Here are the 10 reasons why you should start planning your post-pandemic first trip to Lisbon

With the pandemic situation that had us all locked down for a long time, you are probably already dreaming about the trip you’ll do once the virus gives us a break! If you want to start planning your next trip, come with us, Tugatrips, and discover why Portugal’s Capital is the best choice!

Lisbon is, with no doubt, one of the most diverse, culture-rich, and exciting cities in Europe. A city where you feel safe wander around day or night, that boasts beautiful architecture, delicious dining, breath-taking views and an abundance of historical treasures and where you’ll find hotels and restaurants to suit every taste, budget and requirement. Discover Lisbon, a city full of authenticity where old customs and ancient history intermix with cultural entertainment and hi-tech innovation. If you need help, just ask someone and, with lots of gestures and repetition, you’ll find what you are looking for: after all, Lisbon is famous for its hospitality and the family-like way it welcomes visitors.

Lisbon has it all! We like to believe that you’ll be buying your flight to Lisbon midway of reading the list of the 10 good reasons to come!

1 – Envious Climate!

Lisbon’s geographic position means great weather all year round: hot summers refreshed by the Atlantic breeze and mild winters with temperatures rarely dropping below 5ºC. It also has the highest number of hours of sunshine in Europe, with 290 days of sun per year. Hard to beat this.

2 – City break and Beach Holidays Combo!

Lisbon’s proximity to the stunning Atlantic coastline makes it really easy to combine the thrills of a city break with the pleasures of a beach holiday. There are several different coastlines with glorious sandy beaches barely 30 minutes by train from Lisbon, making possible to marvel the sights of the city in the morning and finish your afternoon breathing the salty sea air and feeling the soft sand in your toes. There are so many options that the difficulty will be to choose one, here you can know more about the different coastlines in the region of Lisbon and choose what kind of beach would fit your needs better!

3 – Food Paradise!

Everybody knows that a happy stomach is half-way for a happy day! In Lisbon that task becomes really easy. Lisbon is full packed of good quality and tasteful food and it is actually one of the EU’s least expensive capitals in that matter.

Seafood, sardines, fresh fish coming few hours before from the Atlantic Ocean, one hundred different recipes of Bacalhau (dried, salted cod) are just some of the traditional wonders of the local food culture, meals that can end with hundreds of different homemade cakes as dessert. And pastries? Of course, you have to taste the famous Pastel de Nata, but don’t you think it is the only one you have to, luckily you’ll find Pastelarias literally in all the corners so you can enter one anytime during the day that you feel you’re in need for some extra energy: get a coffee and look to the country and just ask for what your eyes are craving, you’ll probably not regret your choice.

You can start dreaming about this food paradise, and also put yourself to test as a Portuguese Chef with these five suggestions of traditional Portuguese Bacalhau recipes!

4 – Stunning views and a VIP pass for Sunset watching!

Known as the City of the Seven Hills, and usually steep hills don’t often appeal to the average holidaymaker, but in Lisbon, big hills mean big views. The city is famous for its many viewpoints or miradouros which offer jaw-dropping views over the spectacular patchwork of brightly coloured rooftops which stretch as far as the eye can see, offers countless angles for those all-important photos, with the Tejo river always on the background. Check here the best spots to watch the sunset in Lisbon.

5 – Quality Wines!

You may not believe, but there are so much more good Portuguese wines than Porto Wine! Portugal seems to be in the second tier in the wine world, right after France, Italy, and Spain. And yet, Portuguese wines win the most prestigious awards every year. Although the wines from the Lisbon region are very good, there are different regions’ wines (that you can read more about in our article “Portugal Best wine regions” ready to be served in any Lisbon restaurant. Chances are there is a great quality wine at a very reasonable price waiting for you.

6 – Nightlife for everyone!

When all this is over, one of the things that we all probably want the most is to be back on having a good time with our friends, or just making new friends!

