Category: Lisbon

My Favourite Hostel in Portugal Is Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon
I’m pretty sure that Lisbon has the most beautiful hostels in the entire world. When I was searching for a place to stay, it was actually hard to narrow down my choice. I ended up settling with Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon where all 23 rooms are decorated by local artists, DJs, and designers, with the intention of reflecting the diversity of Portuguese culture.

My Favourite Hostel In Portugal Is Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon

Arriving late in Lisbon on a hot September night, I was tired from my day of travel, after flying from Berlin via Paris where I had an unusually long layover. I was further tired from dragging my heavy suitcase around as unfortunately, there are some lessons I’ll never learn, with over-packing being one of them.

When I was greeted by the common area pictured at the beginning of this post, I knew that I made the right choice in Lisbon hostels.

My Private Room At Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon

One of my favorite things about hostels is the opportunity to meet open-minded people from all around the world, who are generally friendly and as interested in travel as I am. They also always seem to be up for a good party! I’ve fond memories of attending an intimate jazz performance in Montreal, partying on the rooftop of a club in Budapest, and even taking the Walk of Love in Cinque Terre – all with people I’ve met in hostels.

That being said, I’m still not entirely comfortable sharing a dorm room. Especially after a hostel stay in Barcelona where I became “inspired” to write this snarky post called Five Things You Should Never Do While Staying at a Hostel.

As such, I booked a private room so I could get some “me time” and a good night’s sleep. As expected, it did not disappoint. My retro-inspired jazz room came complete with its own record player and a great selection of tunes!

Some items to note – wi-fi worked in the room, there was a fan to keep cool (needed on those hot Lisbon nights), and it was perfectly clean.

Around The Hostel

Some other things about Lisbon Lounge Hostel Lisbon? Although it was hard to stop listening to music and go downstairs, I wanted to explore more of the hostel and have a nightcap. And look at what I found! I could totally imagine myself curling up in this little alcove taking time to read a good book or write in my journal.

This bar area is where I had my first-ever taste of Portuguese beer, Super Bock. Something which I had a lot of during my time in Portugal.

Breakfast At Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon

Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon offers up a free breakfast with homemade pancakes, fruit, juice, and coffee. There’s actually a lady who stands in the kitchen making pancakes all morning. Not only are the pancakes fresh, they’re good. They even serve a three-course dinner each night (including wine) for the incredibly affordable price of €9.

Although it was before noon, I grabbed another Super Bock and did some work in the common area, taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi and cozy setting before hitting the road again.

Should You Stay At Living Lounge Hostel

My glowing recommendation of Living Lounge Hostel is NOT the result of a sponsored stay. I paid money out-of-pocket and simply adored the hostel enough to want to share my experience with others who might like to stay here as well.

It’s not only inexpensive (private rooms are about 30 euros a night), it’s incredibly beautiful. Take a 360 virtual tour and see for yourself! The staff is welcoming, the breakfast delicious, and it’s centrally located. You simply can’t go wrong with this hostel.

What do you think about Living Lounge Hostel? Would you stay here? Do you recommend any other hostels in Lisbon?

Location

Good To Know

1) Take a look at different Lisbon accommodation options on booking.com.
Booking.com
2) If you want to see even more of Lisbon, do a guided tour.

3) If you like Portugal as much as I do, check these other blog posts:
- Beautiful and Quirky Sintra, Portugal – Sintra, Portugal is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of stunning Portuguese castles, gardens, and palatial villas. It also has a surprisingly quirky side!
- Our Lady of Mercy Church Arouca Portugal – Our Lady of Mercy Church Arouca Portugal is a tiny but stunning church crammed full of details like intricately painted religious artwork & tiled mosaics.
- Riding A Motorcycle (And Sidecar) Through Lisbon – Be a badass wild child and race through the streets of Lisbon by taking a motorcycle and sidecar tour through the city.
Disclosure – This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
October 1, 2023
Urban Exploration, A Walking Tour of Lisbon
Without a doubt, one of the greatest ways to explore a new city is with your own two feet. During my crazy travel career, I’ve been lucky to see plenty of places and have some pretty cool experiences that saw me walk around Prague Castle on a snowy day, get lost on the streets of Havana and wander around Amsterdam.

I was a teensy bit doubtful that Lisbon could continue to impress me – as the night before, we’d been treated to a whirlwind motorcycle tour of Lisbon at dusk. Watching sunset over the city was seriously one of the most romantic and swoon worthy experiences of my life.

A Walking Tour of Lisbon

Then the very next day, we did a tour with Urban Adventures, who are unfortunately no longer offers tours in Portugal. We’re still featuring photos of our experience though, because during our walk, I once again found myself overwhelmingly impressed. It turned out that a walking tour of Lisbon was all it would take to make me come to adore the city even more.

We recommend booking tours in Lisbon with Get Your Guide. From walking tours, to food tours, day trips, and more, they’ll take care of you while you’re in Lisbon.

