My second international solo trip was to Portugal. I started and ended in Lisbon, where I spent about 3 days total (in between I went to Porto and spent a day in Sintra - that’s coming up later). The second I stepped foot in arrivals at Lisbon airport, I bought a Pasteis de nata (from a cafe I do not remember), and from then on I knew I was actually going to eat at least one with every meal.

I stayed in a hostel, and took the subway everywhere. Public transit there is very accessible and affordable - there are day passes available just like most countries in Europe. I also used the app Bolt, which is similar to Uber or Lyft, but cheaper and local to specific European countries.

Honestly while I was in Lisbon, I just picked a stop on the subway, got off and walked around. Some of the key places I went to included the famous ceramic shop Ceramicas na Linha, LX factory, Praca de Comercio, Arco de Rua Augusta, Chiado, Time Out Market, the famous neighborhood of Alfalma - didn’t get lost there cause I had a guide from my walking tour! (the neighborhood is easy to get lost in) - and several, SEVERAL pasteis de nata shops. One of the main highlights of my trip was making pasteis de natas from scratch at Nat’elier’s Bakery.

Final Thoughts?

I actually really did enjoy Lisbon. The city is walkable, everyone is willing to help, and the architecture is beautiful. There are many many steep hills - honestly steeper than Spain’s. But I would definitely come back, since I wasn’t able to visit Belem, and I feel like there are more pasteis de natas that I could eat.

Rest of the highlights below!