If you’re fortunate enough to find availability at Paula’s lovely house you should book it.
The house is a very characterful and atmospheric traditional house in the wonderful Alfama part of Lisbon.
The house is on the 3rd floor of the building which means that you get a great view across the river from the little balcony.
The living room is a great space to relax and take in the view, the bedroom is comfortable and you also get the view out of the balcony from there. The kitchen is well equipped as is the bathroom.
All very clean and tidy and it really is the perfect base to explore Alfama, and the rest of Lisbon and wider area.
You are located just a 5 min walk from Santa Apolonia station (which also has a very useful supermarket which met all of my needs).
There are many lovely bars snd restaurants close by the house, and Paula will provide a useful listing.
My own favorites that I would recommend are ‘Horacio Tratoria’, which is a lovely vegan restaurant and is almost opposite the house (they do fantastic pizzas too); ‘Santa Pausa’ is a lovely cafe that does fantastic bruschetta and is just a 5 min walk from the house, and if you’re looking for a really cool wine bar then you should check out ‘Ladidadi’ which is in the Graca area and about a 15 min walk from the house. This place has really interesting wines, is beautifully decorated and has a great atmosphere thanks to the wonderful collection of vinyl records that pump out some fantastic Portuguese and Brazilian beats.
Lisbon has so much to offer and I loved exploring the various different neighbourhoods. My favorite beach with easy access to the city was Carcavelos (less than 30 mins by train from Cais do Sodre), and if you want to see another small town outside of Lisbon then Setubal is charming and is only 50 mins from Sete Rios station.
With so much to explore, it’s great to get back to the calm of the house and relax with that great view.
Paula is a great host - she will provide you some very useful tips and is on hand if you need anything or have any questions.
I had a great time here. Would definitely stay again and I would highly recommend.