In the summer of 2020, my fiancé and I had a holiday to Portugal booked – and grand plans to spend lazy days sipping cocktails by the beach, lounging by the pool and trying out delicious, local food.
The pandemic, though, had other ideas and our trip was cancelled. After a battle to receive a full refund, we put the money away for another adventure when the world opened up again.
Five years later, we eventually make it to Portugal…but this time, we’re not here for the suntan or the beaches. We’ve come to experience what a Mediterranean country known for its sunshine holidays has to offer during the festive season.
If tourists have to battle the crowds at the UK’s most popular Christmas markets in the run up to December 25th, there’s no such worry during our stay in Lisbon.
The Portuguese capital is bustling but not in an overwhelming way; it’s mostly locals taking in the endless streets of glittering lights.
There’s several Christmas markets to explore, and we make for the more central ones – Rossio Christmas Market and the Gourmet Food Market.
A twinkling sign and a giant lit star greet us as we head inside to find neatly organised rows of wooden stalls.
Festive music blares out from speakers, people dressed in elf costumes dance around and the chatter is mostly Portuguese, with the occasional French, German or American voice heard in the crowd.
Lisbon’s main Christmas tree (pictured), located in Praça do Comércio, is beautifully lit up in the evenings
Lisbon may not be your classic Christmas destination…but it has plenty to charm festive visitors (Pictured Rossio Square’s yuletide market)
The city’s Christmas market boasts stalls selling hand-crafted souvenirs and food – and it’s at reasonable prices
My fiancé, who isn’t a fan of busy, touristy areas, admits that the bustle ‘isn’t that bad’ as we make our way through the stalls selling hand-crafted souvenirs and food.
The prices are cheering too – with hot chocolates starting from €4.50 (£3.95), while a cup with all the trimmings…marshmallows and whipped cream costs €6.50 (£5.70).
How does it compare with the UK? A similar drink at London’s Winter Wonderland will set you back £11 (€12.50)
In Lisbon, we walk past a stall selling pina coladas served in scooped-out pineapples and I smile to myself – a hint of what I thought our original holiday to Portugal would be like.
They’re the pricier of the drink options, perhaps because of the novelty fruit vessel, and come to €15 (£13.18) each – but refills are more bargainous at €5 (£4.40).
And the weather is relatively mild compared to the UK at around 15 degrees, so a cocktail doesn’t feel completely out of place.
Other stalls we encounter offer Portuguese pastries, including the country’s pastel del natas custard tarts and sandwiches with melted cheese oozing out between layers of Parma ham.
Ahot chocolate goes for €4.50 (£3.95), while a cup with all the trimmings cost (pictured) €6.50 (£5.70)
We walk past a stall selling pina coladas served in full pineapples for €15 (£13.18), with refills costing €5 (£4.40)
More mouth-watering delights await at the food market, which is just a short walk away… and the prices continue to surpris.
One vendor sells a ‘family’ deal that includes two cod fritters, two sandwiches and two green soups (known as caldo verde), plus two drinks for €22 (£19.30).
Afterwards, we check out the lights adorning several of the city’s most famous tourist streets including Avenida da Liberdade, Downtown Baixa, Chiado and others.
Lisbon is known for its many steep hills but, without the summer heat, they feel bearable, even enjoyable, to tackle as we gaze up at the sparkling decorations.
Suddenly, the lights go out and everyone around us freezes, looking up in anticipation.
The crowd audibly gasps as the lights start dancing along to loud Christmas music, twinkling in tune with the beat.
Bells appear in the LEDs as Jingle Bell Rock blares out and I can’t help laughing at how clever it all is.
I’ve never seen anything like it before… and the light show continues for 30 minutes, and there’s performances throughout the evening.
Many of the streets popular with tourists are adorned with lights during the festive season, including Avenida da Liberdade, Downtown Baixa and Chiado
Our room at the AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado hotel, ten minutes from the market, proves to be the perfect place to rest up after a long day exploring
Another way to appreciate the city’s decorations is hopping on a tuk-tuk.
Live Portugal offers private tours, family trips and tasting excursions, as well as a 90-minute Christmas lights tour.
We book the latter, and our driver warns us to fasten our seatbelts and brace for bumps, joking that part of the ride will feel like the devastating earthquake that hit Lisbon 1755.
She certainly isn’t wrong, and I find myself shrieking and laughing as the three-wheeler wobbles over cobbles and spins through the streets.
It’s raining, a rare event in Portugal, says our driver, and we’re pleased to be undercover.
Along the way, our guide shares her expansive knowledge on the city, pointing out lesser known sights only locals know about, including a park inhabited by free-to-roam chickens and a prison that looks like a castle on the outside.
Our ride ends at the gates of Wonderland Lisboa – Portugal’s answer to the infamously expensive Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.
I’m sceptical at first, despite being a huge Christmas fan I avoid Winter Wonderland like the plague because of how expensive it can be – starting with the £5 entrance fee.
But in Lisbon, we stroll through the gates without paying anything and make our way up one side of the park, checking out the various stalls along the way.
Wonderland Lisboa is the Portuguese capital’s version of London’s Winter Wonderland and has its own Big Wheel
Admittedly, they’re pretty similar to what’s on offer in Rossio Market and the prices are just as reasonable – a mulled wine will set you back €4 (£3.50).
Rain is still pouring down, but we thankfully our hotel has lent us brollies. Our base for the weekend is the AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado, which is just a ten-minute walk from Rossio Market.
We opt out of the ice skating rink because of how wet it is, and admire the bravery of those attempting to shuffle their way around the sodden square.
Just like London’s Hyde Park attraction, Wonderland Lisboa has its own Big Wheel, and it costs just €6 (£5.25) each – a few pounds less than the £9 charged for an adult’s off-peak ticket for a ride on London’s Winter Wonderland’s Giant Wheel.
An attendant tells me to mind my head and holds the cart steady as I hop inside a pod. It rocks a little as we gaze out at the park below us, lit up with hues of red and gold, and loops around at least five times before slowly pulling to a stop.
The hills, exploring cobbled streets paved centuries ago and loops around the markets mean we’re more than ready to hit the hay.
A castle made from lights is only ten minutes away from the hotel in Praça Luís de Camões
We stroll through the gates of Wonderland Lisboa without paying anything and make our way up one side of the park, checking out the various stalls along the way
Our room comes with a view; overlooking the bedecked square and Lisbon’s City Hall. With the lights twinkling, it’s a perfect people-watching vantage point.
Praça Luís de Camões, where a beautiful castle is festooned with lights, is only ten minutes’ walk away, while Lisbon’s main Christmas tree, located in Praça do Comércio, is even closer.
The boutique AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado hotel is a sound option for couples. It’s luxe but friendly, with staff happy to direct us to any festive attraction we ask them about.
A raft of low-cost airlines fly into Lisbon; I took a TAP Air Portugal flight and was delighted to be greeted by friendly staff and a smooth landing.
While our 2020 fun in the sun trip didn’t happen, Lisbon at Christmas – when we finally got there – definitely didn’t disappoint.
TRAVEL FACTS
Doubles at the AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado hotel cost from €190 (£166), almalusahotels.com. Alesia flew with Tap Air Portugal, which offers flights from London to Lisbon from £127, flytap.com.
