Lisbon for Las Festas do Santo António

Lisbon is a must for anyone interested in history, culture, art and breathtaking views.

A vibrant city of hills, filled with colour, music, street art and, in June, the smell of barbeques smoke drifting throughout the air.

As a weekend getaway, we were so lucky and unaware of the festivities or ‘arraiais’ taking place throughout Lisbon. The celebration of Saint Antonio on the 13th of June (Festas do Santo António) opened up a gateway of street parties, live music, dancing, Fado music, barbeques, sardines and cheap beer.

As soon as we arrived, the sights of multi-coloured tinsel, banners and paper basil plants were strung between buildings, bringing a sense of life and vibrancy to Lisbon’s small, winding, cobbled streets. The ones in Largo de São Miguel in the district of Alfama are the most typical and crazy of all. But there are more around Vila Berta in Graça and the ones at Rua de São Paulos in the steep hills around Bica seem more popular and trendy.

If you can find a cheap flight to Lisbon for the weekend before the 13th of June, book it! You will see a local side of Lisbon, far from tourist traps, that engulfs you into the traditional, laidback culture of Portugal.

Day 1 - Time to explore!

We arrived on Thursday afternoon. A cheap Ryanair flight direct form Glasgow to Lisbon, it was no surprise to see familiar faces on-board. Lisbon is an up and coming city, it is gaining popularity each year. However, this increase of tourists puts a strain on air traffic. Don’t be surprised if you are late in landing and/or take off, especially during the summer months. Word on the street is that this pressure on Lisbon’s airport is leading to the opening on a new runway, to facilitate the ever-increasing amount of planes coming in and out of Portugal’s capital city.

The descent into Lisbon allows you to see the whole city from the plane’s windows. So low down, it seems like the wheels of the plane might touch the orange tinted terracotta rooftops. Nevertheless, the view is breath-taking. On a clear day, it is possible to spot the famous Ponte 25 de Abril, as well as the Santuário de Cristo Rei, a monument resembling the similar statue, Cristo Redentor, found in Rio do Brazil.

Flying with Ryanair, don’t expect to arrive close to the terminal. Along with a quick bus journal from the plane to the terminal and a long walk through the airport, you will eventually arrive at the main entrance of the airport. We found the easiest way to travel into the city was via the Metro. An all-day ticket can be purchased for 6. 20 € and can be used on all types of transport for 24 hours from the time of purchase. Keep an eye out as you may be lucky enough to be given one for free by a traveller on his way to the Airport Terminal who no longer needs the ticket. Plan your trip well as the all-day ticket will save you money on certain tourist attractions as they are often still considered as transport for the city.

After a 40-minute journey, changing metro line, we arrived at the stop closest to our Airbnb, Martim Moniz. Our friendly host spotted us from his window, probably due to the rattling of our luggage being hauled over the cobbled streets. Having dumped our things and freshened up, we headed out to see the neighbourhood. Despite living slightly off-centre, the location was great! We were 5 minutes away from Praça da Figueira which was another 5 minutes away from Rossio. We set out and got some Pasties da nata (a famous Portuguese custard tart) from the first bakery that we found and we were not disappointed.

After our snack we decided to take the famous Tram 28 from Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique. The route passes by many of Lisbon’s top attractions and neighbourhoods. We ventured through the historic districts of Graca, Baixa, Chiado, Alfama and Sao Bento before disembarking in front the stunning Estrella Basilica. We decided to get off at Portas do Sol to have a look over the city from the viewpoint or ‘Mira Douro’.

By foot, we reached Praça Luís de Camões and got a take-away beer from a Cervejaria on the corner. Coming from Glasgow, a city where it is illegal to drink a £ 3. 50 pint on the streets, we were amazed at the possibility to enjoy a tasty beer in the sun at the cost of 1 €! We then spent a couple of hours walking around the streets and squares, beers in hand, taking in the ambiance of the city.

