Before Napoleon invaded Portugal in 1807, Portugal’s royalty and aristocrats lived in sumptuous palaces enriched by the gold of Brazil and the spice money from India and other parts of the Portuguese empire. Napoleon took many of those riches to France when Portugal’s royal family fled to Brazil, but he could not take everything. 

So the country’s royal palaces stand today as museums decorated with some fantastic furnishings and pieces of art, and there are also a number of noble residences standing just as their owners left them. They give visitors a picture of upper-class life through the centuries, and the one that does it best in Lisbon is that of Ricardo Espirito Santo, a Portuguese philanthropist.

His former residence is found by the Portas do Sol Viewpoint in Alfama and is now called the Decorative Arts Museum. It dates from the 17th century and displays his stunning collection of furniture, tapestries, and ceramics in a period setting.

While you’ll be able to see very similar objects in other Portuguese palaces and throughout Europe, this palace is different in one aspect — it’s also a center of restoration of antiques. If you’re curious about seeing the decorative arts collection, be sure to also call ahead to schedule a visit to the workshops where you’ll be able to watch people practice traditional skills like woodcarving and bookbinding.

Back inside the house pay attention to the original 17th century wooden floors and painted ceilings. Also interesting is noting the tiny size of the four-poster beds in the bedrooms, indicating that the palace’s former residents many have been big on money but not on height.

As the autumn and winter months approach so do the colder and rainy days, meaning that if you happen to be in Lisbon under that kind of weather, you’ll be spending fewer hours outside. Visits to museums sounds much more appealing at that time, and after visiting the city’s major art collections, be sure to also consider seeing the Decorative Arts Museum. For more information about it click here.

Are you coming to Lisbon on a family holiday? That doesn’t mean you have to go to bed as early as your kids, preventing you from enjoying a long, relaxed dinner and a night out in the city! Simply throw your kids in the ocean and have a great evening alone with your spouse! 

The Lisbon Oceanarium has a program where children are left sleeping with sharks as parents do whatever they want elsewhere. Kids are first introduced to the deep end of the ocean and its creatures, learning about underwater life and sharks. During this experience they even have the opportunity to touch samples of sharp teeth and shark skin, and understand why it’s important to preserve these animals and sea life.

After that it’s time for them to get inside their sleeping bags and sleep in the company of the creatures they just learned about, only to get up early in the morning for a tour of the entire Oceanarium.

In the meantime you’ll be checking out the restaurants in Bairro Alto, going to a concert at the Gulbenkian or CCB, perhaps to the opera in São Carlos Theater, or even go for a night of cocktails at Cinco Lounge. You may even choose not to sleep that night, but by 10AM you should be at the Oceanarium to pick up your child, who will have lots of stories to tell you about.

For details about the “Sleeping with the Sharks” workshop click here (then click on the British flag for the English version), and for information about the aquarium, see GoLisbon’s Oceanarium page.

Portugal’s Algarve has gone from being a cheap holiday destination for British tourists, to an attractive European family getaway, to an increasingly upmarket resort area. We just told you about Europe’s first 6-star hotel opening up in the region soon, and a growing number of luxurious and more sophisticated design hotels are popping up like mushrooms along the coast.

The rich and the famous have taken notice, and this year saw familiar faces like Hollywood actor Tim Robbins and French actress Catherine Deneuve descending towards the southern Portuguese shores. Joining the crowds then came Olympic medalist Michael Phelps, who flew straight from Beijing to Algarve for a few days of rest by the beach after his record-breaking performance in this year’s Olympics. It was reported that he spent €5,000 in drinks in just one night, but you don’t have to spend that much or be a celebrity to enjoy the best of Algarve. There are many reasons why you should go there this month, and these are the top 10:

1. The August crowds are gone, prices have gone slightly down, and the weather is still great! Summer goes on in September in Algarve, and in fact, lasts through October. These are the most enjoyable weeks in the region.

