Portugal Day 2: Lisbon! Ginja, Rua Augusta, and Belem
Morning: Alfalma district and Saint Luzia Miraduro
In the Alfalma district, near the Sao Jorge Castle, there is a set up for Portugal Day (skippable unless you enjoy parties) and a cute graffiti sign. But my all time favorite Miraduro in Lisbon, Santa Luzia, is right nearby and well worth a visit! Cue the gratuitous photos of me matching these tiles!
More Alfalma walk to Santa Maria Maior Church
Trying to bite the chocolate 😉 We found this on our walk to Santa Luzia Major Church, a small cloister that is worth the €7 ticket price to enter in my opinion!
Rua Augusta, Arco da Rua Augusta, and Praça do Comercio
Rua Augusta: (first four pics) a cool street worth seeing, the shopping? Not so much, unless you have a fondness for cheap tourist tchotchkes and overpriced designer handbags. Too harsh? Moving on- big fan of the old mixed with the new! Behind the newer beautifully painted yellow buildings, you can still spy the remnants of the Carmo Convent!
The Carmo Convent (pic 5) Lisbon was a majestic Gothic church in Lisbon until it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755 , and today its roofless ruins poke through modern day life as a powerful memorial to that day. It was originally built in 1389 (helllllooo?!?!), most of the architecture dates back to the 1300s. You can still visit this intentionally roofless Gothic arched convent at the Carmo Archaeological Museum, for €7 each ticket. We skipped this, as frankly, you can see the arches from lots of places in the City of the Seven Hills.
Santa Justa Lift: (pic 6) cool for a photo outside! Not worth riding it, but again, it’s your picnic!
Ginja tasting: (pic 7) LOVE! Ginja is a deliciously sweet cherry liqueur (like a cherry version of the Italian limoncello) that originated in Lisbon, and the small “A Ginjinha” bar is the traditional home of the drink. Made from ginja berries (yes, they’re their own berry!), aguardente, sugar, and a little bit of salt, ginjinha is one of the most appreciated liqueurs in Portugal. I heard about the drink’s story from the bar’s host as we sat to sip: it all began when a Galician friar from the nearby Church of Santo António discovered that leaving ginja berries to infuse with alcohol, sugar, and other ingredients created this distinctively Portuguese elixir. Ain’t that just the way with most good things? They happen by accident.
The easiest Portuguese tradition to adopt is undoubtedly the one that takes any decent Lisboner – at dawn or dusk – to enjoy a glass of ginjinha (or, for Óbidos-style, poured into a chocolate cup). The ritual is beautifully simple: step into one of Lisbon’s tiny ginjinha bars, order your shot, and choose whether you want it “com elas” (with the cherries) or “sem elas” (without). We tried ours with- the berries were super sour, but like the tradition of “eating the worm,” I believe worthwhile to the authentic experience. The Ginjinha liqueur is served in small glasses with or without ginjas. In Lisbon Downtown, we went to an intimate venue called Ginjinha Sem Rival, with their standing-room-only atmosphere and authentic character. The bottles even looked like old medicine bottles! I’m not sponsored in any way, but I found the shots to be delicious, if a bit pricey. Don’t let my calling of these puppies “shots” fool you- please don’t down these in one go. Sip to taste the experience, and people watch at the tall red stools nearby. Our shots in 2025 were €1.75 each, but a bottle with 200 ml was about €5.95, so far cheaper to buy in bulk. All the better to share with friends!
Afternoon: Belem Tower, Monument of Discoveries, and Jerónimos Monastery
I’m a predictable gal: my favorite part was the park right outside Jerónimos Monastery, called Jardim Vasco da Gama (picture 7). It’s free, cute, and a great place to get shade and eat a picnic lunch.
belem tower
Under construction when we visited (picture 1), the Belém Tower (Torre de Belém) was built between 1514 and 1520. Interestingly enough, this UNESCO World Heritage site originally stood on a small island in the Tagus River, but centuries of build up of sedimentation have connected it to the mainland, completely changing its appearance from its original island fortress design. It was meant to be the first thing sailors saw when arriving through Lisbon’s ports: providing a sense of home for locals, and a warning for outsiders. The inside is not worth seeing, really- all the good stuff is on the exterior.
Monument of discoveries
The monument (pictures 2-4) was built in 1940 as a temporary structure and remade in 1960- relatively recent as far as historical artifacts go. It also celebrates the Age of Discovery when Portuguese ships and explorers left to trade with Asia- not a great thing. It’s a huge 52-meter-tall monument that features 33 historical figures, including Henry the Navigator at the prow, and is an impressive piece of architecture. It’s also right by the Belem Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, making it an easy stop on a sightseeing tour.
Jerónimos Monastery
Jeronimos Monastery (pictures 5-6) was commissioned by King Manuel I in 1501, commemorating Vasco da Gama’s successful voyage to India. Then, the construction started in 1501 and lasted for 100 years to be completed. Apparently Vasco da Gama and his men spent the night in prayer there before departing on their expedition to India in 1497 at the original hermitage on this site. Today, the monastery houses Vasco da Gama’s tomb, making it both a spiritual and historical pilgrimage site. It was unfortunately closed due to strikers on our trip, though I have also heard that the inside is underwhelming.
So, when visiting these three sites, perhaps plan on a quick trip around their exteriors, maybe an hour in total, and sitting out at one of the gorgeous parks for respite in nature. We were going to use public transit, but found Uber to be much cheaper and faster.
By this point, it was 1:00 pm in our day, and we were starving. So off for lunch!
Lunch
This pretty restaurant is called A Muralha Tasca Típica Lisboa, and is located by the eastern waterfront and right near the Fado Museum!
It was sooooo good. I got a mixed fish plate with rice, and we shared a mixed meat dish, grilled sardines (tasty little guys!), and some seafood rice that tasted like a tomatoey paella. We had to wait in line a bit to get a seat, but it was well worth it. The atmosphere of grape leaves was adorable, and the food was fresh. Would recommend!
flea market and home
A short walk away from our lunch/dinner spot was this flea market! There was “both” Feira da Ladra (Campo de Santa Clara) and Mercado de Santa Clara, but really it felt like one giant market strung together on a hill. A bit like a garage sale, and a little like an open-concept antique shop, this stop was worth it for me! I grabbed an €8 teacup for shots of ginja. When we walked back to our place, we sipped on ginja and hung up some laundry that was washing all day (do European washing machines go on for hours or did I just click a setting wrong??) and called it a night!
Overall, it was a nice full day, and we were able to see the sights we wanted to while still having the evening to ourselves. Perfect! I would say that Belem and all its accoutrements were fairly skippable in my opinion- we skipped Sao Jorge Castle, but that could be worth a look if you like castle ruins and wandering peacocks! My favorite bit was the flea market and the park- go figures, the things you enjoy at home are the same as when you’re abroad. I suppose that goes to show that you shouldn’t stretch yourself when planning travel. Really lean on what YOU like to do, and try to recreate YOUR daily routine while traveling, not fitting into anyone else’s.
