Are you planning a trip to Portugal and do not know which are the best areas where to stay in Lisbon In this article we give you a glimpse of how are their neighborhoods and what you can find in the most popular areas
Lisbon is a city with a very wide and varied hotel floor.it has a many hotels in all price ranges .However, in spite of this enormous offer is not always easy to find availability , especially in the centre
Lisbon is very fashionable and has a huge tourist influx that only increases year by year. Because of this and especially in the months of better weather, from April to October, it is almost mandatory to book with all the in advance possible if you want to find accommodation in the centre of Lisbon at reasonable prices.
In any case the accommodation in Lisbon is much cheaper than in other big European capitals If you search with time it is possible to find quite decent double rooms for 50 euro a night
There is also a good amount of youth hostels that offer beds in shared rooms from 10 euro .
The best areas to stay in Lisbon
The most sought after areas for to stay in Lisbon are Baixa, Chiado and Bairro Alto.the hotels on Avenida da Liberdade are also in great demand.besides these, there are other areas that are also an excellent choice.
The city is very well connected by public transport and by choosing other less popular areas you can save a lot.
1.Baixa: the best area to stay in Lisbon
Baixa is the heart of Lisbon is the most central area of the city and the most convenient to organize your sightseeing.This part extends from the Rossio, more specifically from Praça Dom Pedro IV to the famous Praça do Comércio at the mouth of the river Tagus.
The earthquake of 1755 destroyed almost completely this part of the city which had to be rebuilt in its entirety.the Marquis of Pombal led a major reconstruction project that made it one of the most elegant and regular architectural of the city.
The Rossio , in the upper part of Baixa, is full of shops of all kinds.It is a very lively and fun area , perfect for buying clothes and souvenirs. On the other hand, its restaurants are not the most recommended as they are very much aimed at tourists.
In the lower part of Baixa, the closest to the river, the buildings become a little older, unkempt, with a somewhat neglected appearance, but with great charm.
In this district there are many hotels, both high standard and modest options , which include cheap hotels, inns and youth hostels.if you can book your hotel in Baixa do not hesitate.it is an ideal area to visit monuments, stroll through the streets, shop, dine, and go out in the neighboring Barrio Alto.
– Hotels in Baixa
2.Chiado
Flanking the Baixa district on one of its sides are the Chiado and the Barrio Alto climbing one of the city’s hills.The Chiado is a very commercial area and residential, very chic and full of the typical Lisbon charm .
In this area you will find some of the best shops in town, some of them really original.The shops here range from large commercial chains and top brands to small boutiques and some bookstores that also give it a certain bohemian air.
On your visit to this neighborhood you can not miss a walk along Garrett Street, where it is advisable to make a stop at one of its cafes. It is also a “must” to take the Elevator of Santa Justa from the neighborhood of Baixa to go up, or down, to Rua do Carmo.
The views from the top of the elevator are some of the best in the city, and in this neighborhood you can also find the famous Carmo Museum, one of the most interesting.
The Chiado, like Baixa, is one of the most sought after areas for sleeping in Lisbon The advantages of having your accommodation in this neighborhood are many.It is very central, is one of the most interesting areas for shopping, has some of the best known tourist attractions of the city, is a district with a lot of life, is ideal for going out for a coffee, dinner, or go out in the Barrio Alto.
– Hotels in the Chiado
3.The Barrio Alto
Going up the hill a little more from Chiado you arrive at the Bairro Alto.the Bairro is an old residential area with small cobbled streets in a grid shape.It is full of small shops, many of them with young and new local designers, which are open until late.
The Barrio Alto is one of the most lively. has many restaurants from the most expensive and exclusive to the cheapest you can find in the city.it is ideal for dinner and then going out for drinks.the whole area is full of small bars and clubs, including fado bars .If you are looking for nightlife and within walking distance of the centre this is one of the best options for to stay in Lisbon but keep in mind that it is a bit noisy at night.
4.Belém
In the western part of Lisbon is the district of Belém, one of the most interesting There are important tourist attractions such as the Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Tower, and several interesting museums such as the National Museum of Cars or the Navy Museum.
Belém is a very quiet neighbourhood which is lively during the day due to the influx of tourists There are several accommodation options in the area. It is an option to consider for to stay in Lisbon if you can’t find good accommodation options in other more central areas, or if you prefer tranquillity and being close to some of the tourist attractions of the city.
– Hotels in Belem
5.Alfama
On the other side of Baixa you will find the areas of Alfama, Castelo and Graca. Alfama is the oldest section of Lisbon and the Arab influences are present throughout the neighborhood.
These areas are very residential but with many restaurants and bars scattered throughout the area Despite its narrow and dark streets, Alfama and Castelo are very safe, even late at night
Castelo is dominated by the Castle and is worth exploring, particularly the Panteão Nacional which is a beautiful building that houses the tombs of some of the most important people in Portugal’s history.
– Hotels in Alfama
6.Avenida da Liberdade
Avenida da Liberdade starts from Rossio through Restauradores to Marquês de Pombal.It is a avenue full of hotels, luxury shops and many restaurants
It is a very elegant avenue , excellently well communicated from which you can easily reach everywhere.Without a doubt it is one of the best options for to stay in Lisbon .
– Hotels in Avenida da Liberdade
Is this post about being useful to you, the best areas to stay in Lisoba ? we hope so and we also recommend: Where to stay in the Algarve, where to stay in Madeira
7.Marqués de Pombal and Avenidas Novas
Further north from Marques de Pombal, and moving a little bit out of Lisbon’s centre, is the area of Avenidas Novas.
is an area to consider for to sleep in Lisbon if you do not mind spending 10 or 15 minutes to public transport to get to the center, in this area you will find some of the best known hotel chains such as Novotel, Marriot or Mercure to name a few.
