Honeymoon in Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal is an excellent honeymoon destination for those of us who do not want to spend a week sitting on the beach. (If you do love the beach, then check out our reviews of Jamaica and St. Lucia .) Lisbon doesn't have sand, but it's right on the water, and the cliff-side views are amazing! We've listed a few of our favorite spots, and some tourist traps of which to beware.

  

Castles

There are castles everywhere! These Castle of Moors ruins (below) will give you a great workout. In fact, all of Lisbon is a great leg workout. You saw the hills in the photo above. Well, to get to the best sites, you have to climb all of those hills.

Castle of Moors

But not all castles are the same. It’s pretty rare to find a castle that isn’t just made of stone. This colorful castle at Sintra is truly unique (below), and was so huge that we couldn’t even get a proper picture of it. And, you guessed it, the castle sits on top of another massive hill.

Sintra

History

The one frustrating thing about Lisbon, Portugal, (for us history buffs, that is), is that the earthquake of 1755 destroyed a lot of the records. So much of the time you’ll be standing in front of some fantastic site and there is almost no information about where it came from or the people who lived there. The best you get is the history of royals who married out into royal families from other countries whose records survived.

Tourist Spots

Belem Tower

Finally, there are the obligatory touristy spots, the famous Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries. My advice is to admire from the outside, but don’t pay to go in the tower. The lines are long and it isn’t worth your money. Instead, spend your $5 on a couple of hot dogs and fresh lemonade from the nearby food carts and have a picnic in the sun. Maybe I was just starving, but those Portuguese hot dogs were seriously the best I’ve ever had.

Monument to the Discoveries

Travel Tips

Some practical tips:

1. Skip the Lisbon aquarium. It’s advertised everywhere in Lisbon, so you’ll start to think it must be something special. But those of us from Tennessee are used to the fabulousness of the Chattanooga aquarium and Ripley’s in Gatlinburg. The Lisbon aquarium doesn’t compare, so don’t waste your money.

2. Consider staying in a hostel. Lisbon hostels are so nice! We got a private room with a double bed (shared bathroom) for 40 USD a night.

3.  Use the Lisbon metro. If you’ve never lived in a big city, study the rail map before your trip. I find the metro in the city and trains to the outer areas is the easiest and cheapest way to get around. You can put money on a card and just swipe it every time you take a bus or metro ride.

Share your tips for traveling in Portugal in the comment section below!