If you know anything about Lisbon you already know that it’s the European capital with the most sunshine hours per year and the closest to sandy beaches. But you don’t have to head to the coast nearby to get a tan — you may return home with a bronzed glow by simply staying in the center of the city, and often with wonderful views. Here’s where:

RIBEIRA DAS NAUS
This waterfront promenade was renovated and reopened in 2013 and was already the “beach” of the center of the city on sunny April days. It’s found between Comercio Square and Cais do Sodré station which takes you to the beaches of Cascais.

CAIS DAS COLUNAS
Across the road from Comercio Square is the “quay of columns” where ships docked throughout the centuries. Now it’s a tourist magnet for the views and for sitting in the sun in the company of seagulls and with the breeze of the Atlantic.

PARQUE TEJO
Between Vasco da Gama Tower and Vasco da Gama Bridge is this green park which is used by joggers and soccer players throughout the year. During the summer, you’ll find people in beachwear working on their tans on the lawns facing the bridge.

EDWARD VII PARK
The people of Lisbon head straight to the beaches and overlook their parks. That’s why who you find here are usually foreign tourists, not just because the park is surrounded by many hotels but also because it’s a wonderful attraction with city views. Many remove their shirts as early as April and make this their own private outdoor tanning salon.

TAPADAS DAS NECESSIDADES
Spread your towel on one of the city’s most tranquil spots, the little-known Necessidades Park next to a former palace that’s now home to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Although mostly a picnic spot and site of outdoor jazz concerts, it’s also a wonderful place to relax in the sun.

DOCAS DE SANTO AMARO
It’s one of the city’s cruise terminals and home to several restaurants facing a marina so it’s only natural that you’ll find many tourists enjoying the Lisbon sun on this spot throughout the year. Locals prefer to jog along the riverfront towards Belém and you’ll find many sitting on the water’s edge relaxing in the sun or even fishing.

PORTAS DO SOL
It’s called “The Gateway of the Sun” for a reason. This is where you get the best sunrise views and where the sun shines all day long. There’s a cafe serving meals and drinks throughout the day and on the terrace above it you’ll find tourists aiming their cameras at the postcard views. You may simply sit there in the sun and do nothing.

MIRADOURO DE SÃO PEDRO DE ALCÂNTARA
Arguably the most beautiful of Lisbon’s several viewpoints, this romantic garden attracts tourists to the upper level and young couple to the lower terrace, the sunniest spot where you enjoy the sun and Lisbon before you.

JARDINS DE BELÉM
Between Jeronimos Monastery and the famous Coaches Museum is a park that’s a family destination on weekends. In the summer, tourists use it to get some sun between sightseeing.

COMERCIO SQUARE
The city’s largest square is one sunny terrace. You may sit at one of the several cafés and restaurants, or sunbathe by the monumental statue in the center.

One of Portugal’s top international musical hits is a song called “April in Portugal,” originally sung by the great Fado diva Amalia Rodrigues but also performed by other big names like Eartha Kitt, Louis Armstrong, and Bing Crosby. The first version is from 1947 and was called “Coimbra” as an homage to Portugal’s old university city, but came to have yet another name, “The Whisp’ring Serenade.”
In the mid-20th-century the month of April came to be associated with tourism in Portugal, which promoted it as a great time to be in the country, with the temperatures rising and the flowers in bloom. This time of the year remains a great time to fly to Lisbon, especially in 2013. Here is what you’ll be able to experience this month:

THE NEW JULIO POMAR MUSEUM
On April 5th, the new Julio Pomar Museum opens its doors. Julio Pomar is one of Portugal’s top contemporary artists, currently living between Lisbon and Paris but this will be the permanent home of dozens of his works. It’s an old building by Bairro Alto (Rua do Vale, 7) which has been refurbished by local Pritzker Prize architect Siza Vieira, and the first exhibition will be on display until September with free admission.

