Dear Internet users and Lisboat fans, we are not the summer, but here’s your answer: discover a new way to love Lisbon in just 48 hours!
What to do in Lisbon?
Two days will not be enough to know this fantastic city that raises sumptuously on the Tagus. However, if you follow our recommendations two days will be more than enough to fall in love with the city of the 7 hills.
Are you prepared for this experience? Come on board and find out what to do in Lisbon.
Day 1 – Riverside Lisbon
First of all, start the day as genuine Portuguese: eating! Fortunately, the city has several options for all tastes (and wallets). Just search for articles in Time Out, NiT, or Trip Advisor, and you will have several suggestions, all great and delicious.
At Lisboat we are more old-style: we suggest “Brasileira” in Chiado, “Confeitaria Nacional” in Praça da Figueira or a famous bakery in the Cais do Sodré area, close to the Lisboat Dock, on the Ribeira das Naus pier.
Whatever your choice, while savoring Portuguese delicacies, take a moment to feel the city. Travel-time back to the town of Kings, and sailors that have built a nation open to the world. What a city, right?
After a good breakfast, a nice walk to the river. As you are getting closer, notice the sea breeze you’re starting to feel, the same breeze that centuries ago inspired and frightened those who ventured into the small and fragile wood ships.
And speaking of ships, it is precisely at the Ribeira das Naus Pier that this walk ends, at the door of Lisboat.
Welcome to Lisboat!
It is precisely 11 am, time to put your face mask on, disinfect your hands in alcohol-gel dispensers at the boats’ entrance and hop on fun through the river.
As the boat moves away from the pier, take the opportunity to (re)discover the magnitude of Terreiro do Paço. The Portuguese people built an impressive and imperial city, facing the sea and the world. The heart starts to beat faster, doesn’t it? We know. It happens to us every day!
Day 2 – Days of Lisbon’s secret stories
How about a different day, away from Lisbon’s mainstream monuments and attractions? The city hides several secrets, places of history, and stories. Here at Lisboat, and exclusively for you, we did our research for the Top 7 secret spots in Lisbon. Hop on that?
Simão’s Bookstore
A Livraria do Simão, the smallest bookshop in Lisbon, if not the world. There are 4 square meters, with about four thousand books of the most varied languages, values , and genres, such as romance, poetry, and short stories. This Portuguese pearl was born in 2008, a result of Simão Guerreiro’s, a former chemistry professor, passion for literature. (Location: S. Cristovão Stairway)
Augusta Street Arch
Did anyone ask for a 360º panoramic view over Lisbon? You can find it at the top of the Triumphal Arch of Rua Augusta. Built during the sec. XVIII and XIX, this arch symbolizes the strength of Lisbon reborn after the 1755 earthquake that completely destroyed the city.
In Latin, we can read “The Virtues of the Greatest”: the strength, resilience, and achievements of the Portuguese people.
Open to the public since 2013, this is a view almost as beautiful as the one you can enjoy from Lisboat’s boats.
Columns Wharf
The pier of the columns and its marble steps in the heart of Praça do Comércio were the entrance of Kings and Heads of State in our country. Designed by the architect Eugénio dos Santos, it was built after the terrible earthquake of 1755. At the top of the marble steps, the pillars are of Masonic inspiration and represent the two columns of the temple of Solomon (wisdom and devotion).
Revolving Bridge of Rocha Quay of the Count of Óbidos
In 1927, when the then President of the Republic, General Óscar Carmona, inaugurated the revolving bridge of Cais da Rocha with great pomp and circumstance. This bridge allowed thousands of workers to save a lot of time on unnecessary trips. Currently, this almost century-old bridge exists but is still very important for the mobility of thousands of people.
Find the Green Raccoon
There is a raccoon on the loose in Lisbon, awaiting the visit of Lisbon’s discoverers. In Belém, precisely between the Jerónimos Monastery and the CCB stands a giant green raccoon behind the building. A work by the unmistakable Bordalo II and one of the best examples of urban art in Lisbon.
Sala Thai or the Thai Pavilion in the Gardens of Belém
To celebrate the 500 years of bilateral relations between Thailand and Portugal, the Thai government has offered our country this fantastic piece that deserves a closer look. The pavilion was built traditionally, without the use of metals. Take a closer look, and you will notice that there is not a single nail or screw in the structure. Everything was assembled with wooden inserts. You can find it in the gardens of Belém, next to the traditional pastry shop in Belém.
Ginjinha in Largo de S. Domingos
In this store opened in 1840 by a Galician man named Espinheira, you can experience one of Lisbon’s most typical traditions, drinking a ginjinha (sour cherry liquor), “with or without them”. In other words, with the cherry or without it. We believe that the best thing to do is to drink with and without the cherry. Drink it without guilt; after all, “what happens in Lisbon, stays in Lisbon.”
How to be able to visit all these sites in one day?
Simple, with your 48h hop on hop off ticket, you can get on and off Lisboat boats, as many times as you want. Hop on at Cais do Sodré, Hop off at Cais da Princesa. Hop on at Cais da Princesa, hop off at Cais do Sodré. No questions asked, with all the freedom and flexibility that only Lisboat can offer you.
At Lisboat the boats may be ours, but the experience is all yours
