I am in Portugal, the last country of my Southern Europe trip.
PORTO
My journey from Madrid to Porto took 1 hour by plane. I’m at Porto airport around noon. I reached the hostel by passing easily to the center by metro.. I pay 13 euros per night, including breakfast, in a 4-person room.. As you can see from the video below, the decoration and concept of the hostel is completely about the cinema.. Each room is made for a separate movie. The common areas are also decorated in the same way.. This is one of the most creative, comfortable and breakfast hostels I’ve ever stayed at.
As I was leaving my bag in the room, I saw that the free walking tour had started and I joined them directly.. What is the walking tour, I need to tell you a little bit. A guide gathers those who want to take a walking tour by visiting hostels. Afterwards, we visit the places to visit in the center by walking together.. The guide gives information about places of historical importance, explains the city, etc.. So the city tour you know, but the one done on foot. You don’t pay for this, you just tip the guide at the end of the tour.. If there is such an alternative in the hostels you go to, I say definitely join, you will both socialize with other participants and get to know the city roughly.
As in all my articles in general, go here and visit I try not to write articles like. For this reason, I will not detail the walk we took with the guide.. Let me tell you briefly, the old train station and clock tower can be seen.. You can go to the Riviera region and watch the view from both the bridge and the riverside.. It is especially fun and surprising to see the laundry hanging from the windows of the colorful houses.. Then you can dive into tiny alleys and get lost.. And of course, you should visit the historical bookstore, it has an impressive atmosphere.. It feels like dusty books about witchcraft from thousands of years ago are on the shelves.
After the tour with the guide lasted for about two hours, we returned to the hostel and it was like Istiklal Street in our country. I started wandering around and around a few streets that are. These Cedofeita and Santa Caterina streets are pedestrian streets. You can find almost everything you are looking for shopping here.. Again, as in European cities, there are many street artists.. You can spend half a day watching them, wandering the shops, maybe sitting down and having a coffee or two.. Speaking of coffee, all the coffees I drank in Portugal were extremely good.. What I usually see is people walking into a cafe on their feet, order any coffee, drink it up and go hooop.. As if coffee is a must for Portuguese people. Both the prices are reasonable and as I said, they are very delicious.
Portuguese food and pastries, pastries and desserts, which are eaten with tea and coffee, are also very delicious.. Every time I wanted to try one, I bought the second one.. Don’t be afraid to try things like cakes and desserts you see.. Even the simplest breads are so delicious that you want to eat everything with bread.
Porto is generally a cheaper place than other European cities.. You can handle both accommodation and eating and drinking without breaking the budget.. people are too hot. It helped whoever I asked.. Even though some of them did not know English, they helped in some way and showed the way.. I didn’t expect them to be this friendly before I arrived.
I also have to mention that they make very good shoes.. As someone who loves bags and shoes, I try to review such products wherever I go and buy them as my budget allows.. There are shoe and bag stores on the street, which are their own production, but the prices are unfortunately not very reasonable.. I haven’t seen a shoe of the quality I mentioned below 300 euros.. They were unheard of Portuguese brands for us, but I should not exaggerate in terms of quality, maybe they were not inferior to Gucci and LV.. For those who love shoes and have money, I think Portugal is a very good alternative.
And of course, there is the famous Fado of the Portuguese.. It is impossible to leave without listening to Fado because they perform this live music almost everywhere.. There’s fado everywhere, in the restaurant at night, outside during the day, and at the bar at night.. After seeing this, one is not jealous of why we do not have such cafes and places.. They sing so well that it is unexplainable.. You’ll understand what I mean when you watch the Lisbon video anyway.
Then I go to the hostel after having dinner in a small restaurant for 6 Euros.. I have a bus to Lisbon in the morning, but I also want to see Porto at night.. I remember listening to live music at one of the venues, even for 1-2 hours, and clearing my mind of all the live music venues I’ve ever been to.
Why did I spend a night in Porto while on this southern Europe trip? I am still very angry with myself, but there was no other way to visit this city in 20 days.. After all, I sleep saying that I will come to Porto again.
After having a nice breakfast at the hostel in the morning, I go to the bus station in the center.. I bought the ticket the day before. The road takes about 4 hours, the ticket price is 20 euros.
LISBON
Lisbon in the afternoon I arrive at. Since the metro is close to the bus station, it is very easy for me to go to the center and the hostel.. Metro ticket 2 euro. For the hostel, I pay 28 euros for 2 nights and breakfast is included.. This hostel was also one of the best places I’ve stayed. You’ll agree with me when you watch the video below.
I leave my bag and go out for a walk and a bite to eat, of course by getting a city map from the reception as always.
