Solo in Portugal | A week in Lisbon
In anticipation of my upcoming solo travel trip, I wanted to dedicate a post to the time I spent a week solo traveling Lisbon, Portugal in January 2023.
A week solo traveling Lisbon, Portugal
Day 1
After starting off the day with a pastel de nata at Pasteleria Santo António, I decided my mission is to find a park and read my book there. The park I found (by looking at Google Maps) is called Tapada das Necessidades. I took my time making my way to it. Along the way, I came across an outdoor book market in Chiado, another park called Jardim Lisboa Antiga, and the Estrela Basilica (which has a cool rooftop view, but I didn’t have enough cash on me to go up). I stopped to rest in Jardim de Estrela, and had a wholesome moment with a Portuguese grandma who asked if she could sit next to me on the bench.
Tapada das Necessidades is huge! There is a cactus garden, many ducks and peacocks, and cool architecture like the circular greenhouse. It’s quiet and definitely a local gem. You can see the 25 de Abril bridge and Tagus River in the distance. I people-watched and noticed many families picnicking with kids and loved ones.
After spending a couple of hours there, I made my way back to where I was staying in Alfama. I did grab another pastry along the way since I was starving, and I knew I had late dinner plans. A solo traveler I befriended during a walking tour in Porto had arrived in Lisbon, and I met up with her at Stasha! It was fun meeting someone new over delicious food and wine.
Day 2
My second day started slow– I did some laundry and hung it outside, adding to the clotheslines that line the European streets.
Then, I embarked on another walk but this time to the Miradouro de Santa Catarina. It was a beautiful day and there was a live band playing, so I took a seat amongst everyone to enjoy the music and sun. I was in the mood for gelato and stopped by Amorino in Baixa-Chiaido for a treat. It was interesting watching the workers there navigate many different languages– in the span of 10 minutes, I watched a worker speak English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French.
I had taken my Canon with me to capture the colorful, hilly streets. Click here to see the photos I took. On my walk back to where I was staying in Alfama, I stopped to watch the sunset on the Tagus River across from Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square).
I turned in early for the night and made myself dinner (pasta) at home to save some money.
Day 3
Today was a big day! My friend Emma (the solo traveler I met up with for dinner earlier) and I planned a day trip to Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais with other solo travelers we met who were also on the walking tour in Porto.
It was a total of 5 of us- we represented Australia, The Netherlands, Canada and The US. Honestly, this day trip deserves its own post that I plan on writing later.
We took to the train to Sintra and explored Quinta da Regaleira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by Carvalho Monteiro. The estate contains references to the Knights Templar, the Masons and dark alchemy. (source) The lush green gardens and gothic architecture made this estate unique, and I found myself loving it more than Peña Palace, which I had visited back in 2019.
Then, we visited the National Palace of Sintra, which housed Portugal’s kings and queens. The palace features both Gothic and Manueline style architecture. (source)
After exploring Sintra’s palaces, the 5 of us headed to Cabo da Roca, the most western point of continental Europe. It was an adventure to get there! We used Bolt and our driver was so kind. He spoke Portuguese and Spanish, and knew only a little English but he pointed out places we needed to check out. The adventure was well-worth the views.
In order to get to Cascais, we ordered another Bolt, and coincidentally, we had the same driver as before! Again, he showed us places to stop and even stopped at Boca da Inferno before bringing us into town. We caught sunset in Cascais before taking the train back to Lisbon. Back in the city, we all went to dinner at a place I recommended and laughed over sardines and vinho verde. It was a fun day with new friends.
Day 4
Since Day 3 was a big day, Day 4 started slow (this seems to be a trend). I woke up late, made lunch at home, and embarked on yet another walk. With my book in my tote bag, I made the hour-long walk to Parque Eduardo VII. This was a very different area of the city – I walked by designer shops and modern restaurants. I also passed another miradouro on the way there.
This park was huge and pretty much all on a hill. I was tired hiking up to the top of it! This place was also another hub for locals or workers taking their lunch breaks. The park was named after Britain’s Edward VII, who visited Lisbon in 1903 to strengthen the Anglo-Portuguese alliance. (source)
I read more of my book and then met up with Emma and Grace (a fellow solo traveler from Brisbane that joined us in Sintra). We shared sangria from Quiosque da Ribeira das Naus and made new memories as the sun set. For dinner, the three of us met up with Emma’s hostel mate at O Português Chiado. It was interesting learning about each other’s cultures and countries – we talked about the different slang used in Australia and the perception of foreigners living in Belgium.
Day 5
Another day means another walk. I started off the day strolling along the Tagus River and admiring some rock sculptures a man was building.
Did you know that Lisbon has its own Chinatown? Martim Moniz is an area that contains many Chinese stores and restaurants, and other ethnic grocers. Lisbon is a multicultural city, which makes sense since Portugal has colonies in Macau, Mozambique, and Goa. As a result, the city is filled with diverse people and foods.
I mention this because I met up with a mutual friend here— Sarnai, from Mongolia who temporarily lives in Lisbon. It was so nice bonding over Asian food and getting bubble tea at Mercado Oriental Martim Moniz. I didn’t realize how much I missed Asian food.
We did some shopping in Chiado and then met up with Grace for sushi at Wakame Sushi Ten. I had been to this small sushi restaurant before and it was phenomenal — the fish was so fresh and the waiter was so kind. In fact, he recognized me when I came back the second time! The sushi was still just as amazing.
Grace went to a cooking class earlier in the day, and since she was flying out tomorrow, she gifted me some homemade pasteis de nata — it was so kind of her and made my day. They were delicious!
Day 6
I had Day 6 all to myself, which felt refreshing. Although I love spending time with friends, there is something oddly comforting about enjoying your own company.
When I was here in 2019, my favorite miradouro was Miradouro da Graça — it offers a panoramic view of Lisbon. You can see the São Jorge Castle and Rua Augusta Arch. It was under some construction when I went back in January of 2023, but the views were still breathtaking. I spent a few moments taking in all the monuments and watching tourists and locals meander around. I wandered further aimlessly, with no real goal in mind. I came across a couple more miradouros— Miradouro da Senhora do Monte and Miradouro do Monte Agudo.
My walk lasted most of the afternoon and I made sure to pause and take in the small details of the city. There was an alley with lavender painted on the ceiling. A couple streets were filled with colorful street art, and I paused to read the explanations next to the artists’ name. I took note of all of it, and felt grateful to have had a memorable and safe time in the city.
Since I was leaving tomorrow, I knew I wanted to see one more sunset at Miradouro de Santa Luzia before turning in early for the night.
Day 7
Today is the day I fly out— I can’t believe that my time here has come to an end.
My flight was later in the afternoon, so I was still able to grab a pastel de nata and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (my go-to at the pasteleria). I said farewell to some familiar places — my sunset spot by the Tagus River and the Museu do Fado (which is the landmark I use to find my apartment), to name a couple. I took my time making my way to the airport. My Uber driver was friendly and had recently moved back to Portugal from London. It was a fitting last conversation for my time here, and he encouraged me to come back in the summer for all the festivities.
