Sustainable Travel Tips for Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra Portugal

Tram rides and pretty tilesLisbon in Portugal is one of those special cities in Europe that is unlike any other. It’s really worth the visit, unfortunately, everybody seems to have realised this already and there is an over tourism problem. Keep this in mind if you are booking a trip there and try to go in a less crowded time of year. There are lots of areas in the city that are good to walk around so take good walking shoes.

Stop off at little independent cafes for coffee, they have lots of little outdoor kiosks so bring your reusable cup! I stay in Airbnb as I find it is more sustainable than a hotel and so far it has always been a local person renting out the Airbnb. Local guest houses and bed and breakfasts are also a great sustainable option. The tram links are great for tourists and the train links are good if you are visiting any of the villages and towns outside the city. The easiest way to stay sustainable while traveling is to stay local, eat local and buy local.

I’ve picked out a few eco spots to eat and shop while you’re there and also a few day trips for some respite out of the city.

Places To Eat – Lisbon

Bowl A really small cute café that does smoothie and porridge bowls along with healthy waffles and toasts. We went here for a late breakfast, the food was amazing. Loved it.

Nannarella Gelati alla Romana – my husband would never forgive me if I didn’t include this. Ice cream done properly. Ask for a cone instead of a plastic spoon and tub to make it zero waste.

Tease (Image below – don’t judge me, it was my birthday!!) I stayed very close to this café for a month a few years ago and just had to go back this latest trip. Think chandeliers, doilies, and coffee with a cooler edge. It was exactly the same, but only just… I visited in May and they were relocating in June! They are essentially a bakery with the most amazing cupcakes but also do a great healthy lunch. I’ve not visited the new location but can imagine it is just as special as the last.

Nicolau (Image below) is a popular and bustling café in the Baixa. It’s a great place to eat if you love smoothie bowls, pancakes, eggs, salads and burgers. The food is impressive and I was happy when they didn’t give my husband a straw in his smoothie! Green points for Nicolau.

Princesa do Castelo (Image below) is a vegan restaurant that was about 10 steps from our Airbnb. The food is delicious!

Pachamama is an organic and sustainable restaurant. The ingredients are fresh and seasonal and very tasty. The bread is made daily with slow fermentation and is available to take home too.

Restaurant Terra is a vegetarian and vegan buffet, north of the Bairro Alto area. It is a set charge per person and you can fill up your plate. It is a chilled-out vibe and the food is delicious.

Jardim das Cerejas is also a vegetarian buffet. The buffet consisted of a soup to start and a choice of mains with accompaniments. Desserts are available for an extra price. It was a delight, I loved the food, the staff were kind and considerate and there was a great eclectic mix of people in the restaurant.

This list isn’t exhaustive, these are a huge variety of really brilliant places to eat in Lisbon, whatever your tastes. Don’t forget to try the delicious pastéis de nata (custard tarts) and the port is worth a try too. Both can be found all over the city.

Places To Shop – Lisbon

I didn’t really do much shopping in Lisbon, preferring instead to just wander about and enjoy the atmosphere, cool buildings, and sunshine. However, these two are worth a look.

Embaixada is a small shopping gallery with a lovely sustainable boutique inside – Fair Bazaar. They sell clothing, bags, jewellery, and have a small selection of beauty products too. Everything they sell is handcrafted, eco-friendly or fair trade. And they also have a lovely website for online shopping.

For vintage shopping – A Outra Face da Lua has both women and men’s secondhand clothing. They have a lovely selection of kimonos that are worth browsing through. Although it wasn’t open while I was there, they also have a café too.

Cascais

There are a few places outwith Lisbon that are worth it if you fancy some time out of the city. A favourite of mine is Cascais. A picturesque coastal town about 20 miles west of Lisbon.  It is on a train route from the Cadre de Sois train station. It really is beautiful to walk through the old streets, a breath of fresh air after the bustle of Lisbon.

I stopped for a spot of lunch at Dona Flor Café, which is a small veggie café/restaurant. (They also have a sister café in Lisbon.) We arrived after the lunch rush so some of the options were sold out, the food we did get was fresh, homemade and delicious.

I didn’t go to Cascais to shop but did spot a lovely little homeware store as we wandered around. Happy Sardine sells a curated collection of handmade and Portuguese made ceramics, gifts, and home décor. If you were on the lookout for a well-made souvenir, this shop would be perfect.

Sintra

Another day trip option is Sintra. The area consists of a historical town, castles, palaces and beautiful scenery. Please bear in mind that it is a UNESCO site and can get very overcrowded which does spoil it slightly. The road system around Sintra has been changed this year to one way to try and stop the number of cars in the village and roads. We took the train from Lisbon and hired a talking electric car to drive when we arrived.

To be honest, it is impossible to see everything in Sintra in one day, we definitely only got a taster. And I feel bad for suggesting people go there because it is overcrowded with tourists. If you do go there, try and pick a time that is out of peak season.

We ate lunch at Café Saudade which is close to the train station, delicious food and drinks. And we ate at the Tascantiga which is a lovely place for Portuguese tapas and wines.

I hope these are helpful sustainable travel tips for Lisbon if you have any others I would love to hear them!

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