Searching for things to do in Lisbon Dropdown content? Matthew Hancock tries a city tour with a difference. The information below is based on The Rough Guide to Portugal Dropdown content, your travel guide for Portugal Dropdown content.
I don't like standard city tours. But an urban safari I can do. Particularly in a vintage Portuguese military Jeep.
Driving isn't one of the things to do in Lisbon. The city's built on hills. And its streets slope down to the Tagus.
Look at a map. The centre seems small and navigable. But there's no hint of its gradients. And nothing about the traffic chaos.
So it's good to climb into a solid 4WD. Even if it's open back, with no seat belts. And it's a misty Lisbon morning.
Prefer to leave planning and booking to experts? Have a look at some sample itineraries. Both
A jeep tour's one of the intrepid things to do in Lisbon Image by Matthew Hancock
Aptly we start on Praça Luís de Camões. Named for the poet who wrote about Portugal's
The entire tour group numbers four. And we're filled with anticipation.
Then the Jeep revs up and we’re off. It easily handles
We veer past ruined
Speeding along Rua do Arsenal we try not to breathe. Traditional shops here sell pungent dried cod. It's loved by locals. But it stinks.
Then it's up through
The Jeep easily negotiates nightmare Marquês de Pombal roundabout. And suddenly we're in leafy Estrela. Here we're left to explore pretty parks while our jeep's refuelled.
Try a jeep tour with beach in the mix. Go for Sintra and surf lessons by jeep from Lisbon.
Iconic street art by Lisbon's Banksy AKA Vhils Image by Matthew Hancock
We head east next. To end up in a bleak area of demolished warehouse. I’m about to ask why. But the driver stops under some street art. And all is clear. It's a giant figure on the side of a building. And it's by Vhils AKA Farto. He's Portugal’s answer to Banksy. And his work's equally striking.
The Jeep comes into its own in
Alfama's really a village within a city. Kids play football in cobbled alleys. Old women shell peas in doorways. And only drivers who know it, dare drive.
We flank
Our driver gives us all a small bottle of Moscatel wine. And we sit and drink under a gnarled olive tree. Admiring the view. White doves wheel in the soft air. The castle's below us. Below that are Baixa's terracotta roofs. Then further still, the River Tagus.
It feels like we’ve come a long way. Turns out, from start to finish, we've barely crossed a mile of Lisbon.
Feel like staying in Alfama? Stay at Hotel Convento do Salvador close to the castle.
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