Lisboa Expo 1998 :

That evening we took ourselves down to the Expo area just outside of the city. We were visiting a friend who ran an Italian restaurant. Worth a visit if you are looking for some great, fresh Italian cuisine! In addition to catching up with friends, it was also a great way to see a different part of the city. The World Exposition took place in 1998 and now you can see that the area has been transformed into office space, accommodation and restaurants. A metropolitan area, very different from the traditional city centre, but still worth the visit if you have time.

Day 2 - Belém

Up bright and early with our all-day ticket, we set off for Belém. Taking the Tram 15 from Praça do Comércio, we travelled along the coast to the district were in the past, the elite had lived in order to avoid the depravity of the city centre.

We entered the grand Jeronimos monastery. The public can enter the monastery for free, however if you want a view from the balconies and views of inside the Monastery, it comes at a fee of 10 € but it was worth the cost.

If you have made it to Belém then you must make a pit stop at the famous Pasteis de Belém bakery were you can purchase the celebrated custard pastrie

During the trip we survived on 3-4 pastries a day, and the ones from this bakery were definitely the best: warm, served with icing sugar and cinnamon and extra crispy pastry.

We then headed towards the waterfront of River Tagus. From there you can see the Padrao dos Descobrimentos monument of Lisbon which celebrates the era of discovery and explorers of Lisbon. In the background you can see the magnificent Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge which spans the River Tejo connecting the districts of Almada on the south and the North Bank of Lisbon. The bridge resembles that of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Funnily enough, this bridge was constructed by the same company. The bridge was constructed to commemorate the revolution of Portugal in 1974 from the Salazar regime on April 25th.

A further 10 minutes away, you can see the Torre de Belém, a tower sitting in the water, used as a guard for Lisbon. Around Belém there are many museums which unfortunately we had no time to visit, but would definitely be worth it if we had more time.

We got the Tram 15 back towards the city centre but decided to get early in order to discover the Bica area. On our way there, we dropped into the Time Out Market - a massive food hall filled with take-awaystall of mountains of various cuisines and drinks. We settled on some Portuguese food in the form of a fancy Prego. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was buzzing. People from all over the world and locals were together in the massive hall eating and chatting together. It is definitely worth a few visits.

From there, we were expecting to take a funicular tram up the steep street, Rua da Bica. However, we were forced to walk it due to a fault in the line. After a struggle up the hills in the heat we eventually arrived at the Mira Douro and the famous Pharmacia, an old Pharmacy turned museum-bar. There we enjoyed tasty seafood tapas, and water served in old medicine jars. The bill was brought in a prescription bottle which added to the fun theme of the restaurant.

Free Walking Tour :

Form there we made our way back to Praça Luís de Camões, the pick-up point of the original, free, Chill-out Walking Tour of Lisbon. We were early, so decided again to enjoy a beer and pastry under the sun. I have always participated in free walking tours during city breaks as it is a great way to get to know the city and learn about the history and culture through a local.

I did my research and discovered that the Chill-out Tour was the original and has had competition from a bigger company which uses the same starting point and time slots. So be sure to choose the original tour in order to help the local guides to sustain their company – look out for the authentic local guide using a ''Recycled Silver bag with a tram printed on it''. Our tour was led by Ines, a local Portuguese graduate of Architecture. The tour was completely relaxed and not rushed. We were led through the back streets of Lisbon, discovering hidden gems and secrets about the city that only a local could explain. The tour lasted 3 hours and was donation based. I would definitely recommend doing a tour in any city, but the Free ones are often student/local run which I prefer to give money to, instead of big corporate companies.

The tour was great as we were not in the way of locals, we got many facts and figures about the city's history, details about statues and culture including tips on getting about the city and the celebrations during June. The tour guide also introduced the group to Ginginja – a Portuguese cheery liqueur, best drank from a chocolate cup! We went to a local restaurant in Alfama and rumour has it that the family makes the Ginginja in a bath tub on the second floor - definitely a more local, authentic version of the liqueur!

