Summer in Lisbon is said to be sunny, sweltering, and colorful—packed to the brim with exciting activities like public concerts, festivals, and immersive experiences. When planning my first trip to Portugal, I was excited to visit the city that many of my friends and family have called “their favorite in the world” during this season. And while there was certainly no shortage of amazing hotels in the city to choose from, my sister and I decided to stay in an Airbnb so as to get a bit more of a local experience during the five nights we were there. When searching for a place to stay, we looked mostly in Alfama, a neighborhood with easy access to dozens of restaurants, shops, and city viewpoints.
After a tumultuous flight that left us stranded in Paris overnight and arriving at our Airbnb a day late—exhausted, mildly grumpy, and a bit worse for the wear—it was immediately clear to us that we had made the right choice in accommodations. It was remarkably easy to communicate with the host, Marta, who was happy to accommodate us and our many schedule changes. Upon arrival, Marta welcomed us into the building, provided some information about the city, and even sent over a list of places to visit and eat at in the area—as well as some notes about which neighboring cities made great day trips (like the beach town of Cascais, which now having been, we particularly recommend, too). Throughout our stay, Marta remained incredibly responsive and easy to get in touch with, which was much appreciated as this was our first time staying in an Airbnb internationally.
In the City of the Seven Hills, location was one of the most important deciding factors for our Airbnb. (During the week, we met up with some of our friends whose Airbnb was at the top of a hill and required a final, rigorous 15-minute uphill walk beyond the point that Ubers were able to reach, and could break the spirit of even the best travelers.) In our humble opinion, we were in the perfect area—in the center of Alfama, buried amongst the labyrinth of colorful streets, and directly next to the gorgeous Lisbon Cathedral—within walking distance from just about anything, and not too far uphill that you’d be out of breath by the time you got back.
The one-and-a-half-floor walk-up (with an elevator, too) was in an 18th-century historic building; the stone walls and floors reminded us of a cave, in the best way. The bright, modern, and airy loft juxtaposed the storied building, with huge windows, bright pops of color, and pale wood floors. Of note, a spiral staircase must be traversed to reach the lofted queen bed and mezzanine balcony; we appreciated that the tall ceilings made it feel like a floor of its own. Having space to store our bags was nice, too.
After a quick nap that first day, we donned our sunscreen, sunglasses, and most comfortable walking shoes and headed out to explore the city. We spent a few hours wandering through Belem past the Belem Tower and Monument to the Discoveries, stopped in at Pasteis de Belem for delicious Portuguese custard tarts, and ultimately ducked into a packed local restaurant for grilled sardines and to escape a surprise rainstorm. We headed back for our second nap of the day before a short walk to a rooftop restaurant in Baxia and then a drink or two in Bairro Alto to take in Lisbon’s bustling nightlife. As one of the safest and friendliest cities we’d been to, it was the perfect place for walking around, taking advantage of public transportation, and exploring local hotspots.
The loft was a great home base for travelers like my sister and me—those who want to zip around all areas of the city for hours on end eating local food, drinking incredible wine, and seeing dozens of tourist attractions—but who also appreciated going back to their rental in the middle of the day to decompress and rest their feet.
The upstairs queen bed was perfectly plush, the air conditioning worked flawlessly, and there was a variety of toiletries in the bathroom for use during our stay. Light streamed in through the large windows, and while it could be a bit loud during the day due to its location in such a popular area, by nighttime we had no trouble falling peacefully asleep. The green couches were perfect for relaxing after long days on our feet, and we appreciated that there was a designated kitchen table for working remotely and enjoying light meals. While we didn’t use the compact kitchen much since we were excited to try as many Lisbon restaurants as possible, it was the right size for whipping up a few snacks or a light meal for two.
On one of our final nights in Lisbon, we hopped out of bed just in time to catch the tail-end of a magical fireworks show through the massive windows over the shoulder of the cathedral. We left a few days later, thinking about how our trip felt like a summer dream too magnificent to capture in pictures.