FOOD FESTIVAL
Lisbon’s biggest gastronomic festival is “Peixe em Lisboa,” the “Fish and Flavours” festival which this year happens from the 4th to the 14th in a courtyard of Comercio Square. Portuguese and international chefs will show off their art in preparing fish and you can try them and learn how to prepare them yourself.

THE 10TH INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
The “IndieLisboa” festival is back, from April 18 to the 28th. In its 10th edition it will once again screen independent films from all over the world, and will close with the local premiere of “Before Midnight” starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply (it had its world premiere at Sundance and will be in theaters worldwide in late May).

BELEM ART FEST
On the 5th and 6th, four museums in the Belem district will host special events, from concerts to film screenings. The Coaches Museum, the Archaeology Museum, the Berardo Museum and the Museum of the Presidency will also provide access to their permanent collections through one single ticket valid for all spaces.

JAZZ FEST
The São Luiz Theater will host a special jazz fest on the 6th and 7th featuring national musicians in concerts and workshops. The events start at 4PM on both days, lasting until well past 1AM.

“MUSIC DAYS”
The Belem district will host yet another festival later in the month, the “Dias da Música” in Belem Cultural Center. The annual event takes place on the 19th, 20th and 21st, with over 60 concerts, debates and a special market. This year it will focus on the music of the late 1700s and early 1800s, with classics by Beethoven and Chopin.

RIVER SIGHTSEEING CRUISE
The river sightseeing cruises are back for another season. Available from April to October, it takes you on a two-hour tour of the city’s ancient and modern landmarks, from the old center to the Parque das Nações district and the Age of Discovery monuments of Belém.

VERDANT SINTRA
When in Lisbon, go to Sintra. Now that the colder and rainier season is coming to an end and that the bigger summer crowds haven’t yet arrived, it’s the best time to see Portugal’s romantic fairytale town. It’s also at its most verdant and colorful, and a palace you should make an effort to visit at this time of the year is the Monserrate Palace, recently renovated but still overlooked by those who only give themselves enough time to see the famous Pena Palace. After you visit the interior, be sure to relax at the beautiful gardens.

SEE CONTEMPORARY ART IN A ROYAL PALACE
The most visited exhibition of the Palace of Versailles comes to Lisbon. The Ajuda Palace will show the works by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos that were seen in France (including the famous shoes made of pans) and will add a few new pieces. You can see them from March 23rd to August 25th.

SUNBATHE ON THE NEW WATERFRONT
After several delays, Lisbon’s renovated waterfront next to Comercio Square is promised to be ready by the summer. Known as “Ribeira das Naus” (“Ships Riverfront”), this was where Lisbon’s explorers had their ships made. It will now be a public space to relax, to sit in the sun and enjoy the scenery.

JOIN A STREET PARTY
The main event is on the night of June 12 and on June 13th, but the “Festas de Lisboa” (“Lisbon Feasts”) really happen throughout the summer. You’ll find several outdoor events throughout the city from June to September, from free jazz concerts to street performances, especially downtown and in the squares of Chiado.

ROCK AND ROLL ON THE BEACH
Lisbon’s summers are always big on music festivals and 2013 will be no exception. While this year there is no Rock in Rio-Lisboa, there will be the Optimus Alive festival with names like Green Day, Depeche Mode, Kings of Leon, and Editors, and the Super Bock Super Rock festival with Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Queens of the Stone Age, among others. Best of all is that these festivals take place by the coast, allowing you to get some beach days in between. Among other concerts happening in the city this summer are those of Bon Jovi and Alicia Keys.

DISCOVER NEW ART
One of Lisbon’s best-but-overlooked museums is the Chiado Museum, the national museum of contemporary art. It’s a great place to discover the art of Portugal’s best contemporary artists and it just unveiled its new permanent collection. You’ll see works from between 1850 to 1975 and the names to look for are Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, Almada Negreiros and Paula Rego.

