DON’TS

Lisbon has been recently re-discovered by the rest of world but there are a few simple things to know before visiting Lisbon that will make your trip even better. From the many guests we’ve receive over the past years, we realize that there are some things that if the knew before hand, they would have enjoyed even more their visit.

Altough it’s located at the southwest tip of Europe and isn’t as centrally-connected as other countries, Portugal has a life vibrancy that is infectious. Everyone is happy and friendly, the food is delicious, and the weather in Lisbon is amazing.

How to get around Lisbon

You should know before visiting Lisbon that public transportation is quite good nowadays. The underground fares start at 1.45€/single ticket and will take you basically anywhere within a comfortable walking distance. Taxis are quite cheap and you can always call an Uber.

The bus system is a bit tricky but it’s cheaper than taxis and quite extensive.

If you want to visit Cascais or Sintra, there are fast trains that will drop you off at the centre of these villages in a half an hour journey.

There’s also car sharing, bicycle renting and even Asian style tuk-tuks.

You can get a Lisbon Card that allows you to travel for free and enjoy free access to Lisbon’s best museums and attractions.

Obviously you cannot forget Lisbon Trams. They are not just for tourist rides. They serve the public and are use by locals to commute. But, besides being a good way to get you from A to B, a tram ride is also a good experience.

How do I get money, money, money!

Portugal is in the Euro zone. The currency is Euros and it will be very difficult that any business will accept other currencies (except some hotels). In case you arrive at the airport without Euros, there thousands of ATMs (look for Multibanco signs) in all international airports and towns. So you can withdraw Euros directly from your bank account. Also, Portugal was the first country in the world to have a unified banking system where you can withdraw cash from any ATM machine. So all country is well covered with these machines and, except a few small restaurants, almost every business accepts credit and debit cards. Just check your banking fees first.

If you exchange money at home, avoid bringing bills larger than 50 Euros. If your currency exchange provider has given you a stack of 100, 200 or worse, 500 Euros notes, take them into a local bank when you arrive to get a stash of smaller notes. Not all places accept bills over 50 Euros.

Do I need to learn some Portuguese words/phrases.

No need! You don’t need to take portuguese classes before visiting Lisbon.

Portuguese take a lot of pride in their culture and language, but they always speak either English or try some sort of Spanish or French in order to help you. Nothing gives more pleasure (except food and wine, of course) to a Portuguese than helping tourists, giving them directions and best restaurant tips. There is however a bit of cultural shock that you can avoid if you try to speak portuguese.

A lot of people speak English and will communicate with you in some form or another. You won’t ever feel lost or misguided.

Safety in Lisbon

Different outlets and indexes rank Portugal repeatedly in the top 10 of the most peaceful countries in the world.

According to 2017 Global Peace Index Portugal is the 3^rd most peaceful country in the world.

Having said that, here are some pointers you should know before visiting Lisbon:

• Large cities (Lisbon and Porto, essentially) are metropolitan areas, with all the characteristics of such. You can go anywhere and walk around freely. Areas near the centre are perfectly safe to wander day and night, because there is always someone out as well.
• Be aware of pickpockets, many of them are not even Portuguese. Tourists also attract this kind of thieves from other countries.
• On other Portuguese regions/cities that are not particularly touristic, you’ll find that people tend to mind their own business. At night it should be rare find anyone roaming around, unless it’s on those hot summer nights.
• Violent crime ratios are low and occurring incidents are mostly passion related.
• There is little worrying about displaying jewellery. It’s very rare to have someone pointing a knife (even rarer a gun) at you. Just beware of those damn pickpockets.
• If someone leaves a tip (generally coins) to a waiter, they generally tend to stick around to wait it’s collected (and not stolen). In any case, it’s fairly common to see coins on top of the table and the next visitors will sit down without touching it.
• Police forces are generally peaceful and act when necessary.
• People will help you if you need assistance.

Drug dealers

As you probably know, drugs are decriminalized in Portugal. That doesn’t mean all Portuguese take drugs. In fact, it’s very rare to see even someone smoking a joint in public. The only difference is that we see drug addiction as a disease and try to help these people get treated, instead of turning them into criminals.

DRUGS SOLD ON THE STREET ARE A SCAM

Recently, in tourist areas, there has been a big increase of drug dealers offering drugs to tourists. This is very annoying and even considered a shame by Portuguese people. Unfortunately, the Police can’t even arrest these dealers because they don’t sell drugs. They sell flour instead of cocaine and pressed laurel instead of hashish. They could only arrest them if someone would press charges against them for fraud, since it’s not a public crime. But who’s going to officially complain that they got scammed when buying drugs?

