In a nutshell
- On the one hand, Lisbon offers tiny alleyways, colorful house facades and beautiful viewpoints.
- On the other hand, you’ll find modern districts in Lisbon, such as the old Expo site and the industrial charm of the LX Factory.
- Our insider tips for cool photo spots in Lisbon are the Parque Florestal de Monsanto and the Cemitério dos Prazeres.
- In our article, we show you the 11 best Instagram and photo spots in Lisbon and give you tips on how to capture them with your camera.
Colorful district: Alfama
Alfama is one of the oldest districts in Lisbon and therefore has a lot of charm. The little houses are brightly painted and freshly washed laundry hangs between the alleyways – an Eldorado for all street photography fans!
Just let yourself drift through the alleyways and you will get countless beautiful photos.
If you walk uphill, there is a good chance that you will pass one of the many miradouros and get a wonderful view over the rooftops of Alfama towards the Tagus.
If you want to know more of these miradouros, take a look at our article on the most beautiful viewpoints in Lisbon.
Photo tip: With a small system camera or even a compact camera, you can take more inconspicuous photos and capture unposed scenes from real life.
Photo spots along the Tagus promenade
If you stroll along the Tagus promenade, you can check out several photo spots at once. It starts with the famous Ponte 25 de Abril bridge.
Right at the beginning of the promenade, you have an unusual view of the Ponte 25 de Abril, as you can walk directly underneath it and take photos of the bridge from below.
Or you could go on a boat tour in Lisbon and sail under the bridge.
The many struts of the bridge invite you to play with perspective and take unusual angles.
We definitely recommend going there just before sunrise. This will give you a wonderful lighting mood as the sun rises. You can always reward yourself with breakfast afterwards.
Photo tip: Tripods seem bulky and often impractical. Far from it! A tripod brings peace and quiet to your photography and allows you to focus more consciously on creating the perfect image.
MAAT: Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia
If you walk a little further along the Tagus promenade, you will pass the MAAT, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology.
The name says it all. The building looks extraordinary from the outside and offers many different angles for taking photos. You can even walk to the roof of the museum via an extensive staircase and from there you have a viewpoint over the Tagus and Lisbon.
Photo tip: This is definitely a theme for architecture enthusiasts!
Street photography at the LX Factory
The LX Factory is located on a former factory site and is probably one of the hippest places in Lisbon. It has only been used as a location away from industrial work since 2012.
Industrial charm now meets bars, cafés, pubs and street art. There is also a flea market every Sunday, which offers even more motifs.
You’ll have plenty to do here to fill your camera’s memory card. But don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by the abundance of motifs and concentrate on the details that stand out.
Photo tip: Use a fixed focal length for street shots. By focusing on one focal length, you take more conscious photos. You can’t change the image section by zooming, but have to actively move to find the perfect image section.
Photography in the old Expo site: Parque das Nações
In 1998, the Expo was held in Lisbon in the Parque das Nações. The site still exists and has been continuously expanded since the Expo. The whole area is very modern and stands in stark contrast to the old town of Lisbon.
Extraordinary buildings, beautiful green spaces and, as a highlight, another breathtaking bridge, the Ponte Vasco da Gama.
To get an initial overview of the Parque das Nações, you can take the cable car. From there, you have a fantastic view over the entire district.
Photo tip: On the Expo site, you will come across a wide variety of motifs. Flowers in the park, interesting people, a wide variety of buildings. A travel zoom lens is ideal for this. You can find one for your camera model in our extensive lens guide.
Photo highlight: Tram 28E
Lisbon’s tram line 28E is a beautiful motif in itself. But just get on board and have your camera ready. You’ll pass an endless number of beautiful buildings and can explore the city at the same time.
The best place to get on is at the Campo Ourique terminus, as the tram gets crowded very quickly. To avoid the biggest crowds, the early morning hours are ideal for a pleasant photo session.
Photo tip: Try a long exposure shot with an exposure time of around 1/30s while photographing the tram as it passes by. This will give you a dynamic blur of the tram, emphasizing its speed.
Mysterious photo spot: Cemitério dos Prazeres
One of the final stops on tram line 28E is the Cemitério dos Prazeres cemetery, one of our real Lisbon insider tips.
Incidentally, Cemitério dos Prazeres translates as Cemetery of Pleasure. Crazy, isn’t it?
Instead of the usual graves, there are crypts – small colorfully decorated houses in which the coffins lie. You can even look inside some of them.
In addition to the unusual motifs, you have a good view of the Ponte 25 de Abril and Cristo Rei from the western cemetery wall.
Photo tip: If you take photos from the cemetery in the direction of Ponte 25 de Abril, the air can be a little hazy due to the road traffic and the location on the water. You can counteract this somewhat with a polarizing filter for your lens, as the contrasts are brought out. Take a look at our article on lens filters to find out exactly how they work.
Food photography at Mercado da Ribeira
Besides photography, food is our passion. We can combine this perfectly at the Mercado da Ribeira. The market is also known as the Time Out Market and that’s a good name, because here you can take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The Time Out Market is now one of the most popular places to visit in Lisbon.
In the market hall you will find a huge selection of delicacies from Lisbon and the whole of Portugal. But the hall itself also offers a beautiful motif.
If you really want to take a break, you can have fun and try your hand at food photography. There are plenty of specialties for you to try your hand at.
Photo tip: If you’re photographing food, macrophotography is usually not far away. Try to get as close as possible to your food to capture the delicious details.
Nature photos in Parque Florestal de Monsanto
Here is a little insider tip. In the west of Lisbon is a relatively large park, the Parque Florestal de Monsanto. It is a beautiful recreational area with many parkland motifs as well as wonderful viewpoints.
The Panorâmico de Monsanto is one of them. A long time ago it was a restaurant and now it is a viewpoint with 360 degree views over Lisbon. Incidentally, the somewhat dilapidated building itself is also suitable as a photo motif, as it is covered in graffiti art.
Photo tip: When you’re in this park, treat yourself to a few quiet minutes and take a look at your photos from the day. It will save you a lot of time and nerves later at home if you delete any blurred or unsuccessful photo attempts in between.
Photo spot with potential: Rua do Ginjal
If you take the boat to Almada to get to the Cristo Rei statue, don’t take the bus up the hill.
You can also get there on foot. The most beautiful path, the Rua do Ginjal, runs directly along the water. Here you will pass an old harbor area, where today you will mainly see fishermen, who make a great photo opportunity.
At the end of the Rua do Ginjal, you have the choice of climbing up the hill on foot or taking the elevator. Both have their appeal.
If you walk, you will pass a tranquil village. The elevator offers a small viewing platform at the top from which you can see Lisbon.
Photo tip: The best camera is the one you have with you. You need a photo bag that allows you to access your camera equipment quickly.
Street art in Lissabon
Street art is omnipresent in Lisbon and always a nice motif to complete your vacation pictures. As the street art scene in Lisbon is so strong, it is difficult to pinpoint an exact location.
Where you will definitely find it is in the Bairro Alto district. In this already colorful district, you will find street art on many walls.
If you set off on foot from there in the direction of Alfama, you will also pass creative art. Truly remarkable!
It’s best to join a guided tour of Lisbon that specializes in street art! Then you will learn even more about the street art scene in Lisbon.
Photo tip: Use the GPS function on your camera. This allows you to look up exactly where you took which photos afterwards. Even months later, you can still locate your favorite picture exactly.
These were our 11 best photo spots in Lisbon
Now it’s your turn! Do you know any other photo spots in Lisbon that we definitely shouldn’t miss? Leave us a comment with your tips.