Lisbon: One Week of Wandering and Shooting

I spent a week in Lisbon recently. I did not had any predefined itinerary, and no must-see checklist. Just walking, shooting, and letting series of photos come to me naturally. I was my second time there, and the first time with the Fujifilm X-E5.

The light

Lisbon's light is famous for a reason. The city faces the Tagus River and the Atlantic beyond. The air has a softness to it, it can be golden in the morning, warm and hazy by late afternoon.

The best hours are early and late, since midday can be harsh, especially in summer. Use that time for coffee, lunch, or a nap. Then head back out on the streets when the shadows stretch and the city glows.

The hills and the tiles

Lisbon has seven hillsn, and uou'll feel it in your legs. The neighborhoods are all different.

Alfama is the oldest with tight alleys, laundry lines, and fado music leaking out of doors. Mouraria is messier and more alive. Graça is where you go for rooftop views. Príncipe Real is quieter, with trees and old buildings.

The blue and white tiles are everywhere, covering entire walls. But the most important, take your time to get lost.

Gulbenkian Garden

If you need a break from the streets, go to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, and especially the garden.

It's a green oasis in the middle of the city, with modern concrete architecture blending into the landscape. One of the most peaceful places I found in Lisbon, perfect for slow photography or simply doing nothing.

The museum itself was closed for maintenance during my visit, but I've heard it's excellent. The garden alone is worth the trip.

The Tagus riverfront

Lisbon's relationship with the Tagus is part of its identity. The river is wide, almost like a sea, and the waterfront stretches for miles.

I spent a few late afternoons walking along the shore. From Cais do Sodré, you can head west toward Belém, past the MAAT museum, the Jerónimos Monastery, and the Torre de Belém.

The other direction, east toward Parque das Nações, is more modern. Wide promenades, the Vasco da Gama bridge in the distance, families cycling, fishermen casting lines. A different Lisbon, but still beautiful.

Eating and drinking

Lisbon is affordable compared to most European capitals. You can eat well without spending much.

For breakfast, find a local pastelaria and order a coffee with a pastel de nata. For lunch, you'll easily find simple neighborhood restaurants offering a dish of the day for around ten euros.

In the evening, head to one of the many miradouros for sunset. I recommend Jardim do Alto de Santa Catarina. You can also stay close to the Tagus and Cais do Sodré for a windy sunset with beautiful colors over the water.

The pace

A week in Lisbon sounds long. It isn't.

The city rewards slowness. Some days I barely covered a few blocks, stopping for light, for coffee, capturing the many colors. Other days I walked for hours without taking a single photo.

Lisbon rewards that. You get more out of it by being there and paying attention than by working through a list.

Don't forget to bring a camera.

Film recipes for Lisbon

For Lisbon, I mostly used three Fujifilm recipes: Vibrant Arizona from Fuji Weekly for warm, punchy colors; my own Grain Noir recipe with ACROS for black and white; and Cinematic Gold for softer, golden tones. I use film recipes because I shoot JPEG ("SOOC") only, no RAW, no Lightroom. Part of it is laziness, honestly. But mostly I like the fact that it forces me to get things right in camera and spend less time behind a screen.

Escape to the coast

If you want to escape the city for a day or two, Ericeira, Peniche, and Nazaré are all easy to reach by FlixBus from Lisbon.