Despite the threat of overtourism taking over Lisbon, to the city’s authenticity, I believe the first introduction to the historic neighborhoods of Alfama and Mouraria is key to falling in love with the city.

The real secret to getting this part of Lisbon under your skin is to avoid free guided tours, hopping on tram 28, and staying at one of the hundreds (!) of short-term rentals in this area.

Go early, before the rest of the tourists arrive, before the cafes and souvenir shops open, and walk, walk, walk as much as you can.

I include a visit to the Fado Museum here as optional because it depends on how thoroughly you explore Alfama and Mouraria. Not because I think you should skip it altogether.

Not only is Fado classified as Intangible Culture by UNESCO, but it’s part of Lisbon’s urban culture. The museum does a great job explaining the music genre’s roots and its evolution from the bohemian, drunken, and poor Mouraria to recent times.

While Alfama and Mouraria seem chaotic, Baixa-Chiado is all about charming squares, wide avenues, and 18th-century buildings. Post-1755 Earthquake Lisbon at its finest.

Once you’ve grown tired of the perfectly planned streets, with or without a side of shopping, split your time between MNAC and the Carmo Convent Ruins. Both are museums that give you time and space to explore, which is perfect when you want an in-depth experience, not a superficial collection of travel memories.

I know it happened over some time, but I always feel like the transformation of Cais do Sodré from a sort of Red Light District (that’s a very polite way to put it) to hipster nightlife hotspot happened overnight.

The new Cais do Sodré is the first sign of how a city can become a brand. Everything becomes a concept; it’s no longer just a cafe, a bar, or a restaurant. It has to be built on some kind of image. It happened first with Time Out Market and the Pink Street, and I don’t remember when it snowballed from there.

Take in Cais do Sodré with a grain of salt (shot of tequila optional).

As for “The Triangle,” I’ve been professing my love for this unofficial neighborhood of Lisbon ever since I found it by chance in 2017. On some days, part of me regrets ever including it in this article. But my love for this cluster of streets that happen to form a triangle remains the same now for the same reasons as it did then.

If you skip the clearly gentrified areas (and beware that I don’t include cafes like The Mill, Hello Kristof, and Dear Breakfast in the gentrification problem), there’s a raw Lisbon to discover. 

Exploring the three streets of the triangle (Poiais de São Bento, São Bento, and Poço dos Negros) doesn’t take long, decent parking is virtually impossible, traffic is nerve-wracking, the only available public transport is tram 28, and it’s one of the most challenging areas to Instagram. What’s not to love?

And among all that, on a side street of Poiais de São Bento, a warehouse-turned-museum designed by Siza Vieira houses the Atelier Museu Júlio Pomar. As a museum employee once told me, it’s the kind of place only intentional visitors visit.