From the tour we learnt the varying histories of the city. There was a devastating earthquake in 1755 which completely destroyed the city. The district of Baixa was entirely rebuilt in a grid and block layout after the earthquake - we were told that it was was one the first city centres to be designed in such a way.

We then wandered down to the grand Praça do Comercio. Here merchants would sell goods from the exotic, unknown lands and colonies and financiers would fund expeditions to Asia. The streets around this area are often named after the goods brought back from expeditions, such as onions and tomatoes - look out for them!

Another celebrated area is the ancient district of Alfama. It is a jungle of tiny streets that lead from the Tejo estuary up to the castle. It was my favourite area especially for the Festas! With multiple trendy boutiques and authentic family run cafes and bars, there is a real feel of local culture and tradition here, it’s a definite must-see! Alfama was originally outside the city walls and was considered the poorest and most deprived area of the city. Today, Alfama has been given a new lease of life and is now a chic and tredy area of the capital. Remember, if you get lost in the maze of Alfama, follow the streets that flow down towards the water and eventually you will end up near Praça do Comercio or near the waterfront.

Enjoying the festivities of Santo António :

A quick shower and change of clothes, we headed back out to labyrinth of Alfama to take part in the busy festivities to celebrate Santo António. With stages of artists singing popular Portuguese songs, the smell of sardines and meat on the barbeques, it’s easy to become engrossed in the celebrations. The tradition being, a slice of bread and a sardine, ignoring the bones, one eats the sardine and obtains another on the same bread. After a good 12 sardines you are finally ready to eat the oil soaked bread. In addition to the sardines, you can also get a traditional Bifana (pork) or Prego (steak) sandwich from the barbeques for €2!

I would advise anyone who plans on joining in the parties to wear protective shoes to avoid being trampled on and clothes that you don’t care much about as drinks and oily hands are difficult to avoid. You will notice basil plants as well as basil decorations. These plants are often accompanied by a cheesy poem. I was also told that to smell the plants, don’t go in with your nose but instead rub the plant in your hands and then smell from your fingers. I’m not sure what the tradition is exactly, but it smells great!

From Alfama we went up to the Mira Doura of Graça (which has a great viewpoint during the day), where the party kept going until the early morning, with people of all ages and backgrounds. The scene is very bohemian and chilled, and the fact that you can drink and party outside in the heat is amazing!

Day 3 - Trip to Sintra!

On Saturday we took a train from Rossio station to Sintra, a village 40 minutes outside of Lisbon, costing 4. 50 € for a return.

The length of time that you spend at Sintra is completely up to you! We only spent a few hours due to being pressed for time. Our train was at 10:22, enough time to get our morning pasteis, and we arrived at Sintra station just before 11. Buy an all-round bus ticket for 5. 50 € which will take you to the historic centre, the Moors Castle and the Pena Castle. If you have time, it can be walked but be aware that there are a lot of hills.

The views are spectacular and the walkway inside gives you an insight into the life of the Royals that holidayed there.

Once we left the castle we got lost in the labyrinth of small paths in the forest and surrounding gardens. There were statues and viewpoints everywhere, it was 2 hours well spent!

We got the bus back down to the village centre. We decided to skip the Moors Castle ruins due to our lack of time.

At the village, we had lunch at one of the restaurants, Bacalau (salted cod) and a pork dish accompanied with beer. After lunch we were both full and exhausted. We sat in the shade by the steps of the Palace and consequently fell asleep in the heat. Luckily, we woke up in time to get out train, we missed the bus back to the station, so rushed but still had enough time for a pasteis and coffee stop. We got onto the train with 2 minutes to spare!

