Portugal and Maybe Madrid

[manabate]

I am so glad that we have this forum.
My boys ( 15 and 18 yrs) are going to Sesimbra Portugal Form July 1 to July 11 for Jr European sailing championship.
I plan to join them on July 8. We will remain in Sesimbra until July 11.
We plan to return back on July 16th. So we only have 4 days.
What things we must see?
Any chance of watching a bull fight ( 18 yrs old wants to watch one)
Thanks

 

[Kathrynj]

The obvious choice (to me, anyway) is to spend your days in Lisbon. There is more than enough to keep you busy, especially with Belem and Sintra. The teenagers would likely love the castles, both in Lisbon and Sintra. You might want to buy a small guide book for ideas of what to see.
The chances of seeing a bullfight are slim to nil - from my understanding. The only places in Portugal that still have bullfights are some of the small towns in the rural areas. You might try googling bullfights Portugal. Even if you find one, you would more than likely have to rent a car to drive to it.

 

[manabate]

Thank you Kathryn.
I will start googling about things to see.

 

[Kathrynj]

After re-reading this I had a thought. Sesimbra is fairly close to Setubal. From Setubal, there are great dolphin watching tours. If you aren’t from a coastal area and your sons haven’t seen much of dolphins, these are great tours. They see the dolphins 90+% of the time and stay with the school once they find them. The tour I took, we saw the dolphins pretty much non-stop for 30 minutes.
If you decide to go to Lisbon, I would be happy to answer questions you might have.

 

[manabate]

Thank you.
My boys sail. We live on Galveston Bay and they see dolphins all the times, some times near their small sail boats. I think they will be sailing for 10 days so after that non water activities would be more fun. From Madrid, they are going for 15 days to Italy to visit grandma and cousins so will rest on beaches a lot.
We are definitely going to Lisbon after their regatta on July 12th. Please let us know things to see, place to stay etc.

 

[Kathrynj]

If you haven’t booked a hotel or apartment, you should likely do so as soon as possible. Lisbon has become very popular in the last few years, so finding something you like last minute might be difficult. Your sons would likely enjoy the Chiado or Bairro Alto areas, or Alfama.
I mentioned in an earlier reply the idea of going to Sintra while you are here. The ruins of the moorish castle or Quinta da Reguleira might really appeal to teenagers. And, while in Lisbon, a visit to the Time Out Market is a must. While Lisbon doesn’t have the blockbuster sites like Rome or Paris, the vibe of the city is wonderful. Find the miradouros and enjoy the spectacular views. Walking along the river and stopping for drinks is also great.
Not really knowing your interests, I hesitate to recommend more, but I’m happy to answer any specific questions you might have.

 

[manabate]

Thank you Kathryn. I really appreciate all the help. My boys are very open to anything. They have traveled a lot internationally. So experiencing culture/art/cathedrals/ markets/etc in moderation ( they are afraid of me wanting to visit every single chapel and church of course) is what they look forward to besides local food.
I came with a plan around Lisbon and you can tell me if it sounds doable with base in a Lisbon hotel:
Lisbon
Alfama
Sintra
Cascais
Evoro

Also which area in Lisbon should we stay? Any landmark near which would be a good choice for hotel?
Any thing to skip? Thanks
Any leads on website for hotel reservation?

 

[Dennis]

Please excuse me for jumping in so late. All the previous suggestions have been great.

Regarding where to stay, we found the VIP Eden aparthotel good value. It is central and within walking distance to sights and transportation. https://www.viphotels.com/en/Hotels/VIP-Executive-Eden/About-Aparthotel.aspx . Friends just returned from Lisbon and found the Barrio Alto to their liking. They said there were more authentic, reasonably- priced restaurants there then in the core area of town. They found their apartment through Booking.com

I would avoid the restaurants on the pedestrianized street to the right of the Opera House. The meals are of so-so quality at inflated prices. However, if you do find yourself there and wanting to eat, competition for customers is high and you may be able to bargain for a bottle of wine or dessert or something else.

We found many excellent seafood restaurants across the Tagus river in the Cacilhas area. For the price of a bus ticket you get great views of the city from the ferry. It leaves from the Sodre terminal.

I'm assuming your wish to visit Evora is to see the Bone Chapel and perhaps the Roman temple. It's a couple hour bus ride each way. Doable yes but perhaps not worth the time involved.

We found the Monument to the Explorers in Belem worthwhile. There are great views from the top. While there the Jeronimos monastery is just across the way. The Pasteis de Belem pastry shop is a tourist stop for custard tarts. There are better places to get them but this is THE historic bakery. One can take an old trolley out there. However, Tram 28 is the one tourists usually opt for. Hang on to your wallets and handbags!

Best of luck to your sons and safe travels.
Dennis

 

[Kathrynj]

I agree with the things Dennis wrote. Bairro Alto or Chiado would be my choice for a hotel location, if you are ok with hills. There are few flat areas in that section of town. You might try booking.com for hotels but it’s been three years since I looked for a hotel in Lisbon so not certain if they still have the best (IMO) choices.
You might want to consider a small group tour to Sintra. They have recently made the streets in the downtown area pedestrian only and the transport in town is even more chaotic as a result. Be prepared for more crowds in Sintra than anyplace else and don’t go on a weekend or Monday.
I also agree with going to Belem. Purchasing tickets to the Jerónimos monastery is wise as the ticket lines are long and slow. If you go to Pasteis de Belem, don’t wait in the long line for take away. Walk into the shop and keeping walking back until you find a table for a sit down coffee and pastry - or 3. Manteigaria has a shop in Chiado and the Time Out market and their Natas are amazing, if you want to skip Belem.
I mentioned this in an earlier post, but be certain to visit the Time Out Market while you are in Lisbon. The Time Out magazine has good restaurant recommendations.
If you decide to come to Cascais, let me know and I can give you a brief itinerary to maximize what you see.