BE ONE OF THE FIRST GUESTS
2013 has so far been huge on new hotel openings. This is the result of Lisbon being one of the rising stars of European travel and because it’s no longer just a seasonal low-cost destination, there are increasingly more upscale (yet still affordable) hotels. Recently-opened or about to be (and all centrally-located), there are new boutique and design hotels you’ll want to be among the first to experience. Check out the new Lisboa Carmo Hotel, Mercy Hotel, Myriad Hotel, Teatro Hotel, Beautique Hotel Figueira, Epic Sana Hotel and Memmo Alfama. Alternatively, you may choose one of the many new or renovated centrally-located apartments.

SAMPLE THE LATEST RESTAURANTS
Lisbon is currently going through a gastronomic revolution that will keep on growing. The New York Times called it the city’s “Culinary Golden Age,” with creative young chefs investing in new restaurant projects since 2010. This year is no different, with new star-chef restaurants opening in the center of the city. The new Honra by Olivier serves traditional Portuguese cuisine with a personal twist on Figueira Square, Michelin-star chef Jose Avillez is adding a pizzeria to Chiado which gives him a trio of restaurants in the neighborhood, and other spots are reinventing themselves with new menus like the beautiful Tacho à Mesa by Faz Gostos.

SEE A RENEWED ROYAL SQUARE
Comercio Square is one of Europe’s largest public squares, and the second biggest royal square after St. Petersburg’s Palace Square. The statue of king José I placed at the center in 1779 is currently being restored and will be unveiled like new in August. Also being cleaned up is the same square is the triumphal arch which should be completed by then as well.
In the meantime you may always enjoy the terraces of the new cafes and restaurants placed under the arches of the eastern and western wings.

SPLURGE ON NEW LUXURY SHOPS
Lisbon’s Avenida da Liberdade has become a true luxury shopping destination, reinforced by new shops of international brands like Miu Miu and Officine Panerai, and a renewed Emporio Armani. Joining them this summer is a major new Cartier store and the less-luxurious-but-very-popular Guess.

GO BACK 1300 YEARS
Also given a new life is the 1300-year-old Moorish Castle in Sintra. Thanks to ticket sales from a growing number of tourists to the region, this ancient landmark has now added new facilities to accommodate visitors and restored parts of the monument in the process. While the fairytale Pena Palace nearby gets all the attention, the Moorish Castle should also be part of your itinerary in 2013 and beyond.

Lisbon is known as a sunny city and one of the things that most make it unique is not just being the European capital with the most sunshine hours per year but also the fact that’s it’s the only one where the sun sets in the ocean.
So more than a place where you can get a tan in an urban or cultural capital environment, Lisbon is also a place for romantic moments watching the sun rise and set.

The best spot to see the first glimpse of the Earth’s closest star in Lisbon is the Portas do Sol (“Gateway of the Sun”) terrace. Depending on the time of the year, you’ll either see it rise from behind the dome of the National Pantheon or further to the right reflecting on the water. You’ll obviously have to wake up early for that and although this part of the city only has a couple of hotels, there are plenty of apartments. This terrace is right outside the castle, so you may also consider staying at Solar do Castelo which is within its walls.

For the sunset you have more options. You may either choose the ramparts of the castle for the sight of the last rays flooding the city, or you may sit at the wharf Cais das Colunas which is the river side of Comercio Square. There you’ll see the sun set behind the 25 de Abril Bridge, but to see it plunge onto the horizon you have to head to the district of Belem. The perfect sunset spot is the river’s edge behind the Tower of Belem, which is seen in silhouette (pictured below) on the eastern side, and with a golden hue on the other side during the last minutes of sunlight. Although you won’t get city views on this spot, this is as close as you get to seeing the sun hide on the Atlantic.
Those who want to see it from their bedroom should consider a stay at the Altis Belem Hotel just a few feet from the tower.
A spot for a drink as the sun goes down in this part of town is the “À Margem” café, found between the tower and the Discoveries Monument.

 The National Museum of Archaeology, the National Coach Museum and the Museum of Folk Art will be the stage of the first edition of the Belém Art Fest festival, with concerts, exhibitions, workshops and theater, scheduled for September 22.

