We stayed 4 nights in the apartment that Ana and her organization rent out in the Alfama district in Lisbon. If you are interested in experiencing living in an ancient city center, this is the place to stay. Of course (as is happening in many other European cities of interest) you will see a large number of tourists everywhere, but from a location perspective, we felt we were getting a real idea of what it is like to live in a historic district of this gorgeous city.
The Alfama district is steep and squeezed. So forget about driving there yourself or brining a car. But Ana and her team organized a car service that picked us up at the airport and that later on dropped us off at the rental car place from where we continued a further trip into Portugal. It was a very relaxing way to end an otherwise exhausting trip. And being located in the middle of one of the must-see areas of Lisbon, even though we arrived late, we were immediately able to find a great spot for our first local dinner and get our bearings for future visits.
The house itself is old. Not sure how old, but I'll call it historic. The inside is fully renovated and up to the latest standards. Great airconditioning, that you only have to use if it is too hot to open the windows. Very comfortable beds, flawless WiFi connection and a fully equipped kitchen (of which we mainly used the Nespresso maker and the washing machine, due to the wonderful local bakeries and restaurants).
We were given a list of local recommendations, both for food and drink and for local sightseeing, which was a great complement to our travel books. The local pastelleria Alfama Doce became a daily staple for us - and is worth a recommendation in its own right. From the apartment it is a short (although steep) walk to a number of local sights. We also found it easy to walk down to the river side and grab a city bus for further away destinations. The buses ride frequently, cost only 2 Euros (a bit less if you have the local public transportation card) and are clean and comfortable.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would love to make use of the apartment again at a next visit to Lisbon.
The Lammes.