I recommend staying in Bairro Alto for Lisbon. You can start your day trips easily from here and you will be in the heart of night entertainment.. There are already affordable and good hostels in this area.. You won’t have any trouble for cheap accommodation.
It is possible to walk around the center of Lisbon and its surroundings.. There are many squares, towers, cathedrals, churches, old buildings and beautiful hills where you can watch the city view.. You can spend a full day walking with pleasure accompanied by the city map.. Again, it has a few famous streets such as Istiklal and Baghdad streets.. Somehow you go back and forth here again. There are many alternatives here for shopping and eating and drinking.. Surely you will find something suitable for your purse.. As I said before, Portugal is an affordable place compared to other European countries, so it does not shake the budget.
There are other places to visit, half an hour from the city, an hour away.. You can go to some by tram, to some by city bus.. If your time for Lisbon is 2 days or more, you can go here.. I didn’t go far from the center because I couldn’t tire myself.. I didn’t go on purpose for a while so that I have reasons to come here again (:
Street artists are also famous in the main streets and squares.. Although it seems ordinary after seeing it once or twice, it still adds a different flavor to the city.. On the other hand, the good food and coffee culture I ate in Porto continues here as well.. Be sure to try very well made cakes and pastries, accompanied by very well made coffee, you won’t regret it.. When I got tired, I sat in a cafe and took a coffee break.. The price for coffee and small things to eat does not exceed 2-3 euros.
When it’s evening, fado and similar music begins to play in open-air restaurants.. It’s a pleasure to hang around here, listening quietly.. Then I go to the hostel and dress a little more appropriately for the evening and go out.. The Bairro Alto area is the best area to go for fun. All venues are clustered in narrow streets and are usually tiny bars.. If you don’t like one place, you move on to another. The venues are small but the entertainment is huge. You will understand what I mean when you watch the video again.
I start the night with Pavilhão Chines bar, which has historical significance and a very authentic atmosphere.. Although I do not recommend many places in my articles, this is definitely a place to go and it is only a 10-minute walk from Bairro Alto.. Inside there are rooms with different decors made of thousands of figures and toys.. I can say that it is a museum with a history of 110 years.. I won’t tell you too much, those who are curious can google and look at the images.
From here on I dive into the streets of Bairro Alto. Each venue has its own live music.. Whichever one I go to, I wonder how they sing so well.. You don’t have to have a drink when you enter the venues.. You can go to another place with the drink you buy from the side, you can sit and hang out according to your head.. Or you can have fun on the street as most others do.. Drinks are also non-pocket type.. It is possible to buy soft drinks or beer for 1-2 euros.
As someone who tries to travel the world as much as possible, I have never seen a place with such a fun nightlife.. Maybe it’s because I like live music that I’m not so impressed, but the guys are doing their job very, very well.. As you will see in the video, both those who sing and those who play are very good.. Portuguese people are already very warm, it is very easy to socialize.. This is how I spend about three hours while wandering around the place.. At 02:00, young people start to go to clubs from here.. But how to go, like a flock. If you don’t know where to go after this time, follow the crowded group and you will go to the right place.
The entrance to the clubs varies between 5-10 euros.. In places of 10 euro, they give you a card at the entrance and you can buy a drink for 10 euro with this card.. If you buy more drinks, you pay the entrance fee plus the extra drinks.. All payments are made at check-out.
Don’t be surprised if you see the types that come to you with heroin while walking the streets.. Guys selling heroin and stuff on the go. I’ve never seen a place that sells such hard drugs as if they were selling chocolate.. But at least when you shake your head and say no, no one sticks to you, they don’t bother you, I can say that they are harmless in that respect.
In Portugal, where I did not encounter any negativity, I did not have any problems with security.. I have never had a risky situation as I usually hang out in the center in the evenings.. But let me remind you that a Portuguese friend I met later in my trip to Sarajevo said that the areas outside the city are not very safe places, and that even if I go there at night, they will rob me until I’m frozen.. Keep this in mind, just in case.
I’ve never been to Brazil before, but Portugal has that Brazilian vibe you know. Streets, people, clothes always reminded me of those sides.. I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong, but I will understand the situation better when I go to Brazil.
I check-out from the hostel in the morning and head to the airport.. But first, I wanted to see the Vasco Dema bridge on the road.. There is a big mall where you can watch the bridge and the metro stop is right under this mall.. So transportation is very easy again.
You can’t see the end of the bridge from sea level, it’s so long. If you have time, the view can be more beautiful with the cable car that takes off from the side, but because I didn’t have time, I skipped the cable car, next time.
Very pleasantly from Portugal By leaving, I have finished my trip to Southern Europe.. If they say which of these places you would like to visit again, I would not think about it, I would say Portugal directly.. I hope you love Portugal as much as I do.
