This was our first time visiting Portugal and our stay at the Travessa da Portugesa apartment was a great start! I arrived a full day before the rest of my group and felt comfortable in Lisbon, the neighborhood and the apartment as a woman traveling alone.
I definitely recommend taking the transport service (private car) offered from the airport and arranged through Catarina/Ana. The company (services provided by Jose, Nuno or Sergio) is prompt, clean, friendly and very knowledgeable- they will take you directly to the flat, run through the basics of the apartment with you and make sure everything is set with all questions answered. I arrived prior to my check in time (the apartment still needed to be cleaned) and was able to securely store my luggage there to venture out for a few hours. Nuno even dropped me at the Mercado da Ribeira (Time Out Market) to help orient me to the area and set me on my way.
The apartment is centrally located and the neighborhood vibrant with a variety of restaurants, bars and shops. A small supermarket is a 3 minute walk away and carries a good stock of the basics. As many people have pointed out, Lisbon is full of hills, so be prepared to tackle a few to get to and from the apartment.
The view is fantastic (truly stunning), so make sure you check out the deck at a variety of times during the day- particular favorites being sunrise and sunset. It is a great spot for sipping both coffee/tea and wine/port. We were unable to locate the pods for the Nespresso coffee maker in the apartment (even at a couple of local stores), but stepping out to the plethora of cafes requires minimal effort.
The apartment is spacious and quaint at the same time- clean and comfortable. We stayed for 5 days, and cooked a couple of meals in the kitchenette after exploring some of the markets for seasonal fare. The bathrooms are ample, but we did find it difficult to maintain hot water in the larger bathroom’s tub/shower. Easily, we just used the second bathroom for showering. We also, apparently, were visiting at an unusually warm period for Lisbon. The AC was essential and very much welcomed until sunset could naturally cool things down.
Catarina/Ana was great with communication, attentive and made sure our stay was relaxing and pleasurable. A great find and start to our Portugal vacation!