The concept is simple: with a single ticket, each participant can visit three museums and see part of their collections, participate in workshops, attend concerts or see a play.

Each museum will stage a different musical genre: In the National Coach Museum there will be a presentation of “three different approaches to the urban song – FADO,” with Pedro Moutinho, Maria Ana Bobone and Teresa Lopes Alves.

In the National Museum of Archaeology, the voices, melodies and rhythms of Elisa Rodriguez and Julio Resende, The Soaked Lamb and Selma Uamusse take guests on a retro journey within the Jazz and Blues genres.

At the Museum of Folk Art, the party starts with energy and good vibes with the Portuguese bands Nice Weather for Ducks, The Doups and Youthless and ending with a DJ set at 04.00.

Belem Art Fest aims to publicise different values of the Portuguese culture, combining tradition and modernity, history and innovation. Participants can visit part of the Museum’s collections, learn how to create urban handicraft with Bolo de Pano Lisboa, hear tips from L’Oréal makeup experts, enjoy an art exhibition from Pedro Madeira Pinto or watch the play “Made in China” from Grupo de Teatro da Nova. Visitors will also be surprised by an exhibition and fashion show from Lisbon Fashion School – EML.

The Belem Art Fest also has a message of sustainability. It encourages participants to travel on foot between the museums and to use the train as transport to the festival. To this end, a 1€ round-trip ticket will be available for holders of the festival pass.

More information: http://www.belem-art-fest.pt

If you’re looking to catch some sun in Lisbon but prefer to stay in the center of the city instead of heading to the coast, here are a few spots to get your Lisbon tan:

CAIS DAS COLUNAS
The wharf that the monumental Comercio Square opens into once welcomed travelers to the city when they arrived by boat. Now it’s a magnet for everyone to rest as they go around the city admiring its scenic beauty. Some tourists even get their feet wet, others take photos with 25 de Abril Bridge as the backdrop, and others end up spending a couple of hours just sitting enjoying the serenity of Lisbon’s refreshing Atlantic location.

DOCAS
These tourist-friendly docks offer more than postcard views and several places to eat. They’re also the place to relax on the waterfront, watching the cruise ships go by, admiring the boats and doing some sun worshipping.

BELÉM GARDENS
Lisbon’s most visited neighborhood is known for its monuments, but Belém is also a place to relax between sightseeing on the lawns between all the landmarks. Whether closer to Belem Tower or already by the shadow of 25 de Abril Bridge, you’ll see tourists and locals laying in the sun and being cooled off by the ocean breeze.

PORTAS DO SOL
Not only is it one of Lisbon’s most beautiful viewpoints with one of its most inviting terrace cafes, it’s also a great spot to stand in the sun. Instead of the Atlantic you have the river Tagus in front of you, but with the loungy music of the café playing in the background you can imagine yourself relaxing at a summer resort.

NECESSIDADES PARK
Once the private picnic park of Portugal’s kings, this green oasis is now hidden in the center of the city and largely deserted despite being open to all. It’s found behind a gate next to a palace that is now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and when the sun is shining you’ll often see couples or small groups of people in their beachwear working on their tans. There are many other parks in the city where you can do that but this is where you’ll feel like you’re in your own private garden.

If you’ll be in Lisbon this summer (that means until October) and are looking to cool off and relax, here is what you should do:

DIVE INTO A ROOFTOP POOL
Find yourself walking in the heat in the middle of the city and wish to dive into the ocean or pool? Head to the NH Liberdade Hotel right on Avenida da Liberdade and you’ll have a rooftop pool available to cool off. It charges 20 euros and in addition to the pleasure of the refreshing waters you have a wonderful city view. You may also order a salad or sandwich for a light poolside meal.

HAVE A CUSTARD TART AT A NEW BACKYARD CAFÉ
Although the originals still made using a secret recipe are found in Belém, Lisbon’s famous custard tarts can be sampled at any café or pastry shop in the city. And there’s a brand new one specializing in just that — the custard tarts. It’s found on a wonderful backyard of a gallery and bookshop in the Principe Real district, it’s called “Nata Lisboa” and in addition to the tarts it serves refreshing drinks as you sit in the sun or shade on the grass.

