What To Do

Check Out Comercio Plaza

Lisbon’s main city square Praca do Comercio, is an absolute must see. Sitting by the waterfront, the plaza is full of beautiful architecture like the Arco da Rua Augusta, adorable sidewalk cafes and restaurants, and tons of great shopping. The square is always full of artists, locals, and travellers, and is the perfect spot for people watching. Enjoy the water views and take it all in!

Visit Castelo de S. Jorge

One of the most popular historic sites in Lisbon, is the 11th century Sao Jorge Castle. Sitting on a hilltop in central Lisbon, it overlooks the city and the river. You can visit the preserved ruins as well as an archaeological museum, and the views from the castle cannot be compared. Wander around the grounds and be transported back through Portugal’s medieval history.

Explore the Old Town

Lisbon’s historic quarter is called the Alfama district, and is nestled between the river and the Sao Jorge Castle. Getting lost in the steep cobblestone streets and winding staircases, was one of our favourite things to do in Lisbon. In this area you’ll find plenty of Portuguese shops, small cafes, locally owned businesses, and authentic restaurants. Be sure to visit the Miradouro da Graca terrace for magical views of the water.

Listen to Some Fado

Lisbon is well known for its historic Fado music, which can be heard in the old quarter, and all over the city. The music is classical and often melancholy, and is played by live musicians in restaurants, bars, and clubs. You may hear some while you’re wandering the streets in the evenings, or you can go out for dinner at a restaurant with a Fado performance.

Discover Bairro Alto

Be sure to visit this neighbourhood for amazing street art, interesting architecture, classic old homes, and great local culture. At night, this area becomes very lively with diverse crowds heading out to the bars and clubs. This part of the city is also home to much of Lisbon’s gay nightlife.

Ride the Elevador da Bica

Lisbon’s famous Bica Funicular is a historic cable car that takes you up a steep hill. The iconic ride is worth it for the views, but if you don’t want to ride it, try to spot the car on its route!

Go Out on Pink Street

Rua Nova do Carvalho, nicknamed as Lisbon’s “pink street” is the heart of the city’s nightlife. Formerly Lisbon’s red light district, this area has been rehabilitated into a late night destination of clubs, parties, bars, and eateries. If you’re looking for a fun night out, be sure to check out this spot.

Visit Praca do Rossio

Another one of Lisbon’s main city plazas, Rossio Square is located in the busy downtown area, popular for its restaurants and shopping. The plaza is very centrally located for a day of exploring, and is a good place to start if you’re doing sightseeing around the city.

Enjoy Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara

This terrace offers one of the most incredible panoramic views of Lisbon. Come here for sunset and enjoy overlooking the beautiful city. There is often live music, as well as food and drink stalls.

Explore Parque Eduardo VII

As the largest park in Lisbon, this is a great spot to go for a walk, enjoy the gardens, and take a nice break from the bustling city. Stretching 26 hectares, this park is the perfect place to go for a quiet afternoon.

Stroll Along the Riverfront

You can’t visit Lisbon without taking a walk down the waterfront promenade. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset, do some people watching, enjoy some live music, relax at a sidewalk cafe, have a drink on a patio, or just enjoy views of the water. One of our favourite things to do was go walking by the river, and there was always so much going on!

Take a Day Trip to Sintra

If you’re looking for an easy day trip to get outside of Lisbon, the city of Sintra is the perfect option. It’s about a half hour drive, or an hour on the train, and it’s a beautiful resort town full of castles, palaces, and estates. It’s certainly possible to do in a single day, and is an easy trip from Lisbon. Don’t miss the Pena National Palace, Moorish Castle, the National Palace of Sintra, or the Quinta da Regaleira. There are also plenty of great cafes and restaurants to visit in between seeing the incredible sights. Enjoy!

Where to Stay

Lisbon has so many amazing neighbourhoods to stay in, and it all depends on what you’re looking for during your visit. If you’d like to stay somewhere romantic that feels authentic and full of history, you will love the Alfama district. We’ve stayed there twice and had an amazing time. If you’re looking to be somewhere a little bit more funky with great options for going out at night, Bairro Alto would be a good choice. If you like being in the centre of the action and want to stay in a really central area, the Baixa neighbourhood or the Chiado neighbourhood are both perfect. In Lisbon, both hotels and Airbnbs are great for accommodations, and both would be safe options in the city. We chose to stay in Airbnbs during both of our stays and we loved the authentic experience it gave us. It was also really nice to be connected to a local host that could offer us plenty of local recommendations! Staying in an Airbnb in a neighbourhood that isn’t as busy with tourists, is a great way to support the local businesses and have a more authentic travel experience. You will also likely get a lot more for your money! If you’ve never used Airbnb before, you can click here to save on your first stay. If you choose to go the hotel route, there are plenty of great options in central locations around the city. When booking hotel accommodations we use Hotels.com because they have great rates and they also do price matching. We also love their loyalty program which gives you one free night for every ten nights you stay!

