Maribel, thanks for the link to that great article. I agree with most of what the author writes. Glad we got to visit Portugal before the current onslaught of tourists. When we were in Lisbon the Time Out market was a bit busy but not packed like in these recent photos. The driver for our day trip through the Douro valley actually suggested that we look into living in Portugal based on the quality of life and cost of living.

mel - we LOVED the tile museum as well, much to our surprise.

This is our experience, we are currently in Viseu, and the crowds are not here. Ponte de Lima had more people with it being Easter Holiday. We were on a gardens tour yesterday and it was just my wife and I. A car is huge in beating the crowds.

I wouldn't plan a trip to one of the 'hottest' countries (judging by magazine articles and # of forum posts), visit the two biggest cities in that country, and expect tranquility. Over Easter. In an uber Catholic country, the little family shrines in the villages still have their candles lite, and all the crosses swathed in purple fabric.

bdokeefe,
Where did you take your gardens tour?
Viseu is another lovely Portuguese town with a pretty Pousada.

Neither the Gulbenkian Museum or the Tile Museum were quiet this week.

I wouldn't plan a trip to one of the 'hottest' countries (judging by magazine articles and # of forum posts), visit the two biggest cities in that country, and expect tranquility. Over Easter.

Easter was a definite oversight, but peak season in Portugal is June-August, so April made sense at the time. And this was our third attempt having had to cancel twice during COVID. I think even the Portuguese are surprised at the high numbers so early in the season.

I really think the high numbers are due to people not being able to travel for 2 years, and now feeling safe to do so. Portugal is easy to get to, and has warmer temps and more sun in April than Northern/Central Europe. The cruise ship numbers are frightening!

Great insight by all. In my opinion, as Maribel notes, Lisbon is large enough for a tourist to find some quiet areas not swarmed by tourists yet still being enjoyable. I guess if you are a first timer to Lisbon you want to visit the "must see" areas. As this will our second holiday to Lisbon in mid May we plan on concentrating on hopefully some of the more relaxed areas of the city. Based on info from Maribel we do plan on visiting the Casa Museu Medeiros and the Avenida da Liberdade area for strolling, exploring, and having lunch/vino. Another plan is to take the ferry from Cais do Sodre to Cacilhas (10 minute ferry across the Tagus). View the two navel vessels located there, one an old submarine and the other a 50 gun warship built in the 1840's. Cacilhas supposedly also has the best fresh fish restaurants in all of Lisbon at very reasonable prices. The church Igrega de Nossa Senhora also seems like a hidden jewel (of course full of the azulejos blue and white tiles). I wonder why folks would seek to have lunch at such places as the Time Out Market-complete tourist traps with as other have noted packed with hordes of visitors and foods geared exclusively to these hordes. With the hundreds of mom and pop owned restaurants in Lisbon cooking authentic fresh cooked local meals I just don't understand the need to visit such tourist warehouses.

Times have certainly changed! When I wrote my Lisbon TR on Fodors back in 2008, people were commenting on how few Americans went to Portugal. I do blame the cruise ships for a lot of it, the same thing happened to Dubrovnik, which was off the radar when I first went in 2004, but was flooded with cruise ship passengers when I went back a few years later - I actually had to queue to get into the old town.

Mel- I think this is a great trip report, you've raised a lot of good issues for future travelers. I'm happy that folks were able to point you to less traveled areas of Lisbon. I'm with you as far as this being a 'make-up' from a November 2020 scheduled trip.

The weather here has been a big plus, I don't mind missing the snow we've been apparently getting back home.

Our last full day in Portugal got off to a leisurely start - we were tested for COVID at the testing site right outside our apartment door (there are some advantages to being in a tourist area). Seems even the testing sites aren't immune to graffiti.

The testing is free and took 30 minutes for printed results; it took us longer to upload them to the UA site than the entire testing process.We took the bus up to Castelo de S. Jorge, which saved us a big climb. Lots of honking and crazy driving antics in this city, cannot imagine having to drive here.

Long line, but it went fast – great views, beautiful and vocal peacocks, including some chicks.

The wind has been insane the past three days - not much fun up on the ramparts of the castle.

Afterwards took the bus partway down the hill, stopped for gelato - continued walking down the narrow streets with even narrower sidewalks with trams and buses passing within inches.

Wandered around, looking for a promising place to eat, giving the Baixa a wide berth – saw more cruise ships in port. Ended up in Chiado, which was also packed with people – we're so over people. Ended up at our new favorite Indian restaurant in Barrio Alto - had a quiet lunch.

Returned to apartment to hide from people and the wind until we leave tomorrow.

Actually looking forward to going home and leaving this craziness behind. We've also decided to cancel our trip to Austria and Germany in early June; unwilling to chance that that they too will be overrun with pent up demand.

Are we glad we came? Sure. Will we ever come back? Porto, maybe. Lisbon, no.


Covid testing center practically at our doorstep


One of three million tourist tat shops

Line for castle


Castle

Looking down from castle

Castle

Views from castle

Castle

Seriously blowy

Thanks Melnq8

Nice views from the Castle.

I enjoyed tagging along on your tour....... but you have to admit ,I was quiet. !!

LOL Mel! 'Returned to apartment to hide from people and the wind...' I love reading this kind of honest TR.Well-done both visually plus word-wise.
Whichof thosetilesdidyou buy as asouvenir? Jayzus, what a variety.
In my next post, a song by 'Madredeus', the pride of Lisboa. May it smooth your way home.

I am done. the end

Mel,
I'm glad the testing went quickly and well. And I've really enjoyed your photos. Easter in Lisbon certainly is an eye-opener!
I read yesterday in The Portugal News about the high pollen content and yellow wind warning for the next few days.
Hope you have a safe and uneventful (unlike ours in March, 20) journey home.

mike,
If you take the ferry over to Cacilhas on a nice, sunny day and want to have lunch or dinner at A-tirate-ao-Rio or Ponto Final, at the end of the 15-minute walk past the abandoned warehouses (they sit next to each other--same type of seafood menu), I really recommend reservations so that you don't have a long wait. We reserved for 12:30, for their 1st seating, and all tables at both restaurants had been reserved. Those who arrived later had to wait with a drink on the terrace (standing) till the first seating departed. Cacilhas makes a great escape from bustling Lisbon.

Thanks for the soothing tunes zebec, just what this exhausted tourist needed.

Beautiful photos! But what, no wine tasting/river trip? (or did I miss it?)

We've been guzzling wine since we got here, does that count?

Mel, I enjoyed your report and your photos! Just curious, what time did you arrive at the castle? We took a cab from our hotel to the castle to avoid the steep climb. According to my TR, we arrived at 10AM and the line was very, very short. This was in April 2018 but we were not in Lisbon during the Easter holiday. We loved the peacocks!!! They provided a lot of entertainment.

Just curious. If Lisbon wasn't crowded, do you think you would have liked the city? Did you enjoy the sites you saw?

So far, of all our travels, I thought Seville, which I love, was the most crowded city we have visited. This was in September 2017. We stayed in Barrio Santa Cruz, and the narrow lanes were teeming with people. There were lots of tour groups, and we would have to step aside to let them pass first because it was impossible to get through. At first, it was difficult to appreciate the beautiful architecture in Seville and the plazas, fountains, etc. because of the crowds. So we didn't immediately fall in love with Seville.

Have a safe trip home!!!

Santar, it's a small village about 20 km's south of Viseu. I spent 2 nights in Viseu in '19, and 4 nights this trip. The parks and traffic circles are loaded with blooming flowers, with tulips currently going strong.

Thanks, bdokeefe,
It sounds lovely and I want to get back to Viseu.