Portugal’s bid to attract foreign money backfires as rental market goes ‘crazy’
Government incentives and deregulation have brought digital nomads, Airbnbs and ‘golden visas’ – but steep housing costs for locals
May 2023
Lisbon revealed as best-value location for a European city break
The Portuguese capital wins top spot ahead of budget-friendly eastern European destinations, according to new poll
September 2022
Athens ranked cheapest location in Europe for city break
Prices have fallen and a weekend in the Greek capital costs £207, compared with £218 in runner-up Lisbon
June 2022
From Paris to Galway: expert foodies reveal the very best places to eat on holiday
Fred Sirieix’s guide to Paris, Girorgio Locatelli on Sicily, plus hidden gems in Copenhagen, Seville, Cornwall, Limassol, Amsterdam and Lisbon
February 2022
Tales of two cities: a twin-city break to Lisbon and Porto
Portugal’s two major cities are both rich in history, gorgeous food and incredible views. If you can’t decide which to visit, try combining the two
November 2021
Readers' travel tips
‘An uplifting experience’: readers’ favourite places in Lisbon
Hidden bars, architectural gems and brilliant restaurants and museums are among our tipsters’ highlights of this gleaming city
May 2021
25 of the best places to stay in Portugal
The only major destination on the green list is blessed with stunning beaches, verdant scenery and superb hotels and cottages
June 2020
10 of the best novels set in Portugal – that will take you there
From a Saramago masterpiece to Monica Ali’s rural blues, via mountains, cities and coast, bookmark this reading list for a flavour of Portugal – and its people
January 2020
Observer Design
Minha casa é sua casa: The family who turned their Lisbon home into a hotel
In a 1900s building in Lisbon, António Costa Lopes and Filipa Fortunato have created an intimate hotel that feels like a family home – because it is one
August 2019
The illustrated city
'Like an old vampire woman lingering in her eternity': Lisbon – a cartoon
Lisbon has constantly reinvented itself over the centuries – though its popularity with tourists today sometimes threatens to overwhelm the city
May 2018
The best of Lisbon’s new restaurants
The Portuguese capital’s food scene is one of the most exciting in Europe right now, offering a mix of the innovative and traditional cuisine at restaurants overseen by acclaimed chefs
March 2018
A local's guide
A local’s guide to Lisbon: 10 top tips
The Serbian-born writer picks the best places in his ‘beautiful, luminous’ adopted city for eating, shopping, walking or just hanging out and soaking up the views
September 2017
Holiday guides
Portugal’s top 10 hidden beaches
Catch some late summer sun on Portugal’s stunning coast. The author of the new Wild Guide to the country, picks 10 beaches for adventure and solitude
August 2017
Cycling the city
Hilly Lisbon launches electric bike share system in bid to solve congestion
Madrid has its scheme, while Muswell Hill’s never happened. Hilly cities from Rome to Rio will be watching as Lisbon starts e-bike hire
July 2017
Free world
Summertime … and Lisbon’s jazz festival is free – and a great way to see the city
The Out festival sees jazz concerts (plus soul, funk and hip-hop) in city parks and at the seaside in Cascais and Estoril every weekend until the end of September
Holiday guides
Lisbon city guide: what to see plus the best bars, restaurants and hotels
Portugal’s capital is bursting with culture and great places to eat, stay and party – and it’s the cheapest city break destination in western Europe
Readers' travel tips
Great restaurants in Lisbon: readers’ tips
Lisbon is teeming with fresh (and cheap) seafood, tapas and exotic dishes from Portugal’s colonial past. But it’s not just the food – our readers are wowed by the ambience and views, too
April 2017
How down-at-heel Lisbon became the new capital of cool
Four years ago, Portugal’s capital felt like a ‘city on its knees’. Now it is being touted as hip, cheap and innovative. But is the socialist government failing Lisbon’s poor in its rush to revitalise?
December 2016
Connected for success
Espressos and networking: co-living has me hooked
Communal work and living spaces are cropping up across the world. Could they be the secret to a successful work-life balance?
October 2016
'The hotspot of hotspots': Amanda Levete's €20m Lisbon museum opens with a sinuous swoosh
The British architect has created an exotically tiled Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) that finally reunites city and river