2. I stayed at the Memmo Baleeira Hotel last year and will return again next time I’m in Sagres. The rooms look out over the pool standing on top of a cliff which also offers a view to the coast that was known as “the end of the world” to the ancient Europeans before Prince Henry the Navigators’ exploration of the oceans. Even cooler is the modern design all throughout the hotel, including in the wellness center and spa.

3. An alternative to Memmo Baleeira is Pousada de Sagres, just a few steps away. It does not have the all-modern design but offers the elegance and top-notch service that the Pousadas de Portugal chain is known for. Look from your window or stand by the pool and you’ll see Prince Henry the Navigator’s fortress in the distance, which you may visit later in the day. Even better news is that in September there are good deals you can’t get during the traditional summer months.

4. I have stayed in six Pousadas de Portugal so far and the Pousada de Tavira was one of my favorites (which I wrote about here). Being housed in a former 16th century convent, it has the historical feel of other pousadas, but the contemporary décor gives it a light and fresh atmosphere which is just what you want when you’re so close to the beach. And speaking of the beach, the little island of Tavira just outside the town of Tavira is perfect under the still-warm September sun, minus the summer overcrowding!

5. Another sign of Algarve moving towards satisfying the more refined tastes of the modern traveler is Monte D’Oiro Refugio Design Hotel. It’s located just outside Lagos, arguably Algarve’s most beautiful town and with the best beaches. Every detail from the breakfast room to the outdoor swimming pool combines characteristics of the Algarve with stylish modern furnishings. A hotel of this calibre would cost you about 5 times more anywhere else, so the time to book it is now.

6. You no longer have to go to Miami or St. Tropez to experience the ultra-cool Nikki Beach. Now open in Algarve’s Vilamoura, this beach club and lounge is the place to see and be seen. Surrounded by the famous marina, you can relax in luxury at the lakeside restaurant and then stay all night long for drinks. It’s only open until October, so if you don’t want to have to wait until next year, go now.

7. Once you’ve been-there-done-that at Nikki Beach, head to Amo-te Pine Cliffs. Located in the Sheraton Pine Cliffs Resort, this 2-year-old space is one of the new places to be at night. The ambience may feel slightly formal when you look at some of the people but overall it manages to maintain a casual attitude in service. Have a caipirinha or a sangria as you listen to house music, or move to the more chilled-out zone in the open air.

8. From Septemer 26 to the 28th, the Grand Prix of Portugal Powerboat P1 World Championship will take place in Praia da Rocha, the postcard beach by the city of Portimão. As if there weren’t enough reasons to come to this big and beautiful beach, now you can watch the powerful boats cutting through the waves at speeds of over 160 kph in an exciting and spectacular contest.

9. Also in Portimão, the Formula Windsurfing World Championships will take place from September 9th to 14th. It’s the world’s largest annual windsurfing event, for which only the finest international windsurfers quality. Watch the thrilling competition from the beach, and work on your late-summer tan while you’re at it.

10. What would Algarve be like without golf? The two words are almost synonymous, as this is one of the top golfing destinations not just in Europe, but of the entire world. Check out the deals for this month at the Dona Maria San Lorenzo Resort, where you can golf in the stunning 18-hole course, or if you’re not into that, simply stay in the hotel with its breathtaking views of the Atlantic and world-class facilities at incredibly affordable prices. You have no excuse for not taking advantage of it.

See GoLisbon’s complete Algarve guide for all the information you’ll need about visiting Portugal’s southernmost province where it’s summer almost all year long.

Exactly 107 years ago today, Lisbon saw its first tram, previously known as a “streetcar” and locally called “electrico” go up and down its hilly streets.

They still do that today, although with the arrival of the subway system in the mid-20th century and the increased use of the automobile, many of the routes were discontinued leaving only four still operating at the moment.

In 2007 the city’s trams transported more than 16,4 million passengers. Of those the majority were locals, but tourists also made up a large number of riders.

