Highlights of Lisbon Bike Tour
Lisbon can be very winding but by choosing the right route the walk may be more pleasant. This is why our bike company RideLisbon team designed a completely flat bike tour in the city of the seven hills. You’ll see that cycling in Lisbon isn’t that hard.
Our city tour starts in the center of Lisbon near the Comércio square where the participants meet. Bikes are provided to them, presentations are made: so begins the tour. during 3:30h the participants will discover the emblematic districts of Lisbon and retrace the Portuguese history along the Tagus.
Here are the highlights of our bike tour
Alfama
Our first stop is in Alfama, a typical neighborhood in Lisbon. Soak up the local atmosphere, it’s unique. Inside this district, it even feels more like being in a capital, a city of 2 million inhabitants but simply in a village where everyone knows each other, everyone meets and says hello. The locals need to preserve this village soul, things that are not found anywhere else in Lisbon, because of the tourist boom. Take a moment to taste the local drink served in many Alfama shops: cherry liqueur also called ginginha. This moment in this district will be the ideal moment for our guides to detail the daily life of the locals, customs, etc. We recommend you to visit Alfama during a day trip a well because its one of best things to do in Lisbon.
Comércio Square
We leave Alfama for the Cómercio square, one of the most imposing places in the Portuguese capital. Observe the crowd as well as the buildings with Pombalian architecture. This place is full of history and anecdotes. Did you know that the buildings surrounding the Cómercio square were part of the royal residence? This is no longer the case since 1909, the end of the monarchy, these buildings house the ministries.
Bridge 25th of April
We now leave the crowd and the cars to go on the cycle path which starts from Cais do Sodré. This 7 km long cycle path offers a unique landscape along the Tagus. Breathe the sea air, here even in summer it is not hot thanks to the breeze, it seems that there is a permanent air conditioning. During these 20 minutes, it is time to talk between travelers, exchange travel anecdotes, to give each other good tips. We finally stop next to the April 25 bridge, the one that looks like the Golden Gate Bridge, which do you think came first? This spot is the ideal place to feed your Instagram account. Check out ours by the way.
The MAAT
We continue our journey to Belém, observe this museum with futuristic architecture: it is the MAAT. A museum recently opened in Lisbon (2016). the architect who built it wanted to pay homage to Portuguese architecture by keeping the ceramic tiles called in Portugal “Azulejos”. These tiles, if you look, are not square or blue like most of the time, but white and modern in shape. The building itself represents a wave to remind you of the proximity to the ocean. If you are in Lisbon for a couple of days, we recommend you to spend at least one half day in Belém, it is one of the best things in Lisbon.
Monastery of Jerónimos
We finally stop at Belém to discover a part of Portuguese history completely different from what we saw previously in Alfama. here in Belém from the 15th century, the Portuguese have literally dominated the world. This place was indeed the cradle of the greatest expeditions. Contemplate the breathtaking architecture of the Jeronimo monastery built-in 1505. Doesn’t this building make you think of something? (hint: Harry Potter) if you want more anecdotes on Portuguese history and see all these highlights, visit one of our tours.
Pastéis de Belém
Not far from the Jeronimo monastery is one of the largest pastry factory in Portugal: the pastéis de Belém. These pastries are a symbol for Belém and from their history, have obtained a worldwide reputation. Inside, around fifty employees make 20,000 pastries a day here. Just for these numbers go take a look there.
Tower of Belém
We continue our visit to the Belém tower, one of the greatest highlights of the area and a strategic building in the defense of the port of Lisbon. Did you know that before it was impossible to reach the tower of Belém on foot? Find out more during our tours.
Monument of Discoveries
We finally finish our tour in front of the monument of discoveries. Imposing monument built along the Tagus and which however remains very controversial in the country.
If you are interested in the history of Lisbon and Portuguese culture, don’t hesitate to join one of the best tours in Lisbon to find out more. During 3h30 you will discover the city from east to west, at an easy pace and discover the best highlights of Lisbon during a bike tour.