– Hotels in Avenidas Novas
8.Parque das Nações
To the northeast is the area of Parque das Nações (the former site of the 1998 World Expo).It is a very modern area which has several attractions very interesting as the Oceanarium, or the museum of science.
It is another alternative option to consider for stay in Lisbon as it is very well connected with the center with a short trip by subway.
– Hotels in Parque das Naçoes
9.Cascais
Cascais is a charming village with excellent beaches which is very close to Lisbon is an alternative option to stay in Lisbon for those who prefer a different atmosphere to a city and since it is a short train ride is perfectly feasible to come and go on the same day to visit Lisbon.
What is the best area to stay in Lisbon?
The main tourist attraction of Lisbon is the historical centre.So if you are asking which is the best area to stay in Lisbon for a few days touristic break the answer is as close as possible to the historical centre .
Within the historical centre of Lisbon, the district of La Baixa is the main attraction for visitors.As indicated on the map La Baixa is the flat, grid-shaped area at the foot of the hill where the Castle is located.The main attractions that we can visit in the area of the Baixa are the Plaza Restauradores, Rossio Square, Rua Agusta, Trade Square and the Elevator of Santa Justa that leads to the Castle of St. George.
The Baixa area is the most attractive, but does not have much hotel offer, so in Best Location Hotels we recommend staying north, in the modern part of the city, but near the historic center.
If you are interested in knowing where to stay in Lisbon , you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in Porto and where to stay in the Algarve.
The historic and modern centre of Lisbon
Lisbon, the capital and largest city in Portugal, has a privileged location, situated at the mouth of the River Tagus and with a good climate that makes it one of the warmest European capitals, and for those who love shopping, it has some of the largest shopping centres on the continent.
By staying in the historical centre will have the main attractions of the city nearby, however, it is important to distinguish the historical centre , located near the river Tagus, and the modern centre , north of the former.
In the traditional part is La Baixa which starts at the Plazas del Rossio and Restauradores, two of the most important squares and where you can find two of the luxury hotels indicated on the map: the Hotel Avenida Palace and the Atlis Avenida Hotel.From these squares and down Rua Augusta is the most touristy area of Lisbon, with plenty of supply in terms of souvenir shops, restaurants and bars.
Among the main tourist attractions of the area of La Baixaare the Elevador de Santa Justa (a wrought iron elevator that from its top allows spectacular views of the city).
You can walk along Rua Augusta, which ends at the Arco Triunfal that gives access to the Tagus River and the Praça do Comércio, one of the most famous in the city and easily distinguishable by the yellow facades. Here are the headquarters of several ministries and is the meeting place for celebrations and mass events.
To the east is the Cathedral of Lisbon, known as Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or Sé de Lisboa, the oldest church in the city.At the top of the hill, 500 meters from the Baixa, is the Castle of St. George, one of the most famous monuments of Lisbon.
The modern center allows to be a short distance from the old, but with a greater choice of hotels.’, ‘
This is the current area of business and economic activity and concentrates the supply of the best hotels in the city. In the modern center there are also important squares such as Marqués de Pombal, there is also the Plaza de Toros de Campo Pequeño, which had a capacity of 9 thousand people and is now a shopping center.
At the ends of the park there are other interesting attractions: the Centro Moderno de Arte José de Azeredo Perdigão (CAMJAP), the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência – close to the Palace of the Marquis of Pombal -, and the most famous museum of the city: the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation with about 6 thousand pieces of art.
Both the historical and the modern centre are good areas to stay in Lisbon.
Other areas to stay in Lisbon
Other areas to stay in Lisbon are Chiado and Barrio Alto, just west of La Baixa, and the Parque das Nações area.
Chiado and Barrio Alto
To the west of the Baixa is Chiado and Barrio Alto, an area characterized by elegance and luxury, but also by being the most bohemian, which has given it the name of the “Montmartre” of Lisbon.From the historic centre you can reach the Praça Luís de Camoes by tram number 28, which is the border between Chiado and Bairro Alto.
The Park of Nations
The Park of Nations in Lisbon, which hosted the 1998 World Expo in Portugal, is home to some of the city’s cultural landmarks.Before this date it was an industrial area, a modern museum of science and technology with several interactive exhibitions; a cable car that transports visitors from one end of the Park to the other, or even to the Torre Vasco da Gama, the highest building in Lisbon.
There you will find the Oriente Station and the Atlantic Pavilion which is the venue for major sporting events and concerts. There is also the Lisbon Fair, the Vasco da Gama Shopping Centre and the Oceanarium, the second largest aquarium in Europe with more than 15 thousand animals and plants.
Where to stay near Lisbon
If we are going by car in Portugal and we do not want to stay in Lisbon, we have many options to stay near Lisbon, as the region has other tourist places with great accommodation capacity:
Cascais: located 40 minutes by car west of the capital Cascais is an old fishing village on the Estoril coast.Also accessible from nearby, it is one of the most visited places in the Lisbon area, a perfect place to enjoy a day at the beach or a walk through its old town.
Sintra: located 3o minutes from Lisbon at the entrance of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, Sintra is the other city near Lisbon that attracts many visitors.Its natural environment and its palaces make Sintra one of the most beautiful places in Portugal.
Setúbal: if we come from the south a good option is to stay in Setúbal.The city of Setúbal is located a few minutes drive from Lisbon and is famous for its beaches, among which are those of the Troia peninsula and the Arrábida natural park