These “drug” dealers don’t harm anyone. They are just incredible annoying.

Keep an eye on personal items

Travellers should always keep an eye on their personal items like purses and backpacks. It is crucial to keep this in mind in the more tourist-filled spots. Don’t place purses on the floor, especially while sitting at café terraces and even waiters may remind you to place personal items on empty chairs beside you (but don’t rely on them to warn you). Theft isn’t a major problem in Portugal, but it’s also not immune to it.

Car parkers

That nice person helping you park your car is looking for a tip.

Portugal is incredibly car-friendly but the cities experience a bit of a parking problem. At times, a man may begin waving you into an open spot. It doesn’t matter if you saw it first or if there’s plenty of vacant places. You may be approached for a tip. If you don’t give them anything usually nothing happens, but just give the man 50 cents to help him buy some wine.

Urban hikes

Bring your walking shoes!

If you love to hike, then Lisbon is perfect for you.

Also known as the beautiful 7 hills city, you can have really interesting urban hikes, from going up to the castle down to the riverside in minutes, climbing up again to a great sight seeing viewpoint.

From street art hikes to incredible top viewpoints where you can see the entire city, the river and even the ocean, you can find hiking routes in Lisbon and discover the city in a healthy way.

Enjoy the sun, light and weather while visiting the traditional and picturesque Lisbon neighbourhoods and hike in one of the most beautiful capitals of Europe. The winter is perfect for long walks and remember, that Lisbon is one of the safest cities in the world, so if you get lost, you can always find someone to point you the right direction.

Sun and light

Lisbon light is bright and famous. With more than 300 days of sunshine per year, you can understand why so many cinematographers and photographers love to work or visit Lisbon.

If you are an amateur photographer, bring your gear. From the viewpoints you can find some perfect scenic and landscape spots and during the day, when the sun is high, you’ll find it perfect for some black and white street photography.

Too much light can also be a problem, especially if you have a whiter skin. Don’t forget to bring sun screen and sun glasses. Even in winter.

These are 5 simple things you should know before visitng Lisbon will make your visit perfect. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, drop us a line or send us a Whatsapp . We’re glad to help you.

Lisbon is now considered one the world capitals with the best street art. The city ranks 5th on the Huffington Post list with the best 15 best cities to see street art, ahead of cities like Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris.

The mixture between the classic and beautiful tile covered façades to Vhils carving faces façades transforms Lisbon into a big open art gallery.

If you don’t know what to see in Lisbon, just look down. You’re probably stepping on a traditional cobblestone design sidewalk.

You can still see some political murals from Carnation Revolution in April 74 and today, even the City Council sponsors graffiti artists, making abandoned buildings available to artists, realising that good-quality street art could be an asset.

Everyday, there’s some kind of street art popping somewhere in the city while others vanish like they appeared. One thing is for sure, either you like it or not, street art is now a big part of Lisbon and an inspiration to some of our apartments interior design. If you’re browsing for things to do in Lisbon, just walking around our city is like visiting an open air art gallery.

If you want some extra help and guided tours, drop us a line.

Vhils street art

Vhils’s is currently the biggest name in Portuguese Street Art. And his name is not just a synonym to one of the best street artists in Portugal. It has travelled abroad to at least more than 50 countries where he literally carved his art. By carving into walls he uncovers the slabs of colour and texture in order to make massive portraits.

“I continue to think that the biggest museums we have in the world are the streets.” Vhils

Vhils gained prominence when his carved portrait was revealed alongside the street artist Banksy at the Cans Festival in London in 2008. Later, Bansky’s agent, gave him additional space to create his street art carvings.

Vhils uses different techniques like dissecting poster ads and excavating walls, collages, wheat paste, wood, metal, installations, and more like using etching acid, bleach, pneumatic drills, and other processes or street art tools to reveal a wall’s layers.

These techniques and tools are evolving as his work progresses. He enjoys the suspense of not knowing what patterns and images await in the layers beneath. The final layer product on the surface is his key concept.

Check Vhils’ website and map. It’s definitely a must thing to see in Lisbon.

You cannot miss his tribute to Amália Rodrigues, the Portuguese Fado diva, using the traditional cobblestone pavement. Find it on Rua dos Cegos.

Bordalo II

Bordalo II transforms trash or rubbish into impressive art pieces. This incredible Portuguese street artist is known for creating large animal figures from garbage he finds on the street and abandoned construction sites.

