Lisbon

It’s cheap

Despite being in the eurozone, prices are amongst the lowest in Europe. Food and drink are half the price of many other European capitals and five-star hotel rooms can go for as little as £100-a-night.

Historic charm

Lisbon’s a mishmash of cobbled historic charm. Spires, cathedral domes and marble statues underscore the ever-blue skyline, while the Moorish Alfama district is where sunset-amber walls and dusty cobbled lanes circle the Arabic-cum-Medieval St George’s Castle.

Secret beaches

The hub of the city is concentrated around the Rio Tejo’s estuary. This ensures the city sprawl sticks to the river, keeping the nearby beaches almost untouched by human hand. There are dozens of wild rural stretches (Guincho, Maças, Adraga, to name a few) within 20-odd minutes drive of the city centre.

Hello sunshine

Sunshine and warm weather kick in any time from late February. And the sun doesn’t usually set on Lisbon’s summer until late November, when mild and crisp, blue-skied winter days prevail in the Atlantic-facing capital.

Party town

Lisbon is a social town. Dinner starts any time after 9.30pm and eating out a few nights a week is normal. Drinks in the bar-filled Bairro Alto district always follow. From there, clubs will get going around 4 am, and before you know it, a casual meal with friends has ended in a stumble home at sunrise.

It’s off the radar

Lisbon falls very much in the shadow of A-list cities such as Madrid, Paris and Barcelona, which adds to the charm. It’s never overrun with tourists, adding an authentic and easy feel to any weekend here.

It’s so small

This cuddly capital is comparatively very small, with most places reachable by foot from the city centre (save for the odd tram ride). Within the small capital, Lisbon is filled with defined and diverse neighbourhoods that are easy to cover and get to grips with in the space of a weekend.
 

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