Lisbon is a capital city full of colour and character. The cobbled streets are splashed with houses coated in yellows, pinks, and blues, and there’s an endless assortment of galleries, restaurants, churches, and attractions.

In fact, Lisbon is so teeming with potential and head-turning possibilities that you may well find it hard to know where to start. A bit like when you cook a huge roast dinner and your plate becomes as tall as it is wide; it’s all great stuff, but where on earth do you begin?

Happily, we make it our business to know such things and so here we present the 5 top attractions of luscious Lisbon.

 1: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

This wonderfully gothic monastery was born during the Age of Discovery and remains one of the most powerfully enigmatic structures on the Lisbon landscape.  Once the home of the Order of St Jerome, it suffered slight damage during the infamous 1755 Lisbon earthquake and has undergone restorative procedures since. Now, it stands as a beautiful link to the past and drawers tourists from far and wide. No matter what you do, make sure this is high up on your list.

2: Take a Ride on Tram 28

Hold up young grasshoppers, this is nothing like your morning commute on the tube or the hustle and bustle of Manchester Trams, this is the well-known and much-loved tram 28, a cheerful yellow tram service that has been trundling around for decades giving you an up close and intimate perspective on the real Lisbon. Starting at Graça,, this adorable little tram will merrily climb up to Escolas Gerais before finally coming to a halt at the foot of the Estrela Basilica. Take a ride, you will not be disappointed.

3: Lisbon Oceanarium

We’re a sucker for animals here at Clickstay and we love the Lisbon Oceanarium, it really is quite a spectacular venue with a cornucopia of wildlife including rays, penguins and adorable otters. Tickets don’t cost the earth by any means and you get the magic of getting up close to some of nature’s most incredible (and sometimes fearsome!) wildlife. Go and take a camera. And a backup one. Alright two backup ones.

4: National Coach Museum

This is a delightful museum for anyone, even if you’ve never given much thought about horse-drawn carriages before! It’s home to some of the most historically important coaches in the world, ranging from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. Among the beautiful collection are those used by Philip II of Spain, which are some of the oldest specimens in the entire ensemble. Go and take a look and get swept up by the romance of it all!

5: Feira da Ladra

This is one of the most authentic and delightful flea markets of Lisbon, full of arts and crafts, homemade trinkets and now and then a true gem. As you amble through this well-known open-air market, you’ll get to cast your eye about the hodgepodge of wares on offer and find a unique trinket to take home with you. For a leisurely day and a bit of fun, this is one of the best ways to spend a few sunny hours in Lisbon.

Lovely Lisbon has much more than this to offer, of course, there’s culture and charm strewn about by the bucket-load, so make sure when you visit you give yourself plenty of days in which to explore.

Fancy checking out our holiday villas in Lisbon? Say no more!