Lisbon by Night: a handy guidebook for exploring the city's nightlife

When you're researching what to do in Lisbon, don't neglect: Lisbon's nightlife. The Portuguese capital has always boasted a bohemian and busy nightlife scene, especially in Cais do Sodré and the Bairro Alto.

In addition to nightlife, Lisbon also has other attractions once the sun goes down. Its illumination gives it a particular beauty and strolling through its streets becomes one of the best activities you can do. In addition, several of its spectacular viewpoints offer unbeatable views at this time of day.

Although you will almost certainly have reached St. George's Castle on a tour organised by Lisbon or on your own, if you get the chance I recommend you enter at a later hour to admire the views from its viewpoint as the sun is setting.

This castle was originally built by the Romans, but was later completely rebuilt by the Visigoths and Arabs. Its hilltop position means that its silhouette can be seen from almost the entire historic centre. And from the castle you can see a large part of the city and the Tagus estuary, a view that becomes even more magical when night falls.

Practical information

• How to get there: the quickest way is to take the castle's elevator from Lisbon's Baixa. Another way, besides walking, is to take tram 28 to the Miradouro de Santa Lucia stop and, from there, walk to the castle.
• Opening hours: in winter from 9:00 to 18:00 and in spring and summer it closes at 21:00.
• Admission: Adults pay around €10 and for children it is free.

If you are going to spend more than one day in Lisbon, you can't miss a Fado show, the most typical musical genre in the whole country. Even if you know nothing about this type of music, you are sure to enjoy the evening.

Fado has been recognised by Unesco as Intangible Heritage of Humanity and is an authentic symbol of Portuguese popular culture born in the most humble neighbourhoods. This origin is reflected in the theme of the songs, generally marked by nostalgia and a certain sense of frustration.

As I explained in my article on the best places to dine while listening to fado, the Alfama neighbourhood is home to a number of restaurants where you can enjoy a good meal while the singers perform various songs.

If a visit to see the Alfama district is always interesting, when the sun starts to go down, the tour can be even more interesting. In recent years, the whole area has been revitalised and is now full of atmosphere and numerous places to have a bite to eat.

With the lights on, the streets of the neighbourhood regain some of their old, almost, to say the least, rogue atmosphere. Walking along its steep, narrow streets you can reach some spectacular viewpoints where you can have a good time:

• Mirador de Santa Lucia: it maintains a typical Lisbon look, with a mixture of romanticism and a certain decadent air.
• Mirador de Gracia: located near the castle of São Jorge, this viewpoint has become one of the favourites of Lisbon's young people when night falls.
• Portas do Sol viewpoint: very popular with tourists, this viewpoint has not lost the essence of the Alfama neighbourhood. The panoramic view is simply breathtaking, with the church of Sao Vicente de Fora escorted by pastel-coloured houses and the Tagus in the background.

Praça do Comércio is one of the nerve centres of the Portuguese capital and is the starting point for some interesting sightseeing bus tours. At night, in addition to the atmosphere here, it is essential to walk around it and go to the banks of the Tagus to see the illuminated Arco da Rua Augusta and, in the distance, the silhouette of the 25 de Abril bridge.

In this area you will also find many restaurants and ice cream parlours, as well as one of the most famous cafés in the city: A Brasileira.

This café, located in one of the streets surrounding the square, is housed in a historic art deco building. It is said to be the first café in Lisbon to serve the bica, a small cup of very strong coffee. It was also the venue for gatherings attended by great intellectuals such as Fernando Pessoa.

Although this trip starts in the afternoon, the fact that you can watch the sunset from a sailing boat makes it an incredible experience for any visitor.

In this activity you will embark on a sailing boat to enjoy one of the best cruises in Lisbon. For about two hours you will sail along part of the Tagus River to see from its waters some of the most important monuments of Lisbon, from the Belém Tower to the Jeronimos Monastery, passing under the 25th of April Bridge.

The best moment of this river trip comes when the light begins to change colour due to the sunset with the city in the background. When the sun sets, the boat returns to dry land so you can continue visiting Lisbon.

Normally, the Belém neighbour hood is usually visited in the morning, which means that there are quite a few people seeing its main attractions at the same time. A good idea to avoid the crowds is to visit in the evening and extend the tour until the impressive monuments are illuminated. I also recommend that you include it in the list of organised tours of Lisbon.

The two most attractive places in the neighbourhood are the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower, closely followed by the Monument to the Discoverers. If you can stay until it gets dark, I recommend you don't miss the illuminated tower. With a little skill, you'll get one of the best pictures of your trip.

A great way to start the night in Lisbon is to eat something at the Mercado da Ribeira, more specifically at its Time Out Market. The Ribeira Market is the most popular market in the city, especially for its wide range of fresh fish. A few years ago, the building was remodelled and, in part, occupied by a large number of food stalls, terraces and venues for cultural events.

The Time Out Market, the name given to this space, is located in one of the most fashionable areas of the city, Cais do Sodré, very close to the city centre. In its stalls you will find many typical Portuguese dishes.

