Best Neighborhoods in Lisbon in my opinion and why you should visit them

Lisbon has many amazing to visit areas that feel distinctively different and awesome in their own ways.

I will explain to you here what all this best for visiting neighborhoods are, what makes them special (in my opinion) and what not to miss there!

There is a lot of information to tell, so I will keep things brief, with more details to learn in my other posts.

If you like what the neighborhood offers, then this will also help you decide which part of Lisbon you should stay in to be close to the things you want to do and see. So, this post will also help you decide the best neighborhood to stay in Lisbon.

Blue and pink faded houses on old cobbled street

yellow nad blue old houses on a narrow cobblestone street

Pictures of Alfama narrow streets and whitewashed houses from my walk in Alfama

Alfama

Alfama is the oldest district in Lisbon with delicious maze of narrow alleys and authentic looking old buildings. If you only have time for one neighborhood – this is it!

Most attractive features:

– Authentic old architecture

– Numerous Fado houses

– St. Jorge Castle and incredibly beautiful viewpoints like Santa Luzia (my favorite), Porta do Sol (see the title image) and others.

A picture made of small painted tiles with Lisboa Alfama view and the Castle St. Jorge

You can buy similar Portuguese azulejos with the view of Castelo de São Jorge for a token of Lisbon back home. Read my full list of the best souvenirs to buy in Lisbon here.

Alonga Travel the author enjoying Graca viewpoint — Me enjoying Graca Viewpoint

Graça

Graca is a hilltop neighborhood with panoramic viewpoints, uneven exciting street grid and cute old houses.

Most attractive features:

– Authentic lively local atmosphere and cafes, less touristy than Alfama.

– Scenic 28 tram connects many parts of Graca.

– Great informal cafes and traditional restaurants. There are a few small farmers markets there as well. It is a lovely neighborhood, don’t miss it!

Beautiful old round ⛲ with cobblestones around it in Lisbon Garden of Graca — Lisbon Garden Of Graca. It’s 1 minute away from the viewpoint above, and I really love this area, it’s very cute.

Black old horse-drawn carriage with a Royal emblem from the National Coach Museum in Lisbon — One of the carriages displayed in an awesome Lisbon Museum of Coaches. I loved this museum more than any other museum in Belem.

Belém

Belem is famous for historical monuments like Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery and Coaches Museum (above). I love walking on the streets of Belem away from attractions as well.

Most attractive features:

– Pastéis de Belém, the original famous custard tarts Pastel Nata. They have another small shot in Baixa, you can try there as well.

– Seautiful gardens, also many old historical houses, like Belem Palace.

Baixa

Baixa downtown district is the first example of great urban planning in Europe with perfect grid well-organized streets.
Cute modern streets with endless restaurants, Santa Justa Elevator, and Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II.
Big squares like Rossio, Praça do Comércio and beautiful Dom Pedro IV square with fountains, lovely day and night.

Blue water of an old beautiful fountain in Lisbon — Lovely fountain on Dom Pedro IV square. I loved returning to his square every day I was staying in Lisbon Baixa area.

Bairro Alto

Bairro Alto is a bohemian quarter where people go for nightlife (many blocks of nightlife venues together!). This is quite an experience, don’t miss it! They also have a few great Fado bars there.

Most attractive features:

– Narrow cute streets with street art, permanent street decorations and small shops.

– Lively atmosphere, especially at night, but many cute restaurants during the day as well, grand São Pedro de Alcântara Viewpoint.

Yellow old house in an old picturesque neighborhood in Lisbon — One of the old cool streets in Bairro Alta I love walking on with very authentic atmosphere.

beautifully sunlit pink house and slanted cobblestone paved street — This is not a famous street in Chiado, but just one of many, and yet everything looks very cute. Look at sunlight shining through this tree on the pink house and around. Isn’t it lovely? I love walking in Chiado aimlessly with no agenda, soaking the atmosphere.