In the last few years, his work has spread all over the world, in a series of works called Big Trash Animals. There is a clear message behind it: draw attention to waste production, waste, pollution and how much it causes our planet to suffer.

“We destroy animals and nature. I give them life with what we have done to destroy them. “ Bordalo II

Bordalo II uses rugged bumpers, burned trash bins, tires and appliances, plastic work ducts, shower curtains, gas pipes, bumpers, metal nets and various plastics. These materials, along with some color, give life to his creations.

You must see in Lisbon the Raccoon on a wall of the Cultural Center of Belém, the Trash Puppy, built at the Cabo Ruivo roundabout, between Av. Infante D. Henrique and the Passeio do Baltico; a pig on Rua do Rio Douro and the giant bee inside the Lx Factory.

Also check Bordalo II studio in Xabregas. It’s free and one of the best things to see in Lisbon.

Odeith

Odeith is known for his amazing three-dimensionality paintings. He’s the pioneer in the use of his anamorphic technique that makes his graffiti “leap” from the walls, giving the illusion that they are 3D objects.
Anamorphic art consists of an optical illusion effect, using the perspective and a game of light and shadows, which, from a certain point of view, allows the work to be understood in 3D. Made in the angle of two Odeith graffiti walls look like sculptures, 3D objects that are floating in space.

Odeith technique took street art to the next level.

“Odeith: From sewer king to graffiti master.” Sábado Magazine.

You must check his apocalyptical graffiti in Gare do Oriente. Then travel to the other side of town, in Damaia, where you can see some of the Breaking Bad scenes painted in the train station. Just using spray cans, this 16 meters long work of art took only 4 days to finished and it’s incredible. In Amadora, Odeith painted in an 8 store building a gigantic Fernando Pessoa.

Where to find Street art in Lisbon

Our best advice is walk around and keep your eyes open. From huge buildings to small fire hydrants, Lisbon is a big raw canvas for so many brilliant street artists.

Mouraria

In Mouraria you can find walls dedicated to fado. The cooperation between artists is becoming more common and at Escadinhas de São Cristovão there is a mural created by different artists.

The main groups are the Underground platform and Cargo Collective, that displayed their art all over Lisbon and its suburbs.

Bairro Alto

Bairro Alto is one of Lisbon’s most colourful neighbourhoods. During the day it’s peaceful and relaxing, giving you the opportunity to check out the dozens of art pieces all around. Near our Urban Edge apartment in Bairro Alto, there are couple of areas where you will find a few amazing examples include Travessa dos Fiéis de Deus, Rua da Vinha, and Rua de São Boaventura.

During the night, it come to life, with people flooding the bars, clubs, small restaurants and tascas.

Elevador da Gloria

This century old elevator is currently on of the biggest street art streets in the world. Inaugurated in 1885, the Glória funicular is 275 meters long, with a slope of about 18%. It goes up and down between Restauradores and Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara in Bairro Alto. Along this street, seven panels were installed for selected artists present their murals. The Street Car is supposed to be yellow since the 1920s, but is usually covered in graffiti.

Alfama and Graça

Going from Elevador da Gloria, pass Martim Moniz and go to Alfama and Graça where the narrow roads are lined in eclectic artwork. You can take the Tram 28 through Graça, where you can find some of João Maurício’s and Vhils’ artwork.

Carnation Revolution Murals

In Lisbon, April 1974 turned streets into spaces of ideological expression. After years of censorship people picked up brushes and go to the walls to “talk” about jobs, wages, education and health. They were revolution songs painted in stone. Words of order to what people could now do, this leftist propaganda covered Lisbon’s streets in the 1970’s.

You can still find some in Bairro Alto near our Cozzy Apartments, on Travessa dos Fiéis de Deus, Âlcantara and Cruz Quebrada.

Recently, in Avenida de Berna a big 15 meters graffiti, made by four Underground artists,  evokes the main symbols of the Carnation Revolution, in a contemporary approach.

Alcântara and LX Factory

You can find brilliant art pieces in Alcantara in big buildings seen from highway crossroads and in the narrow streets and quiet neighbourhoods.

Don’t miss LX factory a hub for design and art startups and entrepreneurs, freelancers, and artists. This neighbourhood was converted from an old factory building, that had been abandoned for decades, into modern restaurants, bars, stores, and offices. The artwork is a big part of the atmosphere and adds colour to this social hub.

As we said at the beginning, everyday new artwork is being created in Lisbon. So, just keep your eyes and mind open and share with us your Lisbon street art pics.