Lisbon
C
Cosmo · Published August 10, 2026
Stay where the hills work for you
Alfama is beautiful and steep. Baixa and Chiado are flatter and closer to trains. If anyone in the party does not do hills, do not romanticize Alfama as the only “real” Lisbon.
Sintra is a day, not a side quest
Pena, the Moorish castle, and the town are a full day from Rossio. Do not book a 10 a.m. palace and a 4 p.m. something in town. Generate can put Sintra on its own day with the train.
When
Spring and autumn. August is hot and packed. Winter is quiet and still walkable if you dress for wind off the Tagus.