These small machines are not the fastest way to get around in the city, but they don’t pollute, have a charming historical feel, and are not as noisy as the car. How fast they reach their final destination depends on whether or not they find their tracks free of obstacles, usually meaning no double-parked cars or a delivery truck blocking the way. When they do come across them, with no way of going around the tracks, passengers simply have to wait a minute or two, or five or more, until that is out of the way.

So why take the tram? Because in the steepest neighborhoods like in Alfama, with streets too narrow for buses, the tram is the only option. And on a bus you can’t stick your head out of the window and snap a picture of a tiled wall, of a colorful balcony and its potted plants, of a picturesque street down the hill, or of the eye-catching façade of a monument.

For all those reasons riding a tram in Lisbon is a must, especially tram 28 that goes through most of the city’s oldest quarters. To reach the city’s main sights in Belem, you have to take tram 15. Because of that, the 15 is the route with the biggest number of passengers, but that being a modern “super-tram” with closed windows, the tourist sightseeing needs are left to charming old 28.

The two other routes are numbers 12 and 25. Number 25 goes from Baixa, through Santos and Lapa, ending at Prazeres which is also the 28’s final stop. The 25 is your tram if you want to visit the Ancient Art Museum. As for number 12, it’s a circular journey that starts in Figueira Square, goes up the hill towards Portas do Sol Viewpoint, down to the cathedral, and back to Figueira Square.

In addition to these trams, the top of Lisbon’s hills can be reached with the help of four historic funiculars. Lavra is the oldest one (the world’s first and powered by water in 1884), then there’s Gloria that goes up from Restauradores Square to São Pedro de Alcantara Viewpoint in Bairro Alto, Bica by Chiado and Bairro Alto is the most photographed of all, and the Eiffel Tower-looking Santa Justa in the center of the city.

Ride one of these trams or funiculars and you’ll know why in Lisbon, getting there really is half the fun.

The laundry hanging out to dry from the balconies is one of Lisbon’s most emblematic images. You walk around Alfama and other historical residential districts and you’ll see bed sheets, towels, t-shirts, and even underwear drying in the sun, in the good old Mediterranean way.

And if you’re in Lisbon until the end of October you’ll also notice some other colorful pieces of fabric that could very well be a painting in a museum. That is in fact not too far from the truth, as these originally were paintings and drawings by Dutch artist Guus Slauerhoff.

Those banners make up an installation called “Facets of Life,” consisting of 85 paintings reproduced on transparent cloth. Their images and display were inspired by Fado music and Alfama’s floating laundry.

The artist aims to connect the history of Fado in Alfama to the contemporary life in the neighborhood, where the music genre still has a huge presence in daily life. The banners measuring 240×150cm hang from many of the neighborhood’s oldest houses, transmitting the feeling of melancholy or nostalgia that both the music and Alfama often bring.

Slauerhoff fell in love with Fado in 2003 when he first heard a Cristina Branco CD. The songs of that Fado singer fascinated him enough to visit Lisbon in 2004, when he created an exhibition called “The Soul of Fado” for the Fado Museum.

This is his second project in Lisbon and looks like it won’t be his last.

This will be a magical week in Lisbon. From now until Sunday the city’s main streets and squares will be filled with almost two dozen masters of illusion from several countries including Portugal, England, Sweden, USA, Spain, Australia, and Argentina. They’ll be making a total of 173 scheduled performances of magic tricks to stimulate the minds and imagination of both locals and tourists passing by.

It’s the third annual edition of the Lisboa Magica – Street Magic World Festival, which last year stopped 30,000 unsuspecting people in Camões Square, Rua Augusta, Figueira Square, Restauradores, Rossio, and Comercio Square.

Don’t expect to see a landmark disappear a la David Copperfield, but be prepared to be surprised by the tricks these magicians have up their sleeves. If you’re in town, be sure to be on the streets of Baixa and Chiado starting at noon on weekdays, and between 10AM and 10PM during the weekend and get ready for some “how they do that?” moments with the colors of Lisbon as the backdrop.

