podtour
Lisbon's Baixa: from Terreiro do Paço to the Rossio
On the morning of All Saints' Day 1755, an Englishman was writing a letter when the table began to shake; not long after, from the riverbank, he saw the Tagus rise like a mountain.
Cais do Sodré and the Bica: spies, sailors and a giant of stone: audio walk in Lisbon
Eleven stops from the quay to the viewpoint: the liberal victory of 1833, the spies' café, the hotel where Jules Verne dined and a great love story in a novel begins, Irish friars, the sailors' street that's now pink, the market that took over a beach and the hill opened up by a landslip, all the way to Camões's giant.
What this walk is about
Cais do Sodré has been a filthy beach, a quay for distinguished arrivals and Lisbon's roughest street. The walk begins in the square that remembers the liberals' entry into the city in 1833, with a spies' café on the quay and a hotel where Jules Verne dined and where Eça de Queirós had his hero first set eyes on the woman of his life. It carries on past the church a queen founded for Irish friars, the sailors' street now painted pink and the market built on land reclaimed from the river, then climbs the Bica, which exists because the hillside gave way in 1597. At the top waits Adamastor, Camões's giant turned to rock.
- Start
- Each shore had its day
- Finish
- The giant who embraced a rock
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. A walk for anyone curious about Lisbon's port and its nightlife. A walk for literature lovers (Eça and Camões).
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Each shore had its day
- 2
Coffee with the spies
- 3
A royal dinner and a paper goddess
- 4
The city wall that held up a hotel
- 5
The friar who changed tables
- 6
A sailors' night out
- 7
From a boarding house to Pink Street
- 8
Where the river used to be
- 9
Water for sore eyes
- 10
A neighbourhood opened by a collapse
- 11
The giant who embraced a rock
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Lisbon, before you go
Light over the Tagus, patterned pavements and streets that change gradient without warning. Lisbon rewards a mixture of walking, shade and a pause to look at the river.
More walks nearby
From the Rossio to the Mouraria: the Inquisition, 1506 and fado
In 1506, in a chapel by the Rossio, someone said the glow on a crucifix was only a candle.
Chiado and Bairro Alto: 25 April, the Fire and Pessoa
On 25 April 1974, in the middle of the afternoon, a captain gave the head of the government ten minutes, by megaphone, to surrender.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
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on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.