Lisbon Architecture

The tour takes you to some Lisbon’s most elegant squares. The city’s architecture, although much of it fading and falling into disrepair remains stunning and absolutely beautiful.

Portuguese Pastries and Cool Cafés

If you plan on visiting Lisbon, I’d suggest going on a diet before you get there and to continue daily exercise once you arrive. Doing a walking tour of Lisbon definitely helps! It will allow you to eat lots of Portuguese pastries without feeling guilty.

I’d suggest pairing your pastry with a coffee and hanging out at cool cafés like this.

Multicultural Lisbon

You’ll also roam through some of Lisbon’s most multicultural and bohemian neighbourhoods like Mouraria, Chiado, Bairro Alto and Bica. This was my favorite part of the tour as we really got a feel for everyday life here.

Among my favorite photos were these of the one car trams, a system in operation since 1873.

Lisbon Street Art

Of

course, there was some nice street art along the way. You can find a much better account (and photos) of Lisbon street art over at unurth.com.

Cacilhas

Lastly, we took a ferry across the Tagus River to Cacilhas where we chowed down on seafood and sipped vino verde! But not before stopping for a cliched photo opportunity. This is me, loving Lisbon.

What do you think? Would you take a walking tour of Lisbon for yourself? Tell us your favourite things about Lisbon in the comments down below.

A Walking Tour of Lisbon: Good to Know

1) If you’re doing a similar tour in Lisbon, bring plenty of water during times of hot weather to stay refreshed along the way. Also, wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking.

2) If you need somewhere to stay while you’re in Lisbon, check out your possibilities with booking.com.
Booking.com
3) Find something fun to do in Lisbon and take a guided tour with Get Your Guide.

4) For more Portugal related content, check out some of our favourite posts.
- Beautiful and Quirky Sintra, Portugal – Sintra, Portugal is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of stunning Portuguese castles, gardens and palatial villas. It also has a surprising quirky side!
- Cascais Portugal Photos, Snaps From A Short Visit – A brief stop in Cascais made me fall in love with this Portuguese town. View my Cascais Portugal Photos to see why you should visit.
- Feast At Restaurant Casa No Campo In Arouca Portugal – Hidden deep in the mountains of Northern Portugal is Restaurant Casa No Campo, serving up regional cuisine in an old barn turned restaurant.
*Disclosure – This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel through any of these links, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
September 29, 2023
Going On A Sidecar Tour In Lisbon, Portugal
I’ve done a lot of really cool things in my lifetime, but so far, one of the coolest things I’ve ever done was tour Lisbon by motorcycle and sidecar. While being hosted by HouseTrip in Lisbon, I and a group of travel bloggers got to spend the evening with the friendly folks at Sidecar Touring Company.

Going On A Sidecar Tour In Lisbon, Portugal

Our curious group of travel bloggers was pretty excited to meet up with our new “crew“. As we came out of our flat, across the street waiting for us were four men from the Sidecar Touring Company with their big old vintage hogs. I squealed in delight and seriously could not wait to start the ride! I even started humming Born to Be Wild. Yes, really!

Being the hard-working bloggers that we are, an extreme photo shoot ensued. We snapped pictures of the bikes, each other on the bikes, the drivers, us with the drivers … you get the “picture.” Finally, donning our “ultra sexy” helmets, we jumped into the sidecars or in the seats behind the driver and before we knew it were racing through the streets of Lisbon.

The photographer in me wanted to capture everything and I mean everything! The derelict yet hauntingly beautiful buildings, the epic street art, the Moorish-influenced tile facades but admittedly, it’s tough to properly take shots from the back of a moving vehicle (especially once it got dark).

I suppose it was one of those times when I should have sat back and enjoyed the ride but how could I not want to take photos of such a vibrant, charismatic, and gorgeous city? I fell more in love with each passing moment. It was the perfect time for a ride as the sun was just beginning to slip away, leaving the city bathed in a seemingly heavenly light.

Lucky for all of us, there were several stops along the way. Tour highlights included Bairro Alto, Almada, the Glass Elevator, the Belém district, and so much more (even Pastéis de Belém).

These crumbling facades never failed to make my heart swoon the entire time I was in Portugal.

I felt very glamorous posing at this viewpoint and happy to lose that “man-repelling” helmet for a moment.

For me, the best part of the evening was when we went to another viewpoint and watched the sunset over Lisbon. It was at this exact moment that I began to fall really hard for this city.

Then it was night and picture-taking became a tad more difficult. Still, I managed to get a few worthy night shots.

The tour lasted about 3 hours and I honestly cannot think of a better way to get acquainted with Lisbon. It’s a really fun and unique way to get that first taste of the city. As it’s a big place geographically speaking and takes time to get around, you manage to cover a lot of distance in a relatively short period of time. Based on your experience, you can choose which spots you’d like to revisit later.

