On a sparkling late winter Saturday, we set out from home to head across the Tejo River to Almada. We’ve driven through, or more accurately by, Almada many times on our way south and east. And for six years we’ve intended to come to visit, but until last weekend never did.
Murals and Street Art – old town Almada
We met our friend at Cais do Sodré train station in Lisbon and hopped the short passenger ferry across the river to Cacilhas. After some late morning cafes at one of the ferry-side cafes and a brief stop at the tourist office to get some tips and a map, we climbed up into old town, admiring street art and stopping in at the shop of Eduardo Dinis Henriques where the proprietor holds the Guinness record for the world’s largest coin mural which measures 165 square feet and used 66,567 coins in its production.
But our old town destination was Casa da Cerca with its contemporary art museum and back gardens. For about an hour or so, we strolled among the art works, took in the garden and its views of Lisbon then set off for some lunch. We landed at Velho Kurika Cervejaria, a great little affordable restaurant with typical Portuguese dishes. It may have the best Bacalhau à Brás (a cod and potato dish) we’ve had in our time here.
Casa da Cerca
Working off the Bras, we wandered back down to the riverside past the elevator taking in views of Lisbon’s Cristo Rei (Christ the King) statue (which you can ascend) to the old wharf and warehouses in varying states of decay, graffiti decoration and destruction along the riverside Jardim do Rio (Garden of the River) and past the most popular Almadan restaurants for their front row seat view of Lisbon across the river and back to our ferry.
If you’re in Lisbon and have seen your fill of the typical sights, consider a journey across the river for a meal, a stroll and some views and spots on the other side.
The Traveling Ridleys 
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