HAVE A PICNIC AT A RESTAURANT
You can have a picnic at any of the city’s parks and gardens, but you’ll have to pack the food yourself. So if you want to lay on the grass for a full worry-free meal, head to Cantina da Estrela, a restaurant not far from Estrela Basilica (on Rua Saraiva de Carvalho, 35). Every day (except Sundays and Mondays) it’s offering picnic lunches for 17.50 per person, which includes a basket filled with foods that are easy to eat with your hands but not exactly the typical finger food. Only the drinks are not included in the price.

HAVE A “LUXINI”
Although Lux is Lisbon’s coolest club at any time of the year, it’s even better in the summer because of its terrace. This year it’s offering something new and special, the “Luxini” cocktail. It uses ice cream of the beloved local Santini brand and makes interesting blends of flavors with Grey Goose vodka. Choose your favorites at 10 euros each and enjoy them on the moonlit terrace as others crowd the dancefloor below.

JOIN THE SEA TURTLES
The big sea creatures have been living in Lisbon’s Oceanarium since 1998, but only recently have the fascinating sea turtles arrived, in a new annexed building. Not only is this a memorable learning experience it’s also cooling and relaxing as you escape into the underwater world.

STAND ON TOP OF THE CITY
Silk is Lisbon’s most exclusive club and you’ll understand why if you can actually make it inside. It has one of the most fantastic city views, and this summer it’s opening at 6PM and offering light meals in addition to the usual drinks. But if you can’t it make there, you’ll make it elsewhere, at the more recent Rooftop Bar of the Mundial Hotel. Relax as you watch the afternoon glow turn into night over Lisbon.

GET SOME “LIQUID”
Lisbon’s favorite lemonade is found at the tiny hole-in-the-wall “Liquid” but you’ll want to go for something extra special this summer. Grab a refreshing all-natural drink of exotic fruits and other healthy ingredients and take it with you as you walk up through the trendy shops of Chiado.

STEP INTO THE GREENHOUSE
One of Lisbon’s most underrated, often-forgotten attractions is Edward VII Park right in the center of the city. You’ll be surprised by how peaceful and uncrowded it is, even in the summer, and will be captivated by the wonderful greenhouse which will invite you to stay longer than you anticipated, cooling off in this little-known oasis.

VISIT BUTTERFLIES IN THE BOTANICAL GARDEN
If the greenhouse is a little-known oasis, the botanical garden is a secret forest. You’ll never guess from the entrance gate how big it is, and this summer it’s presenting new pavements and cleaned-up tracks, although it retains its charmingly wild somewhat-neglected feel. Best of all is its small butterfly greenhouse, the only one in Europe open to the public where you can step into a habitat of the colorful insects growing and spreading their wings around.

TRAVEL THE WORLD THROUGH ICE CREAM
The Fragoleto ice cream shop downtown (on number 61 of Rua da Prata) is offering special flavors this summer, using traditions and ingredients from around the world. There’s a dozen of them, ranging from Morroccan tea to American lemon cheesecake to Italian cappuccino. But since you’re in Portugal, why not go for the Portuguese rice pudding (“Arroz Doce”) flavor? But hurry because they’re only available in July.

The latest issue of the weekly Time magazine (on sale worldwide) dedicates two full pages to Lisbon with a four-hour itinerary. It says “it’s surprising how much of Lisbon can be covered in a few hours, from eccentric bookstores to colorful flea markets and magnificent monuments,” then goes on to present a step-by-step guide to the center of the city, stopping mostly in off-the-beaten-path attractions.
Describing the Portuguese capital as “a stately white city, a scholars’ lair, a seafaring hub,” it starts in the Cais do Sodré station, going up the hill towards Chiado, stopping for a glass of Port Wine at Solar do Vinho do Porto. The author then suggests a “must-do” ride on tram 28 to the “magnificent vista of Lisbon’s splendor” from the Graça viewpoint.
Another curious stop recommended is the Fado Museum dedicated to Lisbon’s music “through highly imaginative and loving interactive displays.” That should be followed by another museum on the riverfront, the Orient Museum, “a glitzy showcase of Lisbon’s other heritage: the Portuguese colonies,” adding that “it’s the next best thing to a trip to Goa or Macau.”
The itinerary ends with a ferry ride across the river for views of “Lisbon’s gleaming urban topography and the 25th of April Bridge.”

