Spain Cruise: Lisbon
In this final post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Lisbon, Portugal on her Spanish Wine Discoveries Cruise on Azamara.
The last day of my spectacular cruise was spent in lovely Lisbon, Portugal. We arrived after lunch, so I enjoyed a relaxing morning on the ship. Once docked in Lisbon, I set out on my own for a leisurely stroll through parts of the city. I then enjoyed an evening excursion for dinner and a show.
Spanish Wine Discoveries Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Cruise Day 6 in Lisbon, Portugal. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- Pre-Cruise Day 1 – April 7: Barcelona, Spain
- Pre-Cruise Day 2 – April 8: Barcelona, Spain
- Cruise Day 1 – April 9: Valencia, Spain
- Cruise Day 2 – April 10: Alicante, Spain
- Cruise Day 3 – April 11: Melilla, Spain
- Cruise Day 4 – April 12: Malaga, Spain
- Cruise Day 5 – April 13: Cadiz/Seville, Spain
- Cruise Day 6 – April 14: Lisbon, Portugal
A Relaxing Morning Onboard
Since we were not scheduled to arrive in Lisbon until after lunch, I was able to spend a very relaxing morning on the ship on yet another gorgeous weather day. Breakfast out on the patio at the Windows Cafe is probably one of my favorite things to do on the ship, and I was thankful to score a beautiful spot this morning.
After breakfast I headed to the Drawing Room (the library), which is always a quiet place on the ship. Although the sun was out it was a bit too cool to sit out by the pool this morning, so I relaxed in the Drawing Room and did some reading. Just before lunch I headed down to the Cabaret Lounge to try my luck at bingo. There was a free cruise at stake, but unfortunately luck was not my lady this morning!
After bingo I headed back up to the sun deck to watch the arrival into the port of Lisbon. Lunch today was a wonderful barbeque on the pool deck, with one of the house musicians providing tunes for us while we dined. It was delicious!
Exploring Alfama
I finished lunch and set out on my own for an afternoon in Lisbon. Since I had spent a few days here before my very first Azamara cruise back in June of 2022, I chose to just take a leisurely stroll on my own today. I started my exploration in the neighborhood of Alfama, which is where the ship is docked. Alfama is the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon, nestled on the slope between the São Jorge Castle above and the Tagus River below. The narrow, winding cobblestone streets switch back and forth up the hilly terrain. It’s a beautiful place to explore, but it’s a killer on your legs!
I then headed west from Alfama and spotted many traditional buildings covered in the gorgeous azulejos, or traditional Portuguese tiles.
Picturesque Praça do Comércio
I then arrived at the picturesque Praça do Comércio. This is a massive plaza on the banks of the Targus River. With an area of 574ft by 574ft (175m by 175m), it covers an area of 329,000 square feet (30,600 square meters)! I walked through the plaza first, then I found a great spot to sit right next to the river. I settled back and relaxed, enjoying watching the crowds ebb and flow on this gorgeous afternoon.
Scroll through the slideshow below to see some pictures of Praça do Comércio, the waterfront area, and the 25 de Abril Bridge (reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge) in the distance.
After a lovely afternoon I walked back to the ship. I had time to get a cool cup of strawberry ice cream on the pool deck before heading back to my suite to get ready for the evening.
Dinner and a Show
We docked in Lisbon overnight, so I was able to participate in a rare evening excursion tonight. A scenic bus ride through Lisbon took us to the Bairro Alto neighborhood and to Café Luso. This beautiful restaurant is in an area that used to house wineries and stables.
We started with a delicious four-course meal. A tasting platter of meats, cheese, olives, and croquettes started the meal. Then we had a red bean soup, followed by Portuguese-style steak with potato crisps. Dessert was a lovely chocolate mousse.
After dinner we were treated to a wonderful Fado show. Fado is a traditional musical style that originated in the 19th century in Lisbon. The combination of passionate vocals, expressive body language and facial expressions, and costumes make for a wonderful show. Individual singers each performed their songs, accompanied by a small band of instrumentalists (viola, Portuguese guitar, and double bass). The finale included all of the singers together.
After the dinner and rousing Fado show, we headed back to the ship. The Azamara Quest was looking particularly lovely with her lights sparkling.
Interested in more of Lisbon? Click the button below to read about my first visit to Lisbon back in 2022:
Heading Home
One last spectacular sunrise greeted me on my veranda the next morning. After snapping a few last selfies and enjoying one final breakfast in Windows Cafe, I gathered my belongings and headed to the airport for my return home. It was a glorious cruise, sailing a total of 1019 nautical miles from Barcelona to Lisbon.
At the airport lounge I was able to enjoy Pastéis de nata, the traditional Portuguese egg custard tart. For some reason I forgot to get one when I was exploring Lisbon the day prior, so I was glad to get one here (it simply isn’t a trip to Lisbon if you don’t have Pastéis de nata). Once on my first flight, from Lisbon to Newark, I enjoyed my welcome champagne…pinkies up before wheels up!
My two flights, first from Lisbon to Newark, and then from Newark to Tampa, provided some lovely views. First picture below is the coast of Portugal, shortly after takeoff from Lisbon. Next is the sprawling Manhattan skyline as we landed in Newark. Final picture is the sun setting over the crystal waters of Tampa Bay as we arrived in Tampa.
I knew I was finally back in Tampa when I spotted Phoebe, the big flamingo statue in the Tampa Airport. I knew I was finally back home when I got lots of snuggles and love from my faithful welcome home committee, Jasper!
As with every trip I take, I got a nice collection of three things along this journey:
- Ornaments for my travel-themed Christmas tree
- Small souvenirs for my travel curio case at home
- Local artwork to hang on the walls of my home
Conclusion
My afternoon and evening in Lisbon capped off a truly wonderful cruise through Spain with Azamara. Because I had spent time here in Lisbon before, I really enjoyed just relaxing and wandering around this time. The gorgeous weather from the earlier days on the cruise held up here as well, so it was a perfect opportunity to wander, explore, and relax in the warm sunshine. The evening dinner and Fado show was a wonderful ending as well, providing a glimpse into more of the rich history of Lisbon and Portugal.
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
Click the button below for more information about Azamara:
Wonderful to read, considering the Fado experience now.
Now I know you are also a Floridian. Phoebe is the cutest welcome home.
Thanks, Brenda! I really enjoyed the Fado experience but I will share that many in the group were underwhelmed with the food. I found it to be good (but admittedly simple), but there was a lot of grumbling on the bus ride back to the ship. And yes, I have called Tampa home for about 5 years now!