What do you think? Would you take a sidecar tour in Lisbon? Let us know in the comments below.

Good To Know

1) Warning, when you take this tour people will stop and stare, even laugh and point. It’s pretty rare to witness a parade of motorcycles and sidecars making their way through the streets of Lisbon. Be good-natured and enjoy the attention. Smile, wave, and secretly know they are jealous!

2) Sidecar Touring Company not only offers night but day tours through Lisbon as well. You can even go outside the city to places like Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Arrabida. Up to two people can be allocated to one bike and you can switch spots whenever you stop so that one person doesn’t have to be stuck in one place for the entire tour. For our night tour, it costs €85 euros per bike/sidecar. Prices will be higher for the longer half-day and day trips.

3) Book your accommodation in Lisbon with booking.com.
Booking.com
4) Make your stay in Lisbon even better by going on other tours as well.

5) If you’re looking to drive around on your own, consider renting a car. I’d also recommend checking out these tips for renting a car in Portugal.

6) Looking for more inspiration about what to do in Portugal? Read over some of my popular blog posts:
- Beautiful and Quirky Sintra, Portugal – Sintra, Portugal is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of stunning Portuguese castles, gardens, and palatial villas. It also has a surprisingly quirky side!
- Feast At Restaurant Casa No Campo In Arouca Portugal – Hidden deep in the mountains of Northern Portugal is Restaurant Casa No Campo, serving up regional cuisine in an old barn-turned restaurant.
- My Favourite Hostel in Portugal Is Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon – Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon is a result of a collaboration between artists, DJs & designers. They even offer a nightly dinner with wine.
*Disclosure – If you book a tour or hotel through any of these links, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
September 27, 2023
Restaurant Casa do Alentejo In Lisbon Portugal
I’ll be completely honest. I haven’t eaten a meal at Restaurant Casa do Alentejo in Lisbon. You ask “Cheryl, are you insane? Can we trust any review you’ve ever done now or will do in the future?” The answer to both of these questions is naturally, yes.

I haven’t tasted the traditional Portuguese cuisine served there and cannot tell you if the food is delicious. Nor can I offer up any pictures of the dishes. Sorry, friends – there won’t be any “food porn” in this post. I can tell you that I want to eat here, even if the food isn’t that good and the prices are outrageous. At this point, you may again question my sanity. I don’t blame you as I know it seems crazy.

Just let me tell you just why I want to eat and spend more time here someday.

About Restaurant Casa do Alentjo

Situated in a former 17th-century Moorish palace, Restaurant Casa do Alentejo is popular simply because of the atmosphere and surroundings. Once a palace, it’s since been used as a school, casino, and now, a restaurant. Locals come to relax here, play cards, and read a newspaper. Cultural events are also held on the premises from time to time.

I was lucky enough to be able to do a quick inspection of the restaurant while on a walking tour. I really didn’t want to leave. I just wanted to stay for the afternoon, sip some cold vino verde, and learn more about the history of the place.

Restaurant Casa do Alentejo Exterior Courtyard

There’s a stunning outdoor courtyard with brightly colored tile mosaics, palm trees, and a fountain.

Restaurant Casa do Alentjo Interior

The interior has walls adorned with murals, stained glass windows, and high ceilings. There’s even a ballroom. When you arrive, you feel as if you’ve entered paradise. A sanctuary in the busy city of hot and sexy Lisbon.

Have you ever eaten at Casa do Alentejo? If yes, tell me how it was. Or better yet, take me there for dinner.

Location

Good To Know

1) The restaurant is actually pretty hard to find. The outside looks rather unremarkable – it’s not until you enter and walk up the stairs that you’ll get a glimpse of the glorious nature of the inside. The restaurant is also on the top floor.

2) The average price of a three-course meal here will run you about €20. The restaurant mainly serves traditional Portuguese fare, with a focus on the Alentejo region. The online reviews seem to be mixed – check out their rating on Trip Advisor.

3) If you need a place to stay in Lisbon, look no further than booking.com.
Booking.com
4) While there, go on a guided tour and make your time in Lisbon even better.

5) If you’d like to learn even more ways to experience this lovely country of Portugal, check out these helpful posts to get started.
- Beautiful and Quirky Sintra, Portugal – Sintra, Portugal, is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of stunning Portuguese castles, gardens, and palatial villas. It also has a surprisingly quirky side!
- Going On A Sidecar Tour In Lisbon, Portugal – Experience the Portuguese capital in a completely (and sort of wild) new way by going on a sidecar tour in Lisbon.
- Our Lady of Mercy Church Arouca Portugal – Our Lady of Mercy Church Arouca Portugal is a tiny but stunning church crammed full of details like intricately painted religious artwork & tiled mosaics.
6) For even more inspiration (if you can handle it, and I know you can), read this article for the perfect Lisbon itinerary.

*Disclosure – This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel through any of these links, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
June 1, 2023