Portuguese futebol (football or soccer, depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on) has received much more attention outside of Portugal since the emergence of international Portuguese stars Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, famous coach José Mourinho, and with the country hosting the Euro 2004 championships. The national team has also been talked about to a greater extent during the World Cups and European Championships of this decade due to its unprecedented high hopes and subsequent disappointments.But within Portuguese borders, things are somewhat different. With FC Porto winning almost every year so far in the new millennium, the premier league has gotten a little boring. The only excitement comes from off the field, with the never ending soap opera of corruption in the clubs and their presidents.

As another season begins this weekend however, we can only hope for a more exciting year. Tired of those corruption scandals, it’s time to concentrate on the game. With Benfica getting a new coach (Enrique Sanchez Flores, formerly of Spain’s Valencia), its fans hope for re-energized team spirit and success in taking the title away from FC Porto, which in turn hopes to hold on to its winning streak. That leaves the only other team with chances of winning, Sporting Lisbon, which completes the big three of the league — will this finally be the year for Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo’s first club?

If you love the beautiful game and want to see Portuguese futebol in person when you’re in Lisbon, check out the matches taking place in Benfica’s Stadium of Light or Sporting’s Alvalade XXI. How do you get tickets for that? We can help you with that. Click here.

They don’t rhyme but they could very well be misspellings of each other. “Lisbon” and “Lesbian” are not etymologically related either, but you will start seeing those two words used in the same sentence more frequently from now on. That’s because Lisbon is discretely becoming a lesbian-friendly city. It’s not exactly a liberal place like Amsterdam, it’s not a hot lesbian destination like the island of Lesbos, and it’s still rather homophobic when compared to other big capitals.

But it’s homophobic in a strangely tolerant way.Portugal’s attitude towards same-sex couples can be described in an oxymoronic way –- homophobically tolerant as in “don’t ask, don’t tell.” That is, they seem to accept the existence of homosexual couples (there have never been anti-gay marches or major anti-gay movements in the country), as long as they are not confronted with them. Because when confronted, they’ll just have to comply with their good-old Catholic upbringing and manifest their disapproval.  

So if you’re a lesbian couple coming to Lisbon, you won’t see many women holding hands. You will end up thinking all Portuguese girls who like other girls just get married and live unhappily ever after. While that’s true to a great extent, it seems it won’t be so for much longer. A young television host recently came out as a lesbian in the country’s most respected newspaper, and the reaction was no reaction. Portugal’s “homophobic tolerance” allowed her to proceed with work and life as usual. No one said “good for you,” no one reacted with a “so what?,” but no one responded negatively either. It was like it never happened.

The country only reacted a couple of years ago when it was directly confronted with the issue. A lesbian couple challenged the courts to allow them to get married. The current legislation doesn’t allow it, so they were denied their wish. But the country was forced to talk about it and polls showed the majority of Portuguese oppose such unions.

But as Portugal faces the issue less directly maybe minds and tolerance levels will be expanded. Take the Lesboa parties as an example. They take place two or three times a year, and this October there will be another edition with female DJs providing the dance music to accompany a night of drinking and fun socializing for people of all ages and sexual orientations. It will be the 2nd anniversary celebration and includes major sponsorship from myspace.com and one of the country’s major radio stations.

If you want to be in Lisbon for that, stay at one of the gay or gay-friendly hotels in the city. You’ll mostly find men there, but if you want to avoid stares during a public display of affection at the reception or breakfast room, those are the places to book. The GoLisbon gay & lesbian page lists the accommodation you should consider.

For an all-girls night out, do as everyone else does, and go to Bairro Alto. Your first stop should be Primas (”female cousins”). The name brings to mind those closet days when two inseparable girls, who perhaps even lived together, identified themselves as “cousins” to the more close-minded members of society. At this bar however, the closet has no door to be closed, and girls freely display their devotion to other girls as they choose a tune on the jukebox, play pool, or grab a drink.