Where to Eat & Drink

Lisbon’s culinary scene is well known for its seafood, and traditional Portuguese delicacies. While it hasn’t always been a foodie paradise, in recent years the restaurant scene has evolved quite a lot. A good place to start is Time Out Market, a huge gourmet food hall with restaurants, bars, market vendors, specialty shops, and more. Everything has been curated by experts and is top quality, covering a large range of international cuisines. Along with their regular daily service, the market also offers cooking classes, live shows, and special events. This is definitely where you should start when you’re discovering Lisbon’s food scene! One thing the famous food hall doesn’t have, is a lot of plant-based options, so if you’re searching for vegan food we compiled a list of our favourite spots. For a fully plant-based meal, head to Ao 26 Vegan Food Project, Organi Chiado, or Eight the Health Lounge. Graca 77 offers vegan and vegetarian food, Primo Basilico has vegan pizza, and Sama Sama offers vegan crepes! Lisbon also has an amazing late night scene, with plenty of wine bars, lounges, and clubs to grab a drink at. You can also legally drink on the streets, which means that late at night you’ll see plenty of people spilling onto the sidewalks, drink in hand. In our opinion, nothing beats a glass of wine on an outdoor patio overlooking the city, and if you’re looking to try something really authentic, be sure to taste Lisbon’s famous drink Ginjinha, a Morello cherry liqueur. We recommend buying a shot from one of the many older women in Alfama, you’ll see them set up around the neighbourhood with a table and a bottle!

Lesbian Friendly

Portugal has some of the most progressive LGBTQ+ laws in the world! The country legalized same-sex marriage back in 2010, and they’ve had discrimination protections in place since 2003. They also made May 17th their National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and are continually working to protect the community. Click here for more on how lesbian friendly the country of Portugal is. We felt very safe and supported during our time in Lisbon, and had no issues being out and open while visiting the city. We held hands and showed affection on the street, we booked Airbnbs with local hosts and were open about being a lesbian couple, and we were honest with the people that we met about the fact that we’re married. We never felt the need to hide our relationship for our own safety, and everyone we met seemed to be very welcoming. In the city of Lisbon, the prominent gay areas are Bairro Alto, Principe Real, and Chiado. This is where you will find most of the LGBTQ+ nightlife, (and the nightlife in Lisbon is incredible!). Many of the gay clubs in the city draw a mixed crowd, and while the community establishments tend to cater most to gay men, places in Lisbon seem to be welcoming of lesbian women and couples. Some of the hot spots include Construction – a weekend club that’s great for dancing, Trumps – one of the original LGBTQ+ establishments in Lisbon, Sidebar – a small local favourite, and Bar 106 – another original Lisbon gay bar. If you’re specifically looking to be around other gay women, Purex is a gay and lesbian spot that is very welcoming of queer women, and tends to draw the most diverse crowds. This is definitely the closest thing you’ll get to a lesbian bar in Lisbon! If you want to catch a drag show, be sure to head to Finalmente Club with live performances that start late in the night, and if you happen to visit Lisbon in June, check out its Pride festivities as part of their Arraial Lisboa Pride Festival. Another annual event is Queer Lisboa, an International Queer Film Festival that takes place in September. Overall, Lisbon is a very lesbian friendly destination, and a popular spot for lesbian travellers. If you’re looking to travel somewhere you can feel safe and welcomed, and where you can experience some local gay culture, Lisbon is a great European destination to add to your list.

How to Get Around

Walk

Lisbon is very walkable, and we’ve found that one of the best ways to get around is on foot if you’re able to. It is quite hilly and some of the streets are steep, but it is fairly easy to get from one area to the next by walking. You can do some great people watching when you’re wandering around on foot, and it’s a great way to discover some spots that you may not have had on your list. Be sure to walk around the old town in Alfama, and get lost on the staircases and in the narrow cobblestone corridors.

Public Transportation

Lisbon’s public transportation is also a safe and easy way to get around. They have a metro system, which is one of the cleanest and most well maintained subways in Europe, as well as city buses and trams. You can get a magnetic card called a 7 Colinas Card, which you can top up to pay your fare easily while exploring the city.

Taxi or Rideshare

Another good option for getting around the city is by taxi. Registered taxis are safe to ride in Lisbon, and you can hail them on the street, or get one at a designated taxi stand. Be sure to have your driver run the meter (especially when coming from the airport), the taxi rates are very reasonable. Lisbon also has Uber, as well as a popular taxi hailing app called MyTaxi.

Has anyone else fallen in love with Lisbon? Let us know in the comments!

The post Lesbian Travel Guide to Lisbon, Portugal appeared first on Lez See the World.

