck in the cobbles - or fishing around for plasters as soon as you get back to your hotel.
Potential pitfalls
Lisbon is hilly – if you are dependent on a buggy, try and stay right in the centre which tends to be flatter (or be prepared to leave the buggy in the hotel and use a sling).
Avoid travelling to Lisbon with young children during July and August, when the mercury can go through the roof, or stay on the coast instead.