48 hours in gay-friendly cruise port Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal — a city containing a generous helping of Genoa (one of our favorite cities ) with a side order of San Francisco — served as our embarkation point for our most recent voyage with Azamara Club Cruises. This is a bustling city, hilly, with picturesque old trams as well as funiculars for help getting up some of the steepest slopes. Like Genoa and San Francisco, Lisbon feels intimately linked with the sea.
MMOB TIP: We knew that jet lag would be an issue because of a long layover and it did affect our visit to Lisbon. Next time we would love to disembark from a cruise in Lisbon fresh, rested and ready to go. Perhaps we’ll book one of the many transatlantic crossings terminating in Lisbon.
We’d heard a lot about Lisbon and wanted to see it for ourselves. Although the city has a grittier feel than many other European capital cities we’ve visited, we felt safe and comfortable. We loved the vibe there. Lisbon has its own distinctive sense of place, and we look forward to returning to this historic and vital city on the Atlantic.
The Santa Justa lift takes pedestrians up 7 stories to a neighborhood high above. The observation deck has a view of the ruins of the Carmo Monastery.
Best Lisbon souvenir: tiles
Lisbon and the surrounding region are known for buildings clad in tile, an influence from the time of the Moorish rule. While almost universal on older buildings, they are also often incorporated in contemporary designs. We wandered for hours appreciating the colors, designs and textures of these decorative additions to buildings. Tiles here often have a floral or geometric motif, but sometimes take the form of a mural as in this shot from our second stop, Porto, in northern Portugal.
Lisbon and the surrounding region are known for buildings clad in tile, an influence from the time of the Moorish rule. © Mark den Hartog | MeetMeOnboard
Individual tiles are sold everywhere from inexpensive souvenir shops to upscale art shops. We found them fun to shop for and easily packable, making excellent gifts, most of which we’ll probably keep for ourselves!
Getting around
We learned on our ride share from the airport (only 8 Euros) that the Lisbon traffic is notorious, so we used a ride share service when we needed transportation. We found it inexpensive, convenient and plentiful. Interestingly, the app would often direct us to a nearby “pick-up location” to catch the ride rather than having us wait at our location.
For shorter hops in the city, try the convenient Tuk Tuks. Less expensive than the reasonable taxis, they are ever-present and great fun, although lacking any semblance of shock absorbers.
While hanging on for dear life as we took short-cuts through the city, we enjoyed the openness of the ride, and survived our Tuk Tuk with most of our teeth intact.
For shorter hops in the city, try the convenient Tuk Tuks. © Mark den Hartog | MeetMeOnboard
We negotiated a tour with driver Joao, a young web-development student with perfect English. Taking a private tour enabled us to avoid some of Lisbon’s frustrating traffic and see the city with a local proud to show us his birthplace.
Mark’s Italian was apparently close enough to Portuguese to make him intelligible to locals. However most people we interacted with always helped us in English if necessary.
Like Rome, Lisbon is a city built on seven hills. The city’s miradouros , or lookouts, offer wonderful views of the city and harbor. We didn’t have time to visit the Castelo de Sao Jorge, but fellow LGBTQ cruisers told us they loved this Moorish fortress.
Neighborhoods
We arrived in Lisbon during preparations for St. Anthony’s day. Joao showed us a residential street where the owners cooperate in decorating for the celebration. There, we literally ran into a group of runners from the neighborhood celebrating the end of their route. The neighbood decorations and the camaraderie of the runners reminded us that a densely populated big city can provide a strong sense of community.
The Vila Berta, a street in Lisbon all dressed up for St Anthony’s Day. © Mark den Hartog | MeetMeOnboard
Parts of Lisbon look a bit down-at-heel, but that just adds to their charm. Our guides and drivers mentioned that it has become increasingly difficult to make a decent living in the city. There is a housing boom in process that feels like a bubble ready to burst. Locals are being forced out of affordable housing to short-term rentals like AirBnB and wealthy (often foreign) buyers. We hope redevelopment won’t ruin the cool and offbeat charm of the city.
Fado music wafting into the street provides a wonderful soundtrack for exploring the city. We especially loved the Barrio Alto neighborhood which abounds with shops, bars, and restaurants.
Sidewalk cafes in Bairro Alto with St Anthony’s decorations. A characteristic tile facade in the background. © Mark den Hartog | MeetMeOnboard
The men’s clothing store Up!town Lisboa at R. da Misericórdia 68 , on the border of the Chiado and Bairro areas, has a distinct gay vibe. They sell sexy underwear, swimwear and boutique fashion brands, none of which fit in our budget or for that matter on our bodies. Readers who spend more time at the gym than this writer will likely find the shop a great fit!
A dressing room at Up!town Lisboa made to look like a shower stall.
