Exploring the Lisbon Coast
A coast fit for kings
Lisbon. The capital city of Portugal in the words of travel writer, Martin Symington.
For all these secrets waiting to be discovered, however, it would be a shame to overlook Lisbon itself. Over the years, I have witnessed the city morph into one of Europe’s most alluring and pulsating capitals. The most famous part of town is the medieval Alfama quarter of cobbled alleys, miniature squares and whitewashed houses with wrought-iron balconies, rising in tiers from the edge of the great Tagus river. However, this is no twee area given over to restorers and tourism. Instead, the real charm of the Alfama is hearing the shouts and bargaining of the open-air market, or seeing the washing hanging up to dry high above the narrow alleys.
Lisbon
The Bairro Alto, opposite, is the place to listen to fado, Lisbon’s soulful, home-grown music that is currently enjoying a revival as cool fadista Marisa takes the world music scene by storm. You’ll also find fado houses in Estoril, Cascais and other resorts, though the most authentic are in Lisbon. The songs are of unrequited love and separation across the sea, sung to the strain of guitars either by women draped in shawls or by men who stand with their eyes closed, as if entirely lost in the moment of their song. You don’t need to understand Portuguese, as the soul-stirring emotion it carries, is beyond the realm of translation. If you are like me, you will find fado achingly moving.
You will probably also hear the drums of Mozambique and the Cape Verde islands as you walk through the Alfama, reminders of Portugal’s maritime past when this small country commanded the sea route to the east, and ruled a vast empire. Unimaginable wealth flowed Lisbon’s way while Portugal controlled the trade in spices; the trappings are everywhere, from the flamboyant Jerónimos monastery to the triumphalist Monument to the Discoveries in the riverside Belém district.
And for sheer fun, don’t miss Lisbon’s newest quarter, the fizzing, unashamedly avant-garde Parque das Nações. In keeping with Lisbon’s maritime traditions, the main attraction is the huge Oceanarium, Europe’s largest aquarium. It is a stunning example of contemporary architecture, intended to signal Lisbon’s embracing of the future – and is one of many strikingly modern buildings shooting up around the city.