Chiado

Chiado is an elegant shopping district with a nice feel. It’s sometimes compared to Paris’ Montmartre district. The houses are very pretty, like the one above on the pic.

Most attractive features:

– Many historic cafes with delicious pastries (many delicious variations of Pastels de Nato) and theaters. The streets are very pretty as well.

– Culturally significant area with many bookshops and a museum.

People sitting on a river waterfront enjoying sunshine — Look at this sunshine in Cais do Sodré promenade! It covers everything and everyone, and it’s an incredible experience to walk there!

Cais do Sodré

Former red-light district turned trendy nightlife area, Cais Do Soidre is where you can go for nightlife.

Most attractive features:

– Timeout Market, a gourmet food hall is a popular place to eat in Lisbon.

– Wonderful riverfront promenade (picture above) – this is my favorite part of this neighborhood. There are many bars to get a drink and drink it either there or right by the river. The sunsets here are so pretty!

-Pink Street with its bars and clubs.

Estrela

Estrela is a quiet, upscale residential area, a great place to explore to get away from the busy streets of Lisbon. I like it a lot because of its local feel.

Most attractive features:

– Estrela Basilica and Estrela Garden are main attractions, and the garden provides lots of shade with its tropical overgrown trees, I love resting here when it’s hot in Lisbon.

– You can have more relaxed, local experience.

Avenida da Liberdade

Avenida da Liberdade is wide, tree-lined sunny boulevard with pretty pavement and nice, modern feel.

Most attractive features:

– Beautiful grand buildings, some of them won prestigious Architectural awards, like the Valmor Prize awarded to Lima Mayer Palace .

– High-end shops and hotels, here is the list I made of some of the best hotels on and right next to Avenida da Liberdade. These hotels are located in both this neighborhood and Principe Real (below). If you are a first time visitor or your stay is short, stay in the center of Lisbon. Otherwise, this is the area I prefer to stay in Lisbon.

This area of Lisbon makes me so happy, I love walking here and sitting on these many benches to enjoy the sunshine. There is some seriously happy vibe going on here, and I’m not the only one who feels this way, judging by everyone’s happy faces there!

Incredibly beautiful blue house with blue sunshade in the cafe on Avenida da Liberdade

Look at this beautiful blue building! This is one of the houses on Avenida da Liberdade. I love walking on this boulevard so much to see all the pretty houses.

Príncipe Real

Principe Real is a sophisticated neighborhood with 19th-century mansions, gay bars, and stylish shops and houses.

Most attractive features:

– Moorish-style Embaixada palace, stylish hotels (see my description of hotels in Avenida da Liberdad neighborhood (above) and the former Entertainment center Parque Mayer.

– Principe Real Garden, beautiful Tropical Botanical Garden of Lisbon and small garden on Praça da Alegria (pic below)

Sophisticated colorful houses by a park on Alegria Square with a fountain — Local park on Alegria Square in Principe Real

Ajuda

Ajuda is a pretty and quiet traditional working-class neighborhood on a hill. I love walking here to feel the authentic vibe of this quiet area.

Most attractive features:

– Greatly decorated Ajuda Palace (one of my favorite palaces in Portugal!) and proximity to Monsanto Park.

– The hidden gem – Botanical Garden of Ajuda – my favorite garden in Lisbon (below).

– Don’t miss awesome Ajuda Palace!

Carefully trimmed bushes with a pretty old ⛲at Ajuda Botanical Garden and overlook of the river

Ajuda Botanical Garden in Ajuda neighborhood will probably be wonderfully pleasant surprise for you!

There is also a newer neighborhood, away form the center, worth checking out.

Parque das Nações

Parque das Nações is a modern waterfront district with cutting-edge architecture, almost feels like a different city.

Most attractive features:

– Beautiful scenic promenade by the Tagus River with nice sunny vibe

-Pretty Marina Parque das Nações, Casino Lisboa and Lisbon Conventional Center.

So, here are all the best neighborhoods to visit, in my opinion. Maybe you like another area even more? Let’s connect on social media and you can tell me about it!