Lisbon: Sun, Sand, and Sangria

After completing four years of college, I thought it would be nice to have a getaway to recuperate.

Not to forget, I needed to stock back up on the lack of vitamin D courtesy of the Irish weather.

I decided to go to a beach destination there had access to the city so we went to

Just southwest of Lisbon where it was filled with locals and not a single tourist was spotted!

The total holiday costed 359! Broken down it was:-

5D/4N Airbnb Accommodation: 74

Ryanair Flights from Dublin: 90

Food and Drink: 150 

Public transport within Lisbon: 40

Exhibition entrance fee: 5

The reason behind the absence of tourists was that I didn’t go to the larger beaches along the coast. Instead I went to Santo Antonio, as recommended by my Airbnb host, Patricia.

I spent every single day at the beach at least for a couple of hours under the large umbrella (thanks to Patricia), and I also went bobbing along with the waves.

Best part was, I froze iced peach tea in the fridge and brought it along with me so I could delightfully sip it while I was there and it would be icy and refreshing.

As mentioned earlier, I stayed at a lovely apartment which was a ten minute walk away from the beach. Patricia was an amazing host who helped to recommend all the things I should do and provided a guide on how to get to places – Click here if interested to book her apartment!

Since I had the apartment, I made sure to stock up on delicious food and cooked most of my meals.

So when I ate out we splurged ever so slightly on good food since I saved quite a lot by cooking.

Here’s a little summary of what to eat, drink, and do, when in Lisbon.

I walked into a small cafe which was near Igreja de San António (Saint Anthony Church) and Sé de Lisboa (Cathedral of Lisbon) and just thought I’d like a tasty treat. It wasn’t actually half bad.

But if you want to taste the infamous tarts at Pasteis de Belem, head down there but prepare for a queue!

Don’t be worried though, the employees are well used to the crowds and are very efficient and on top of things! One tart costs 1.10 and you’ll definitely need more than one!

Especially in the summer, it’s just essential to sip down a lovely glass of sangria while nibbling on its chunks of fruit.

I definitely had it more than once…or twice.

You can oddly get them both in one sitting but that’s probably not the most local thing to do. 

It’s outside of the city, but worth a wander (recommended by our host), and I loved it and returned to this vicinity twice!

It’s an industrial area converted into a neighbourhood of restaurants, bars, cafes, and artwork.

It felt like a little hipster village, so for those intrigued by all things hipster, or just enjoy some good wandering, I would totally recommend!

I stumbled upon Restaurante da Praça in LxFactory because the one I wanted to go to wasn’t open but I left extremely pleased.

The weather was also stunning and it was my first meal eaten out (after all the cooking) so it was an absolute treat.

Duck within a crispy filo pastry on a bed of steamed sweet potatoes.

Grilled octopus with potatoes and salad.

The restaurant had both indoor and outdoor seating so you could enjoy its food regardless of the weather!

Two main dishes, with bread and olives for sides, with a litre of sangria added up to about €50.

Within LxFactory, make sure to go to Rio Maravilha which is on the 4th floor on one of the buildings and is only accessible by an old-school lift. Be warned that it is not open on Mondays! (I had to come back another day to visit this place).

You get a lovely rooftop view where loads of the locals are chilling and enjoying some cocktails.

I was lucky enough to get a table despite not having a reservation and got some complimentary bread with a ricotta cheese dip.

Iberian pork with dollops of papaya cream.

I returned to my lovely grilled and slightly fried octopus on a bed of pureed sweet potatoes and other tasty things. 

Apologies for the poor quality photo, I didn’t realise it was blur and continued to eat my food right away haha!

The waitress recommended the Raspberry Fizz Gin Cocktail which was lovely!

The dinner ended up being €55 which included two mains, a complimentary starter, a bottle of still water, a glass of wine and my cocktail.

Even if dinner isn’t on your agenda, cocktails there start from €6 which is an absolute steal with that kind of view!

Since I already elaborated on why you need to go to LxFactory, I’ll not go on about that here.

Wander around and get lost – especially around the Baixo-Chiado area

Praça do Comércio

The old monastery was beautiful and was only a fiver to get in (with a student ID)

The area surrounding this monument was pretty to wander with little food shops and a great view of the sea.

A little bit of corny love locks were there too.

The monument was commemorating the adventures of Henry the Navigator – so it was a rather slight glorification of colonialism really.

Just like how they stopped by Melaka in Malaysia. I guess it was slightly strange to see the history I learnt in Malaysia from the coloniser point of view.

I didn’t get a ticket to go up the tower cos it wasn’t particularly high but for those who would enjoy exploring the gothic tower, a combination ticket with the Jeronimos Monastery would save you some money. 

And that’s about it!

Just like those Portuguese egg tarts.

Mmmmm.