Our tour through the parishes of Lisbon, it is now increasingly further away from the center, but there are still some good reasons to visit. We start with the parish of Benfica, which is one of the largest and best known in Lisbon. Not only does it have a large residential area, it is strategically positioned next to the Monsanto forest park. It is an interesting place to live because it is not too far from the center and has a very active commercial area with good transport. But the two reasons for which it is known are, curiously, not found in this parish. I'm talking about Benfica, the football club and, possibly, the most modern and trendy Lisbon shopping center, which although it is right next to the stadium, is already in the parish of Carnide.
Lisbon's lung
It is a huge green area and is mostly located in this parish. O Monsanto Forest Park is, as the name suggests, a forest within the city of Lisbon and most of it is in the parish of Benfica. The park has an area of around 900 hectares and is suitable for mountain biking, running or even having a picnic in the Picnic Park. Monsanto is known as the “lungs of Lisbon”, an extensive area of diverse forest that is crossed by several access roads and crossed by a large highway that connects Amoreiras to Cascais.
Benfica again
Let's then enter another parish – São Domingos de Benfica – which takes up a bit of the Monsanto park, includes a good part of Estrada de Benfica, a long street that runs from Sete Rios to Portas de Benfica (already at the end of Lisbon) and a another more modern area called Laranjeiras and Alto dos Moínhos. It was in this parish that I grew up and lived for 23 years before moving to London, so it remains in my heart as a special place in Lisbon. The part closest to Monsanto is made up of low-rise housing and it was on one of these streets that I played a lot in the open air with cars and where I rode my bike. The cart races were my favorite: on the curb of the sidewalk (sidewalk) we raced with miniature carts. The street (dead end and with little traffic) lent itself to these games and between cars, conversations and games with the other kids on the street, I ended up spending little time at home. There were no consoles (video games), no computers, much less portable phones full of technology. Yes, there was a desire to play hide and seek, jump over the Santo António bonfires and chat with friends. We went to each other's houses, we were a big group that knew each other well and that's how the days went by. But let's go back to today. São Domingos de Benfica remains peaceful, only the Laranjeiras area is now a much busier neighborhood than it used to be. Now there are new buildings, the metro line that was extended and more commerce. But two things haven't changed here and that's what I'm going to talk about: the Zoo and the Benfica Stadium.
The Lisbon Zoo, opened in 1884, was the first park with fauna and flora on the Iberian Peninsula. It is home to around 2000 animals, a total of around 300 species, including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The dolphin show is one of the most popular attractions, especially among children.
The cathedral
Still within this parish is the stadium of one of the most emblematic clubs in Portugal: Sport Lisboa and Benfica or simply Benfica. Its stadium, also known as Estádio da Luz, is affectionately nicknamed “The Cathedral” by fans.
It was opened in 2003 and is located between the Altos dos Moinhos and Colégio Militar metro stations, next to a heavily trafficked road. It is currently located in a more expensive housing area with newer buildings in front of the Colombo shopping center and is, undeniably, an ex-libris of this parish.
Alvalade – the unknown
We now continue towards the last parish and I refer to it as unknown, not because it is unknown to Lisbon residents, but because it has an area with many restaurants and cafes... but without tourists! After all, when you visit a country you want to see how the locals live, what they eat and where they move. I think so at least. The parish of Alvalade has two distinct parts: one which is the university area, also known as University City and the other is the Alvalade neighborhood and the one I'm going to talk about. If you come by metro, get off at Alvalade station and stroll along Avenida da Igreja and adjacent streets. There are many cafes there, so you can sit for a while and recharge your batteries. Then, head towards Jardim do Campo Grande, which was recently restored and where you can stroll peacefully.
To return to the center, simply take the metro again at Entrecampos station or take the bus towards Baixa. You can do this entire journey on foot. The parish of Alvalade, especially next to Avenida de Roma, is an interesting area to live, with above average prices, with good access, all types of transport at hand and a good choice of shops, including the Alvalade market. For me, the only problem is that it is right above the plane route, as the airport is very close. If it weren't for that, it would be the perfect neighborhood, although I'm sure those who live there think it's all a matter of habit.
We went through three more parishes and in the next article we will finish the round of Lisbon parishes with the last three parishes and those furthest from downtown: Carnide, Lumiar and Santa Clara.