Visiting LIsbon | Blanca Valbuena

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Hi there!

You seem quite knowledgable about Lisbon. I'm trying to plan a trip but am overwhelmed and can't decide which area of town to stay. I like yoga, vintage and thrift store shopping, cool cafes, not super touristy or big name stores or anything like that. I like charming, quaint streets, kind of away from the fray, not too noisy. Do you have a suggestion as to where I should stay? I like the way you compare the neighborhoods to NY because that's where I'm from. I was thinking of a bed and breakfast or small boutique-hotel. Anyway, if you have any ideas, I'd be so grateful!! Thank you

Nina

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Blanca Valbuena Staff answered 6 years ago

Hi Nina,

Thanks so much for dropping by the blog. It can definitely be overwhelming to pick a neighborood. So...the good first, Lisbon is small, so no matter where you stay, you will be able to get to where you want. Why do I lead with this? Because you want to stay away from the fry and you want to stay in a place that is not too noisy. Lisbon is pretty touristy now (incredibly so actually), so if you want the yoga, vintage and thrift store shopping, cool cafes kinda vibe, you will end up in a touristy neighborhood. I would recommend a few neighborhoods:

Santos - quickly becoming gentrified but there are still locals there. You still get that charm without all the noise.

Estrela - this is more of a residential neighborhood that still has lots of charm. You can walk from there to other more exciting neighborhoods.

Anjos, Alfama - this is the vibe you want, but expect tourists and noise.

Alvalade - Great neighborhood, it's closer to the outskirts of town, but you will rarely find tourists here. The metro is also easily accessible and there are things to do.

Alcantara - You will get the right vibe here, but there is no metro, which makes it harder to explore the city from here.

As for where to stay, I'm a huge fan of Airbnb, there are so many great properties here to stay in and you can really enjoy living in a neighborhood as opposed to being in a hotel. You can use my code to get a discount of your 1st stay.

Hope you have an amazing time here.

Blanca