Beaches

Although Lisbon is not directly on the sea there are many easily accessible beaches within a 40km radius. Keep in mind these beaches are on the Atlantic side so the waters are a bit cooler. You will find every kind of beach possible, from sheltered little coves to kilometers of sands. To the north of Lisbon:

- In Cascais proper there are 2 beaches: Rainha Beach, a very small beach in an urban setting, and the much wider Conceicao Beach lined with a boardwalk.

- Carcavelos Beach is the most crowded and trendy beach: great for surfing, playing a game of football, and has lots of bars around.

- Guincho Beach is ideal for sunbathing, surfing and windsurfing. It is one of the most beautiful beaches around Lisbon but the water can be rough.

- Tamariz Beach is another gorgeous and very popular beach, right next to a castle owned by the royal family of Monaco.

For the longest stretches of sand, head south of the city:

- Costa da Caparica is a long stretch of beaches with all the amenities. Even if this coast is popular it never becomes too crowded and is perfect for swimming and beginner surfing.

- Portinho da Arrábida Beach is a stunning and tranquil beach nestled in a small sheltered cove. It is perfect for swimming as well as scuba diving.

- Meco Beach is famed for its cleanliness and unspoiled setting, plus it is a relatively quiet beach as well. One end is a dedicated nudist beach. The rest is family friendly, great for swimming and surfing.

- The Troia Peninsula by the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve is home to several superb white sand beaches. Every few kilometers the scenery changes completely, from developed stretches to isolated beaches backed by pinewoods and dunes.

- Adraga Beach is considered by many to be one of Europe's best beaches. The beach surrounded by rock cliffs with clean blue waters make it truly picture perfect.

Climate

Lisbon enjoys a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate, with very warm summers and the mildest winter of all the European metropolises. Lisbon’s average summer temperatures are of 25 C during the day and 16 C at night, and the average winter temperatures are of 15 C during the day and 8 C at night. Snow and frost are unknown. Rain occurs mainly in winter, the summer is very dry.

Geography

Lisbon is the westernmost metropolitan city in Europe, located in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the Tejo River. Built on several hills, the streets can be quite steep streets and stairways. Lisbon is the largest city of Portugal and is also recognized as a global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education, and tourism.

Lisbon has four principal districts:

-Alfama, oldest district of Lisbon, spreads down the southern slope from the Castle of São Jorge to the River Tagus.

- The Baixa district is considered the downtown district. Completely destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, the new grid pattern was considered an architectural achievement for the time. Here you will find several of the city’s elegant squares.

- Alcântara still is a popular industrial area with commercial docks but is slowly becoming gentrified.

- The trendy Bairro Alto is a modern residential, shopping and entertainment district.

History

During the latter part of the Stone Age, the region was inhabited by Pre-Celts tribe until the Indo-European Celts invaded after the first millennium BC. Archaeological findings suggest that there were Phoenician influences dating back to the 1200 BC. The sheltered harbour in the Tagus River was an ideal spot for a settlement and provided a secure port for provisioning of Phoenician ships.

The Romans took control of the Phoenician city of Carthage and blocked the passage to the Iberian. Eventually Lisbon was integrated into the Roman Empire in 138 BC. Later on the city changed hands several times and was controlled by the Sarmatian Alans, various Germanic tribes and the Visigoths till about the year 710. At that point Lisbon was taken by the Islamic Moors, under whose rule the city flourished. In 1147 the city was reclaimed by Afonso I of Portugal, returning to a Christian rule. Lisbon officially became the capital city of Portugal in 1255.

During the 15th to 17th centuries Portugal entered its Age of Discovery by sending out several discovery expeditions, including Vasco da Gama's expedition to India in 1497. The 16th century was Lisbon's golden era: the city was the European hub of commerce between Africa, India, the Far East and Brazil, exploiting the riches from trade in spices, slaves, sugar and textiles.

Lisbon has always experienced several significant earthquakes and recovered well enough, that is until 1755 when 85% of the city was destroyed by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale. A tsunami ensued, destroying many coastal villages from Morocco to the UK. The city was rebuilt and the new central area of Lisbon was designed to resist subsequent earthquakes. During the 19th century, the Liberal movement introduced new changes into the urban landscape.

Lisbon was the centre of the republican coup of 5 October 1910 and the Carnation Revolution, resulting in the modernization of Lisbon. Lisbon was the European Capital of Culture 1994 and was the hosting city of the 1998 World Expo. In October 2007 Lisbon hosted the 2007 EU Summit.

Nature

The Jardim Zoológico includes the conservation and breeding of endangered species, as well as scientific research, and educational and recreational activities.

The Parque das Nações is a perfect spot for bird watching as it is located along the Tagus Estuary. It is also home to the Oceanário de Lisboa which has on of the largest collections of marine species in the world.

The Lisboa Jardim Botanico is one of the oldest gardens in Europe and has one of the largest collections of subtropical vegetation in Europe with over 18,000 species from all over the world spread over 10 acres.

There are three protected reserves in the Greater Lisbon area:

- The Parque Florestal de Monsanto is a protected forest right in the city and is the largest green patch in the city. Inside, the Ecological Park runs an Interpretation Centre, with an Auditorium, a Space for permanent and occasional Exhibitions, and a Centre of Multimedia Resources.

- Cascais-Sintra Natural Park is an extremely popular tourism area containing many different individual historical and natural sites: the vertical cliffs of Cabo da Roca, the sand dune beaches like Praia Grande, many picturesque villages, a rich vegetation resulting from a unique microclimate, the small 16th century Convent of the Capuchos, the fossil dunes in Magoito and Oitavos, and even dinosaurs footprints.

- The Serra da Arrábida Natural Park is located on the northern shore of the Sado River estuary and is best known for its Mediterranean vegetation and diverse fauna, particularly the underwater species making it a popular place for scuba diving. The coast is defined by jagged chalky cliffs sprinkled with beautiful sand beaches. Inside the park visitors will find a Franciscan monastery dating back to 1524.

Unique to Here

A trip to Lisbon would not be complete without an evening at a restaurant that plays traditional fado music. Keep in mind the focus of the night is the performance, not the quality of the food.

Fado means fate in Portuguese, a fitting name for the melancholic songs about the sea or the life of the poor that originated in the port districts like Alfama, Mouraria and Bairro Alto after 1830. The origins of Fado are believed to be the "cantigas de amigo" (friends songs) from the Middle Ages, or Moorish songs, or also to African-Brazilian rhythms. The most renowned fadista (a fado singer) of the 19th century was Maria Severa. But Amália Rodrigues, known as the Queen of Fado, was most influential fado singer, gaining international fame. In 2011 Fado was inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

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