My recommendation is to try some of the cod specialities served in its stalls and, if possible, accompany the dish with a good Portuguese wine. For dessert, there are some places that serve freshly baked Belém cakes.

Those who want to party the night away during their stay in Lisbon are in for a treat. Nightlife in the Portuguese capital is plentiful and it is easy to find places for everyone, no matter what kind of atmosphere you like. The areas with the most bars and nightclubs are in Bairro Alto, Chiado and Cais do Sodré.

• Bairro Alto: in its streets you will find a large number of bars and clubs of all kinds. If you prefer a quiet place, you can opt for the terraces of Largo de Camoes or the area of the viewpoint of Sao Pedro de Alcantara. For a more lively and student atmosphere it is better to go to one of the bars with live music or to one of the neighbourhood's nightclubs.
• Cais de Sodré: the atmosphere in this area tends to be a little quieter than in Barrio Alto. However, there is no shortage of clubs and discotheques where you can listen to everything from rock to African music.
• Santa Apolónia/Jardim do Tabaco: going down from Alfama you will find an area with several restaurants, as well as some of the most successful nightclubs in the city. In particular, in Santa Apolónia you can try to get into Lux, a nightclub that usually appears in the first places in the lists of this kind of clubs all over Europe.

If you're spending more than one day in Lisbon, you should explore Lisbon's nightlife, which is full of cultural events, especially concerts, theatre performances and dance. If you want to get a taste of the city's cultural life, you should try to visit one of its theatres or auditoriums.

The Portuguese capital has several theatres. Some of them, such as the Sao Carlos and the Dona Maria, are historic buildings with architecture that is well worth a short visit, even if you are not going to go in to see the plays. Both theatres offer a good range of theatre throughout the year. Their performance schedule mixes Portuguese plays with plays by international authors. Although the performances are obviously in Portuguese, the experience is really interesting.

If you prefer another artistic genre, perhaps the most recommendable in the Portuguese capital is dance. The best place is undoubtedly the Camões Theatre, home to the National Dance Company. The venue is located in the so-called Parque das Nações, very close to the Atlantic Pavilion (where many concerts are held) and the Lisbon Casino.

On your way to the Bairro Alto you will find a strange iron structure that seems to come out of nowhere. This is the Santa Justa elevator, which connects Baixa with the Chiado district. It is one of the things you have to see and do in Lisbon and I recommend that you go up just before sunset.

This elevator was built in neo-Gothic style with an undisguised inspiration in other iron constructions such as the Eiffel Tower. The 45-metre-high elevator leads to a large terrace that offers wonderful views of the river, Baixa, Rossio Square and St. George's Castle.

There is a café on the terrace if you want to have a drink while you enjoy the view. Note that you may find queues to use the elevator in the afternoon, as many people want to watch the sunset and the lighting of the night illumination from the heights. And if you work up an appetite after the climb, it may be an ideal time to take a gastronomic tour of Lisbon.

Practical information

• Opening hours: 07:30 to 21:00 (November-April) and 7:30 to 23:00 (May-October).
• Price: about 5,30 € round trip including entrance to the viewpoint.

When choosing accommodation for a trip, many factors are taken into account, from the area where you prefer to sleep to your budget. The Portuguese capital has a wide range of hotels, as well as many flats.

One tip to bear in mind is that if you go in summer, the high season, you should book your room well in advance. As for the areas, here are some recommendations:

• Alfama: The Alfama neighbourhood has become a favourite for many tourists looking for accommodation. In its favour is the charm of the neighbourhood and the large number of flats on offer. On the downside, the transport problems you may encounter to get to your hotel.
• Plaza de Comercio: around this square you will find several interesting hotels, although the prices are somewhat higher. Communication with the airport and other areas of the city is quite good.
• Near Avenida da Liberdade: in the area around this avenue, between Marqués de Pombal square and Rossio, you will also find several interesting places to stay.
• Baixa: this area stretches from Rossio to Praça do Comércio and has a good selection of hostels and hotels. It is also close to most of the city's points of interest.
• Chiado and Bairro Alto: the advantage of these neighbourhoods for accommodation is the presence of numerous shops, historic cafés and the best of the city's nightlife. However, the noise in some streets can be annoying.

During the day, there is no doubt that the tram will be the best way to get around the most touristy places, especially the well-known lines 28 and 15. The former runs through the historic centre and passes by almost all of the city's must-see monuments. Line 15, on the other hand, is the perfect option if you want to go to the Belém neighbourhood on your own, as it goes to the western part of the capital.

The main problem with these lines is that you will hardly be able to use them at night. Tram 28 stops running at around 21:15 on weekdays and at 22:30 on Saturdays and Sundays. The 15, on the other hand, leaves you a little more leeway: Monday to Saturday it runs from 5:45 to 1:00 and Sundays and public holidays from 6:05 to 1:00.

As for the city buses, it can be said that they are more useful at night, as there are several lines that start running at around 11:45 pm. There are two types of night bus: the Rede da Madrugada and the Night Buses. The latter are free and only operate at weekends. Also keep in mind that with the Lisbon Card you can save time and money when visiting and getting around the city.