Hey everyone!
On our way to Porto, Portugal, my partner and I flew into Lisbon first to spend a few days exploring! Justin has been to Lisbon before as he is from Portugal, but I haven't ever visited, so this was very exciting for me!
The day we arrived, we took an Uber to the aquarium! What a cool experience! They have a massive tank into the ocean where you can view many different species in a natural habitat. All exhibits have a quite large area for the animals, and many of them are endangered so they are being protected by this aquarium. Right around the area was a park made using nature and it's surroundings. There were stepping stones through a pond, and bird callers. All which leads to a dock where we saw a beautiful rainbow. (It was a rainy day). We made our way back but stopped at a place called Vegan Burgers for dinner! They had all different kinds of vegan burgers and so may options for us.
Airbnb
We flew into Lisbon using Tap Portugal Airline at around 11:30am (Portugal time) and were exhausted from an overnight flight. We made it through customs and were about to call a taxi but our Airbnb host Liliana offered to pick us up from the airport. (How sweet!) We stayed in an Airbnb for the 2 nights we were there. It was our first time staying in an Airbnb and it was an amazing decision! It was a much cheaper alternative and our host was fantastic. Our apartment was located about 15 minutes outside the Alfama District. It was within a 30 minute walking distance from the Aquarium and boardwalk area and a 2 minute walk from the train station. A perfect location for us! If you ever need an Airbnb, please check out Liliana! She was the kindest soul, spoke great english and helped us find our way around!
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/19400480?s=51
Also if you use my code below to book, you will get $45 in travel credit if you're new to signing up!
www.airbnb.ca/c/tiaa820
Transportation
The best ways to get around Lisbon is by train or by Uber! The train station was 2 minutes from where we were located, and it goes right to downtown Lisbon, as well as all the way to Sintra. Travelling by train is a very cheap way to travel. it costs about 2,50 Euros per trip, or you can buy a 24 hour pass if you will be travelling a lot within one day. (Hint: if you go to buy a train ticket, click stations and choose the station you want to go to. Much easier).
We also used Uber to get around the city. Most trips were pretty cheap and it's super convenient to use! (Make sure to download the app before you leave).
The next day we went to Sintra by train to visit a couple of the nicest castles. After about a 45 minute train station, we arrived in Sintra, right in the heart of tourist central. It was busy and crowded, but a wave of relief definitely fell over us when we noticed some people speaking english. We took a tour bus that costs about 6,50 Euros that takes us to the different castles. First stop was the Moorish Castle!
The Moorish Castle is absolutely stunning. The walk up to the castle is beautiful and the architecture is gorgeous. The castle was built in the 8th century AD, so it's pretty old. There were so many look-off points and things to see. It was a lovely walk and well worth the journey to get there.
Our next stop was the Pena Palace! A beautiful palace with colourful walls and detailed ceilings. There were so many beautiful spots and hidden corners to take pictures. We bought a ticket so we could see inside and outside the castle. There was so much to see, and it was quite busy. What an opportunity to visit such historical places.
Overall it was a beautiful experience! There was so much I still didn't see, but I know I will come back one day. I am constantly amazed at how many wonderful things this world has to offer. Portugal is such a beautiful country. I'll still be here for 3 more weeks so follow along to see more of this amazing place!
