Lisbon, Portugal: Miradouros

Actual date of this event: 7-9 February

Miradouros = Viewpoints

Lisbon is very very hilly! There are seven hills throughout the city and all of them offer some kind of spot where you can enjoy a gorgeous view of the rest of the city and/or water. The inclines and stairs can be exhausting, but it is definitely worth the effort. For some hills, you can cheat and take a tram, funicular or lift to get to the top though :-) There really isn't a whole lot "to do" in Lisbon, so these viewpoints are considered tourist attractions.

{Gloria Funicular next to Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara}

As we were avoiding going downhill (so we wouldn't have to go back uphill) in Bairro Alto on Friday night, we actually stumbled upon Miradouro de Santa Catarina. There was a great view of the bridge and Christo Rei, but we didn't get any decent pictures. The terrace looked like it would have tables set up during warmer weather, but during our visit, we just saw empty bottle of beer lying around. I promise it wasn't us!! But this was just a small glimpse of what we were to expect from the other miradouros we planned to see.

I marked all of the look out points on a map, so we spent Saturday wandering to various spots, but we only made it to a few of them. The first of our spots was near our apartment. Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara is located near Bairro Alto and looks out toward the castle. It has two levels, and the walkways have a beautiful cobblestone pattern. 

After some wandering through from Praça dos Restauradores to Praça do Comércio, we entered the old district of Alfama (which I will write a whole post about as it is the best part about Lisbon) and came up to

Miradouro de Santa Luzia. I am assuming this was due to it being winter, but this spot was really run down. There is a little pond or pool that was empty and the deck didn't look kept up. The pictures I have seen of it online look really pretty, so hopefully it is a nice area in the summer. The view is nice, but not so much for picture taking because TV antennas are in the way.

Right near Santa Luzia is another viewpoint, Miradouro das Portas do Sol, which has amazing views of Alfama and the water. We came across some "bracelet" men, but they were much friendlier than the ones we have come across in Paris.

The last of our miradouros on Saturday was much farther away than any others, but the billion stairs was worth it! We skipped passed St. George's Castle and Miradouro da Graça, and went to Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. From here, we could see the water, the bridge, the Christo Rei, and everything to Bairro Alto. It was a very cool spot!! 

{the shady trees show Miradouro da Graça }

On Sunday, it was raining pretty good. Our rain jackets were holding up, but our backpacks were getting pretty wet, so we decided to go to Santa Justa Elevator since it was covered. To go up and down the elevator, you have to pay, but it was included in our transport passes. It is a really neat lift, but reminded us both of Tower of Terror at Disney World haha :-) If you don't want to pay, there is a way to get to the viewpoint from the back side by Museu Arqueológico do Carmo. 

{oh, just staying out of the rain}

Lisbon has several other miradouros that we were not able to make it to, but we still got some really good views. We love being able to see the top of every city we visit, and always make an effort to do so. Lisbon makes it so easy to see their rooftops!

Click here for more information on Lisbon's miradouros.

RANDOM FACT:
Lisbon has three funiculars: Gloria (1885, pictured above), Lavra (1884, the oldest), and Bica (1892).

More posts on Lisbon: Sneak Peek, Belem, Baixa, Afama, Bairro Alto