Evenings around the city :

Back in Lisbon, by 5:30 we decided to hike up to the castle. Bad idea, we could only see the castle walls at the top of the hill. We later discovered that there was an elevator that takes you to the castle from the lower down streets to avoid the climb. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable walk in the sun, despite all the steep alleyways. Back home for a quick freshen up and back out to the street parties.

We wanted to go to dinner at the celebrated Cervejaria Ramiro but the queue was too long so instead, we found a local tapas bar across the road where we got nibbles and a Caipirinha (a Brazilian cocktail and a must try! ) during happy hour before our sprint to Skybar for the sunset.

Yet again our night was filled with cheap beer, sangria and barbequed food, surrounded by loud Fado music and people dancing.

But our energy levels were running low, so we called it a night around 1:30am. But the music continued until 5am. Bare that in mind when staying in Lisbon, they party late so watch out for noisy streets when looking for accommodation!

Day 4 - Underground Village, LX Factory and the Pink Street :

Check-out day! Our flight wasn’t until 20:55 on the Sunday evening so we left out luggage and set off for the Underground Village.

Again we decided to get an all-day ticket as we needed it for the Metro to the airport. We took the Tram 15 and stopped just under the suspensions bridge, Ponte 25 de Abril, and went on a search for the Village underground.

It's a hidden gem that is found behind the Museu da Carris. It was worth the search! A grimey underground, artsy community composed of old, painted shipping containers and busses, it is an arts area accompanied by a café. It seems as though some events took place here, raves and other DJ events unfolding under the Golden Gate lookalike. You can also find old, out-of-use trams around the plot of land, giving you an insight into old Lisbon.

From there we found the LX Factory Market. An area filled with stalls, cafes and the famous bookshop and kinetics exhibition.

Definitely worth a visit for some unique, vintage goods. Be aware that the market only takes place on Sundays from 11-2 so be sure to get there on time. It a great place for a drink and a Prego.

We jumped back on the Tram 15 and went to the Time-Out Food Market. An indoor food hall with multiple kiosks to choose from. We went for the Traditional Prego stall, much more fancy that the street food found at the festival barbeques. The hustle and bustle of the market is vibrant yet comfortable. I wish we had had more time to spend there and try even more variations of the local produce. Definitely worth a revisit.

Afterwards, we stumbled across the famous Pink Street – a street full of bars and clubs, were the nightlife booms after 1am. The street is literally painted bright pink which fits perfectly with the Capitla's colourful culture and party scene. From there, we then headed back in the direction of our Airbnb.

With our all-day ticket we were able to go up the Elevador de Santa Justa. The industrial-age iron lift is one of Lisbon's most beloved landmarks but became a national monument only in 2002.

It links downtown Rua do Ouro with the square next to the Carmo church up above. On the top floor, up a spiral staircase, a viewing platform offers 360º views, but at an extra cost. Bare un mind the viewpoint is accessible by foot, so unless you have an all-day ticket don’t waste your money. Locals find the massive queue amusing as many tourists fall for this trap!

Afterwards we headed to Praça da Figueira where there is a market which takes place daily. There you can find cork goods, meats and cheeses and many more. I bought a lot of my gifts here.

You will notice multiple Kiosks and throughout Lisbon. They are chilled resting spots found throughout the hills of Lisbon, many of which have kept the same spot for years! They offer decent snacks, juices, coffee, and even beer and cocktails costing only a couple of euros. We decided to spend out last few hours with a beer from a kiosk in the sun before going back to cold and rainy Glasgow.

Despite our unwillingness to return home, we were sent off with a beautiful sunset from the tarmac... Another great reason to return back to Portugal's stunning capital.

Some Food and Drink related tips

While in Lisbon make sure you try:

Prego – steak sandwich

Bifana - pork sandwich

Bacalau - salted cod

Pasteis da nata –custard tart

Sardinhas (in summer) – sardines on bread

Caprinha cocktail – Brazilian drink, similar to a mojito

Ginginja liqueur – cherry based liqueur best drank from a chocolate cup

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