Much of the Portuguese capital’s nightlife is made of good conversations over a glass of wine in a tasca (Portuguese typical tavern). You don’t need to make plans, just bar crawl like a local in Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré (pink street) areas for a fun and inexpensive night out. Most bars close at 2 am, but another good thing about the bohemian Lisbon night lifestyle is that you find things for all tastes. Not tired yet? So if you go to Tejo river line you have clubs that don’t close until 6 am or even later. In Lisbon, the party ain’t over until you decide it is.

7 – All kinds of sports activities!

If you like travelling but mostly you like to be able to practice your favourite sport a little around the world, Lisbon will also be a great choice! There are plenty of adventures and experiences on offer in and around the capital.

Most tourists who come to the capital prefer to practice something exclusive like going to one of the beautiful golf courses in the area of Cascais, climbing in the many natural walls from Monsanto Forest Park to Guincho coastline and also into the Natural and Protected Park of Sintra. These same areas are also very good for, for example, urban and nature hiking or cycling. Lisbon is just a short train or bus ride away from the Atlantic coast, where you can take part in all water sports and activities, from professional surfing or kitesurfing in Guincho beach, to surf classes for beginners in Carcavelos, windsurfing at Lagoa de Albufeira, water skiing, jet-skiing, fishing, sailing, swimming or even coasteering.

Every year are hosted in the region of Lisbon important big sporting events, despite the current situation, for 2021 it still scheduled Millennium Estoril Open, the only Tennis Portuguese tournament on the ATP circuit (from 24th April to the 2nd of May); IRONMAN 70.3, an event, which includes swimming, cycling, and running courses and is part of the world’s largest triathlon organization and offers 50 qualifying slots for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.

8 – Parks and Gardens

We already checked that Lisbon is one of the sunniest capitals in Europe, but, in addiction to that, it is also one of the greenest! And what a great combo, isn’t it?

From small parks that are integrated into the center of the city, to great gardens that exhibit true natural beauty, the Portuguese capital has some of the most outstanding parks and gardens where you can escape from the daily hustle and bustle of the city to catch your breath, enjoy silence and, if it is the case, let children loose.

Parks with several and different dimensions and with more or less infrastructures, the opportunities are endless! You can spread a picnic towel, walk barefoot on the grass, read a book to the sound of the birds singing, practice yoga or even work remotely. For the ones looking for a real botanical expedition, read our article on 5 best botanical gardens in Lisbon .

9 – Monuments memories of history!

Of course, that to emerge in the country’s culture is always important to know one’s history. Besides history is told a little everywhere, national monuments are the physical testimonies of the episodes that led to its construction, a materialized history page that tell us about battles, wars, victories, promises, but also ways of thinking, dressing, living, stories of love and conquest and also prejudices and customs that we must preserve exactly as the past.

With such a rich and ancient history, Lisbon offers a remarkable Heritage collection to be discovered, preferably slowly enough to enjoy all the precious details. For those who don’t have the time to visit all Lisbon monuments, here is the list of the 5 you really can’t miss!

10 – The best guided tours!

Lisbon’s location is other thing that will make you take the best out of your trip: a city with everything and surrounded with even more! Meaning that in less than one hour around you can get to vastly different landscapes, having several combinations possible to do beautiful daytrips and walking tours.

Lucky you that is also in Lisbon that you can find the best tours with Tugatrips! Focused on the client experience, Tugatrips offers you different possibilities of day trips always with small groups where the day is yours to feel. From wine and food experiences to cultural landscaping, always filled with historical backgrounds of what you are visiting, let our experienced guides show you around and pass you the knowledge only possible through the passionate eyes of a local. Sintra and Cascais tour is unmissable but the possibilities are endless: check all our day trips and walking tours here and enjoy Portugal to the full!

So, do you already have your bags packed and are you ready to come? Did you find this content interesting? Let us know by leaving a quick comment below! Thanks!!