There are several things that make this listing stand out:
1) AIRPORT TRANSFER: The airport is close to town, so it only saves you maybe 10-15 EUR vs. an Uber, but that’s real savings. And beyond that it’s like being picked up by a friend who is eagerly awaiting your arrival, which is refreshing after a long flight. My flight was 5 hours delayed, and she monitored it and was there right when it landed. Then she offered to take me either directly to the apartment or a long route through town to give me a lay of the land. I chose the latter, and she told me all about Lisbon. Then she took me up to the unit and showed me everything — the Murphy bed, using the TV, how to access her proprietary tour guide materials on the TV, and explained where to pick up Ubers, since cars can’t drive to the unit.
2) GUIDE QUALITY OF THE HOST: Maggie is hands-down the best host I’ve ever experienced. She differentiates herself in so many ways. For example, #1 above. When I told her some of the things I wanted to see, she made tons of recommendations and sent me pictures and instructions. When I couldn’t get my phone to make calls, she called a restaurant for me to make reservations. Just WAY above and beyond. She’s more like a real Bed and Breakfast host (minus the breakfast). She also clearly loves Lisbon and Portugal and loves helping others experience it.
3) LOCATION: Alfama is the oldest part of town, and it is so charming. It is walkable close to a bunch of attractions, like the Castle of Sao Jorge. Cars aren’t allowed in most of it. I loved just wandering around the labyrinthine walkways and stairways and getting lost. During the day, elderly residents hang out their windows to watch passersby, and late at night they sit with their doors and windows open, watching TV inside. It made me feel like a local, and apparently the city has placed restrictions on the number of Airbnb units they’ll allow in the neighborhood to preserve that authentic feel. Also at night, there are dozens of restaurants with live Fado music every night. I picked a place on a Monday night that Maggie has pointed out as we walked to the unit, and they had two guitarists and three amazing vocalists who took turns. I was really blown away.
THINGS TO KNOW
Go eyes wide open if you choose this listing and know that it is a TINY unit. Only suitable for a couple or solo travelers. The shower is so tight that I frequently bumped into the handle and accidentally turned the water super hot or super cold. And I’m a thin guy. If you’re a particularly large person or very overweight, you may have difficulties. There is a kitchen, but it is also TINY. The stairway getting up to the units is also very tight and very steep — more like a ladder. So you have to be really careful. It’s not a place where you come or go in a hurry! And the walls are pretty thin, so you can hear your neighbors and vice verse. I think people realized that, though, so everyone was pretty conscientious and quiet at night. In fact, the neighborhood is extremely quiet at night. You’ll also have to walk your luggage a ways when you leave unless you pay Maggie to take you (she has a pass to drive closer than other cars can get, but she only does the pick-up for free).
I think this is all worth it for the location and the experience, though. This is how to experience living like a local in the old town. Walking around, you can tell all the units are like this in Alfama. And Maggie will tell you about how families used to divide them up and live there with children! It’s a great authentic local experience if you can appreciate that kind of thing. And having Maggie is like having a local friend who can answer any questions. Super valuable.
LAST TIP
Go to A Taberna do Mar, a seafood restaurant near the Igreja de Graça. This is the place Maggie helped me get a reservation at. They have an amazing, innovative 10-course tasting menu for €25! They may realize they are priced way too low, so no guarantees on the price. It was an awesome culinary experience, though, easily worth 3x what they charged.