SWEETIESAL

I know it feels like the world has closed off and we are all chomping at the bit to travel again, however I wanted to share some of my holiday snaps and intel from when I went on a girls trip with my mum and sister a few years back to Cascais, Lisbon. 

Portugal has been more in the spotlight since it was one of the few destinations on the 'green list' for us Brits to travel to and we had such a fab time when we went that I wanted to share some of my tips if you are thinking of going once we can travel again a little easier!

The one tip I MUST stress is to do some research before you go in terms of restaurants and bars you might want to try - Lisbon is pretty big and very spread out so whilst you will stumble across a lot, some of the amazing places with the best views are worth knowing about so you can get booked in. Honestly, I wish we had done more research before we went as I read lots on Pinterest and watched some YouTube Videos after we came back and there was lots we missed.. however it's definitely an excuse to head back!

Approx 40 mins from Lisbon is Cascais which is known locally as the Portuguese Riviera. It is absolutely stunning and we actually stayed in Estoril which was a 20 minute walk along the sea front to Cascais which we really loved. We stayed in this MEGA AirBnB which was in such a fab location and really beautifully decorated. The host was so lovely and really helped us out with recommendations and a late checkout on the day we were leaving. The only thing I would say about the AirBnB was that it was up some quite steep stairs so pack light(ish) if you are interested in staying! There were lovely restaurants around the apartment along with local supermarkets to grab groceries. 

Cascais was our favourite location, a really bustling seaside town with lots of lovely restaurants and really pretty to walk around. We would walk there and then could get an Uber back to the AirBnB which was great!

It was a 5-10 minute walk down to the beach and the train station which is how we got into Lisbon the few times we went there. It was so easy to get the train (which also goes the other way to Cascais) and it travels all along the coast so is a great way to see the sights on your way into Lisbon. Once you arrive in Lisbon it is a 5 minute walk to the Time Out Markets which house lots of different types of cuisines along with THOSE gorgeous Pasteis de Nata which were just divine!

We walked around Lisbon and I think this is where personally I feel like I should have done more research as whilst it was a photo op round every corner I felt like we weren't sure where to head and it looks like there are some bars and restaurants with the most incredible views which we missed. It is also pretty hilly so pack your comfy shoes and be prepared that you will get your steps in!

The one thing I had read about and dragged my mum and sister to was the pink street in Lisbon for some photos like the cliche blogger I am... 💕

In light of us feeling like we weren't sure where to head.. we made the error of going on an open top bus tour and I say error because it was very disappointing! I usually love a bus tour but as so much of the best bits of Lisbon are the pretty tiled buildings right within the city, the bus tours could get no where near to this and I don't think we saw anything particularly picturesque on those travels. The trams are how you get around all the tight roads and up the hills and they are really quite a spectacle to see when they are zipping around the city!

As a Port lover I sampled a fair few ports whilst I was there and all the food we had was amazing, lots of fresh fish and tapas like picky bits which are my ultimate fave 😋

I definitely want to go back and do more exploring! If anyone has any tips they want to share please comment below 😎