Then it’s time to move to Purex not far away. The house drink is the Cosmopolitan, and although the space is not very big, the area with no seats is used for spontaneous dancing. It has a number of straight and gay male clients, but this is where the lesbian locals gather.

Then move on to Chueca. No, not the gayborhood in Madrid. You’re staying in Bairro Alto. Chueca is a lesbian-owned bar with a stylish contemporary décor where you can sit with a drink or stand by the door along with everyone else.

It’s now time to go clubbing. You can go to the all-sexual-orientations-friendly Fragil or to the lesbian club Maria Lisboa. It’s pretty spacious with a hot décor, and a variety of sounds that range from 80s pop to house.

When you wake up mid-morning or even in the afternoon on the following day, have a meal at Les Mauvais Garçons, a small romantic gay café in Bairro Alto. It serves light meals in a space decorated with old tables and couches, and with black and white photos of Paris on the walls.

End your Lisbon visit with a night at a Fado restaurant. It’s your way of experiencing a little of the local culture, while also sensing that these fado divas are no ordinary women –- in between their melancholic laments, there is a certain strong masculine side that, well, makes it look like Lisbon does blend the traits of all genders and sexual orientations. It makes you think that Lisbon could very well have a very strong lesbian side. And it’s not just in the name.

In a previous post we told you where to go for a drink under the Lisbon summer sun. But for a drink at sunset there is another hotspot you can’t miss. That’s Kubo which for the second year is only open from three months, from July to September. It’s part of Grupo K, the team behind the well-established Lisbon clubs Kremlin and Kapital. At Kubo however, there is no dancing, but drinking and dining in one of the city’s most attractive settings. 

You’ll feel like you’re stepping into the river Tagus (and the sheets of water throughout the space add to that effect) as you enter this terrace when it opens at 5PM. It then only closes at 4AM, making it also a possible destination for a night of socializing, drinking, and/or dining at the adjoining restaurant.

The best time to go is from 6PM to 9PM when the seemingly-magical late afternoon glow of the setting sun floods the river and the city. That’s also when a large slice of the crowd begins to arrive, consisting mostly of 30-something professionals for a post-work drink.

You may also start with a drink (at higher-than-average prices; the cheapest is water at 4 euros) and if your stomach is calling for it, order a sandwich or a salad (average priced). If you decide to stay for dinner, you have the choice of fondue, steak, pizzas, or pastas which may be more expensive than elsewhere in the city, but remember that here you’re also paying for the view.

But even if you don’t stay for dinner, relax on the white sofas and chairs as you listen to a soundtrack of well-known tunes mixed with some chill-out sounds. And if you do plan to stay through the night, be sure to take a light jacket or a thicker shirt, as the current August nights have become rather windy and chilly as a result, which is felt even more by the river.

To get there walk west along the river from Cais do Sodré Station, and after a 5-minute walk you’ll see the all-white space facing the river.

August is the month when Lisbon gets its largest number of tourists, and that’s also when they stay for a longer period of time. It’s a fact that doesn’t allow for excuses for not visiting Sintra, something that should be done even with only 3 or 4 days in the city.

Sintra is the stunning World Heritage town right outside Lisbon. It’s Portugal’s most beautiful, and undoubtedly also one of Europe’s. Visit its fairytale palaces (even Disney couldn’t have come up with one as fantastic as Pena), and then escape to its beaches. Adraga has been ranked among the most beautiful in Europe, and you probably won’t disagree. And if you’re in town on a family holiday, Praia das Maçãs should be your sandy destination.

But if it’s in fact sand and the sea you’re after (and understandably so considering the warm August weather), get on the train in Lisbon, and within minutes you can have your feet in the Atlantic. Cascais and Estoril were the secret resort destinations for European nobility and royalty in the early 20th century, but they’re now open to anyone looking for a beautiful setting in which to relax and catch some sun.

Check out GoLisbon’s guides to Sintra, Cascais, and Estoril, for beauty and the beach right outside Lisbon, to follow the city’s cultural and cosmopolitan attractions.