THE LISBON COAST
You’d think that summer would be high tourism season for the city of Lisbon. But it’s not. Most locals go on vacation in August (many heading south to Algarve), and foreign tourists actually prefer to stay based by the beaches of Cascais and Estoril or in the refreshing hills of Sintra. In the summer Lisbon is much less of a city break destination and more of a gateway to beach-and-sun holidays.

MUSIC FESTIVALS
Everything from international pop to jazz to rock will be playing somewhere in the open air in Lisbon throughout the summer. It starts later this month with Rock in Rio-Lisboa which will host Metallica, Evanescence, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, The Offspring, Lenny Kravitz, Maroon 5, Joss Stone, and Bruce Springsteen among many others. Then comes the annual Out Jazz which offers free jazz concerts throughout the summer every Friday and Sunday afternoon in different parks and gardens. In July, closer to the Atlantic beaches comes Optimus Alive, recently listed in “The Guardian” and “The Times” as one of Europe’s top festivals this year (some of the bands will include Radiohead and The Cure).

A MONTH-LONG PARTY
Throughout the month of June you’ll be able to participate in the annual “Festas de Lisboa,” a major street festival with lots of eating and drinking around every corner of the city’s historic neighborhoods. It’s as if Lisbon becomes one big village, with major feasts on the 12th and 13th, including a parade down Avenida da Liberdade with each of the city’s neighborhoods competing for best song and costume.

EUROPE’S BEST VALUE FOR MONEY
Where else in Europe can you spend the summer with plenty of sun, great urban attractions of a capital city mixed with resort vibe at the beach without spending a fortune and without traveling huge distances? Only in Lisbon. In the Portuguese capital you have mild weather, you can start your day at the beach in Cascais within minutes from the center, escape the heat to the fairytale palaces of Sintra, and end the day at a Michelin-starred or cheap-but-wonderful restaurant in Lisbon’s old center. Accommodation is also the cheapest of anywhere in Western Europe, allowing you to stay at a stylish central apartment for as little as 20 euros per night per person, or at a 5-star hotel often for less than 100 euros. You do the math and find out for yourself why Lisbon is the place to go this summer.

A GRAND NEW SPACE TO RELAX IN THE SUN
It seems that Lisbon’s biggest square, the riverfront Praça do Comercio has undergone renovation works every year throughout the last decade. From a new pavement to cleaning up the sewage system, there was always something preventing everyone from fully enjoying this grand and monumental space. It will finally be completely cleaned up by July (or so they say) and will offer several new cafés and a couple of shops on the east wing, joining the ones already found to the west. And because summer in Lisbon lasts until October, the end of the season will see the opening of a new major museum on this square, the Lisboa Story Center telling the story of the city’s post-1755-earthquake rebuilding.

To some this sounds like cultural blasphemy, to others it’s a smart way to bring culture to the masses: The Ancient Art Museum has taken part of its collection to the Colombo mega-mall. Until the end of June a group of 31 pieces will be on display as a “mini museum” in an exhibition related to the art of medieval Portugal. A second group of pieces from the same museum will then be shown in July until October, this time relating to Portugal’s exploration of the world.
It’s free and open every day, making it a perfect excuse to go spend some money or to combine art and shopping on a rainy spring day.
If you can’t make it to the Ancient Art Museum to see its entire collection when you’re in town and prefer to go shopping instead, this is also a good way to get a sense of Portuguese culture for free.