When we’re travelling to a new destination as a lesbian couple, there are a few things we take into consideration to figure out how lesbian friendly it is. We like to know what the LGBTQ+ laws are in that country, as well as what the social climate is. In some places the laws and the feelings of the local people don’t necessarily match. We also like to know if there are any “gaybourhoods” or areas that are especially lesbian friendly. This blog series is meant to inform other lesbian travellers about different destinations around the world, and help empower them to travel more openly when it is safe to do so. We will be sharing our experiences in each country as well as our recommendations, but as always we encourage everyone to do their own research. We can only speak to our own experiences, and everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to being out and open while travelling. The travel destinations that an LGBTQ+ person chooses, and the way in which they travel is a very personal decision, and we encourage everyone to do what feels right to them.

Keep reading to find out how lesbian friendly Portugal is!

LGBTQ+ Laws

The laws in Portugal regarding LGBTQ+ people have progressed quite a lot in the last 20 years, and are now regarded as some of the best in the world! Same-sex sexual activity has been decriminalized since 1982, and Portugal was the 8th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010, after recognizing unregistered cohabitation since 2001. Same-sex couples have also been able to legally adopt children since 2016, and they have equal access to family planning such as IVF. Since 2003, Portugal has had anti-discrimination laws in place for people of all sexual orientations, and the following year the constitution was amended to prohibit any discrimination based on sexual orientation, making Portugal one of the only countries on the globe to ban this type of discrimination in their constitution! In 2015 the country formally designated May 17th as their National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and further proved their commitment to fighting discrimination toward the LGBTQ+ community. Portugal continues to be a true leader in equality for LGBTQ+ people, and hopefully we will see more countries follow suit in the coming years.

Social Climate

While Roman Catholicism is still very prevalent in Portugal, the public opinion has become more and more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. A 2015 Eurobarometer Poll showed that more than 70% of Portuguese people believe in equal rights for gay and lesbian people, and 60% of people are accepting of marriage between same-sex couples. Those numbers have gone up significantly in the past ten years since the introduction of the same-sex marriage bill. Attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people seem quite positive overall, and there are active gay communities all over the country, especially in the larger cities and popular tourist areas. Similar to other Western European countries, locals are pretty open and accepting, and Portugal is definitely considered to be a LGBTQ+ friendly country to visit.

Gaybourhoods

The biggest LGBTQ+ scene in Portugal is in the incredible capital city of Lisbon, and the next prominent is in the city of Porto. In Lisbon, most gay establishments and gay nightlife can be found in the Bairro Alto neighbourhood, as well as the nearby Principe Real, and Chiado areas. There are a lot of gay and gay friendly bars, lounges, and nightclubs, most of which seem quite welcoming to women. The closest thing to a lesbian bar is called Purex, which is a gay and lesbian hotspot that draws the most diverse crowd. Lisbon also has popular gay friendly beaches such as 19 beach, and Bela Vista beach, as well as a large Pride festival which happens every June. Another annual event is Queer Lisboa, an International Queer Film Festival that takes place every September. The city of Porto also hosts a Pride celebration each year, and they have a gay scene in The Galleries area. Smaller gaybourhoods in the country can be found in the Algarve region in the cities of Faro, Lagos, Albufeira, and Tavira. Overall, Portugal is a country where you can feel safe and welcomed, and experience some local gay culture. It’s an amazing LGBTQ+ friendly European destination!

Our Experience

We’ve been to Portugal twice, and both times we had a really wonderful experience. We spent our time in the city of Lisbon, staying in the romantic old town called Alfama. Lisbon feels magical, and we spent hours getting lost on narrow cobblestone streets, and taking in unbelievable views. We walked around the whole city enjoying the beautiful architecture, the lively neighbourhoods, the gorgeous waterfront, and the rich history. We also took a day trip to nearby Sintra, to admire the incredible castles, palaces, and estates, and we loved soaking up the local Portuguese culture. There is so much to see and do in and around Lisbon, and we found the city to be very lesbian friendly. We were out and open in public, and always felt accepted when we were honest with the locals about being a lesbian couple. The city has a lively gay scene, amazing nightlife, and feels very inviting. Portugal seems to be quite welcoming of tourism, and we felt safe and comfortable on both of our trips there. We like to hold hands and show affection in public, and we did so without ever feeling unsafe, or getting any unwanted attention. We love visiting countries that legally recognize our marriage, and we felt so safe knowing that we are protected by law, as lesbian women. We would happily return to Portugal and would love to explore more of the country one day. It’s truly special and there is so much to see. We highly recommend it as a lesbian friendly destination for solo travellers and lesbian couples!

If you’re interested in travelling to Portugal, be sure to read our Lesbian Guide to Lisbon! 

Have you been to Portugal? Share your experience in the comments below!

View our library of How Lesbian Friendly Is… articles here!

The post How Lesbian Friendly is Portugal appeared first on Lez See the World.