Wander down any street in Lisbon and you’re sure to find many surprises!
Many of these surprises are found on the buildings which are covered head to toe in decorative tiles, also known as Azulejos. They are a major part of Portuguese architecture and culture, often depicting narrative scenes.
Visiting from England, it was very surprising to see that ordinary residential homes are often glamorously covered in tiles. This made meandering down the city’s side-streets feel like there was always something exciting and shiny for my eyes to feast on.
A brief history of tiles in Portugal
The Azulejo art in Portugal originates from the Moors They were imported from Seville (which was occupied by the Moors for over 500 years) by King Manuel I after a visit to the town in 1503.
Back then fashion trends were usually created by Kings and Queens, and members of the aristocracy who had the financial means to travel and establish the current trends for the rest of the population to follow suit. It surprises me to say, but this is one King whose taste I actually like!
However, it’s not all ceramics and geometric shapes adorning the walls of Lisbon. In contrast there are quite a few run-down, derelict buildings too.
I’m not sure if anyone is planning to do anything with them, but seeing them as they are, interwoven between the beautifully tiled buildings makes the city look even more interesting, like you can somehow peel back the years to see what parts used to look like.
Further reading: Visiting the Eccentric Tile Museum in Lisbon
Street Art in Lisbon
An aspect of Lisbon which rivals the tiles in terms of colour and artistic expression is the explosion of eye-catching graffiti. Not everyone can say they’ve seen a 40ft crocodile, but I can. I’m just happy to say I saw it spray canned across a derelict building instead of in my garden! And the same goes for the burglar who resides on the building next to it.
If you want to know where to find these enormous pieces of street art then head over to Picoas station, you can’t miss it even if you tried. Picoas Station is also an interesting station to see because it shows the original Art Nouveau Metropolitano signs which are quite rare.
Graffiti isn’t to everyone’s taste, I don’t always like it, but clearly these aren’t just careless scrawls across abandoned buildings. They’ve been carefully executed for the purpose of creating public art.
A large part of the fun when looking at street art (for me at least) comes when you find your own interpretation of it, take the below image as an example, I see a disgraced politician being exposed to the world! What do you see?
Street Art by BLU in Lisbon
Many of the world’s best street artists have been selected to add their mark onto Lisbon’s cityscape, one of which is BLU. I really enjoyed seeing his work again after clasping my eyes on a piece he did in Krakow, he’s got a really distinct style so most of his fans can pick out his work without needing to see his logo, or signature. If you want to see more of his work then flick through his sketch book on his website, it’s mind-bogglingly impressive!
Spotting street art by Vhils in Lisbon
A few other works I spotted
There are still way more tiles and pieces of street art for you to discover. Particularly ones on a much smaller scale so make sure to keep your eyes peeled. Lisbon is a bit like a treasure trove in that way – you never know what you might find.
I couldn’t possibly see everything in just a few days but I know I’m going to enjoy looking for more when I return.
Pastelaria Padaria São Roque
And the decorative tiles don’t just stop outside, they extend inside the cafes, restaurants and museums, some more elaborate than others of course – Pastelaria-Padaria São Roque is a good example. However, the food didn’t live up to the same standard as its exquisite tiles, so if you want to go I suggest you go for a quick drink and eat elsewhere…
What more can I say on this topic? Other than welcome to Lisbon: a place where buildings are intrinsically linked with colour, tiles and graffiti!
Further reading: 12 Reasons to Fall in Love with Lisbon
Where to stay in Lisbon
I recommend staying in Baixa, the city historic Old Town. It stayed there and loved it, it’s also considered the centre of Lisbon so most of the main attractions are within walking distance.
The closeby neighborhood of Chiado is also very centrally-located in Lisbon. Both of these areas are pretty much smack dab in the middle of Lisbon surrounded a wide array of restaurants, bars, and top attractions.
Art-focused hotels
If you really want to immerse yourself in art, why not stay at one of Lisbon’s art-focused boutique hotels like ambiguously named Hotel Hotel? It’s one of the few hotels in the city belonging to the esteemed list of world-famous Design Hotels.
