Lisbon Travel Outlook: Your source for the best hotels and accommodations in Lisbon

Lisbon's best hotels and the lowest rates anywhere

Lisbon, Portugal is one of the world’s greatest sites of historic heritage and its colorful culture and personality boasts one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world as well. It’s no secret why—from a beautiful vista atop one of the cities famous funiculars or gazing through the magnanimous aquarium, this city will have you coming back for another round of discovery.

Regardless of your Lisbon accommodation’s locale, breathtaking attractions are always within a few blocks. This city is renown for its ancient architecture and is reminiscent of ancient centuries and occupations that have earned Lisbon its reputation as a historical heritage site. St. George’s Castle is a good starting place for your itinerary in Lisbon for this reason. It is a fortress dating back to the 5th century and was the site of Moorish occupation in the 10th century. Standing atop the tallest hill in Lisbon, it looks down upon the Tagus river and is a site not to be missed.

Among the oldest areas in Portugal is the Alfama neighborhood. Originally home of the aristocrats in Lisbon and the ancient seat of the Saracens, you will find taverns and street markets with colorful tidbits for any souvenir agenda. Not far into the neighborhood is the renowned flea market the Feira de Ladra held in the Campo de Santa Clara every Tuesday and Saturday. Another great place in the Alfama district is the Sé cathedral. Built in the 12th century after crusaders captured the Saracen mosque, it is the first church in Lisbon.

For the art aficionado, Lisbon’s collection is among the most diverse and impressive in the world. Thanks to Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian, this foundation museum is one of the world’ finest private art collections with Egyptian, Roman, Greek antiquities, two Rembrandts, a Rubens, a Renoir, Chinese and Islamic ceramics as well as European manuscripts and Japanese prints. This collection is breathtaking and well worth at least a half day’s visit to peruse.

A nice place to hang your discovery compass at the end of the day would be in the Upper city area, the Bairro Alto. This historic enclave has some quaint Lisbon accommodation—hotels or motels—and some of the best and most lively bars in the city. To get there take the beautiful Santa Justa Elevator, reminiscent of the Eiffel tower in Paris and this magnificent tram will transport you to the famous alleys of the Fado cafés. Fado is a genre of music and dance brought by slaves in the 19th century and is charcterised by songs of sadness and despair. The colorful laundry lines hanging above you and parakeets singing in their cages will soon remind you that you are in beautiful Lisbon, one of the world’s most eclectic destinations.

Of course everyone knows that Portugal’s role in the discovery of the Western world was enormous and the monuments dedicated to preserving this history tell no different story. There is the Monument to the Discoveries, dedicated to Prince Henry the Navigator. In the beautiful Belem district—where the Tagus meets the sea—you can find the immense and awe-inspiring Tower of Belem. Originally meant as a river fortress, this tower has rope and many small intricate historical designs carved right into its walls.

There are port wine houses, handmade tile shops, cool Retro bars and the site of the World Expo of ’98. The vibe of the city is hard to miss and difficult to forget after you’ve left. Let Travel Outlook find the right Lisbon hotel or motel for you and your travel style.