22 Responses
I’ve seen some amazing street art in San Francisco and Seattle and what Lisbon has is just as amazing. I love the anticipatory presence the crocodile presents to the burglar! I’ve seen shows on tv where cities have walking, guided tours and the guide will explain the background behind the various art. Did Lisbon have anything like that? Good post and gorgeous pictures, Shing 🙂
San Francisco has some amazing street art Mike! I wish I had started this travel blog when I was in America in 2008 because I would love to highlight some of the places I visited at the time – San Francisco’s wall murals would be one of the things I would write about!
Funnily enough, there is a street art tour of Lisbon which I thought about joining, but my friend and I just decided to do our own wandering, and save a little money too. It is something I would like to do though, and I imagine it’s worth doing!
I definitely prefer the tiles – there are more in Porto which is well worth a visit. I seem to remember the inside of the main train station there being one big blue and white tile mosaic.
I can see why Vhils changed his name! His work reminds me of the political murals on the ends of terraced houses in Belfast.
I really want to go to Porto now! Some of the stations in Lisbon are filled with colourful tiles and large coloured pillars. On a similar topic, do you recall Rossio Station? It’s absolutely stunning, not for its tiles but for its architecture – it’s so elaborate.
Haha I like Farto, it’s a great name! (I’m not sure if I’d say the same if it was my future husband’s surname though! :)) Great post on Belfast, I want to see it for myself!
I didn’t see any of this stuff when I was in Lisbon but I really did love the art I saw and all the interesting stencils and smaller pieces too. Such a cool city.
Surely you saw the tiled buildings though? I think many of the larger wall murals have just cropped up over the last 2 or 3 years so you’ve got an excuse to return Colleen 🙂 Yes, Lisbon is a very cool city indeed!
I had no idea that Lisbon had such vibrant street art. I was there a very long time ago and I do remember a lot of tile work but the street art must be a much newer vintage.
The crocodile is my favourite.
Hi Leigh, the tiled buildings were probably my favourite part of going sightseeing in Lisbon! The street art is indeed a newer addition, but I have a feeling I missed seeing a lot even though this post showcases quite a few examples. I guess this gives me the perfect reason to return!
I love all the pictures. I love the street art on the buildings! I have been planning a visit to Lisbon for a while now. It has to happen next year!
http://www.itsallbee.com
Yes, make Lisbon happen – it won’t disappoint!
Great post, Shing. This is one after my own heart. I love tiles and street art. I didn’t know Lisbon had such a wonderful street art scene. It’s such an awesome way to explore the city. I’ve never heard of Alexandre Farto but now I’m a fan. I have heard such neat things about Lisbon and hop to visit soon.
Alexandre Farto is a talented guy isn’t he Mary?? He’s only young but has done so many pieces around the world, see if he’s done anything near you: http://www.alexandrefarto.com/index.php?page=work-detail&work=1 You’ll love Lisbon, I hope you get the chance to go in the near future!
Now you’ve really sealed the deal on going to Lisbon! I’m a great street art fan but I also didn’t realise there was so much here. The tiled buildings are beautiful too especially the blue and white tiles.
I think you’ll also love the food too Jenny, it surpassed Spanish food! The blue and white tiles are very beautiful and considered the most traditional ones – there’s an amazing room in Sintra Museum which is covered in those tiles, it looks amazing!
Wow, I’m completely in love with Lisbon thanks to this amazing tour you provided! I recently tried a wine from the region that I really loved too, so even more reason to add it to my travel list, thanks so much!
Hi Jess! I’m completely in love with Lisbon too! Glad you enjoyed the virtual tour, it’s definitely a place that won’t disappoint. Lots of wine to be enjoyed the city too 🙂
I’ve enjoyed Portugal’s marvelous way with tiles, but have yet to see the dramatic street art. Will be returning to Lisbon soon, and will definitely be on the lookout for these images. Thanks for the lovely post!
Hi Anita! I hope you find them, some are easy to spot but many are tucked away on residential streets, so this provides the perfect reason to stroll away from the more common routes. I hope you love visiting Lisbon again as much as you did the first time!
Love the derelict buildings! I’ve always enjoyed looking at street art, and love what they did to these buildings.
The derelict buildings are great, aren’t they? Love how they have been injected with new life! Thanks for visiting Marcello 🙂
Those are really nice. I would find time to find this place during my visit this 1st week of July. 🙂
Hi Jack! Sorry about the late reply, I hope you enjoyed Lisbon as much as I did, and saw some of the buildings I noted in this article!