Lisbon: A different but welcome side to the Portuguese capital

The Park of Nations area was built in 1998 for the World Exhibition, and is a world apart from the city centre. Running along the river Tagus for 5km, it features safe cycle lanes, child-friendly public art installations like a drumlin-strewn play park resembling the Teletubbies field, stepping stone ponds, water jets built into paving and plenty of other diversions. With a collection of waterside restaurants, the area is a destination entirely apart from “old Lisbon”, but just a 20-minute bus trip from the city centre.

A hassle-free experience in Dublin Airport saw us land in Lisbon about 4pm on a Friday. Martinhal Residences is just a few minutes by taxi from the airport, so by 6pm the kids were in the pool while I got the full tour.

A well-equipped kids’ club complete with baby room, and a leisure area including two pools combine with top-of-the-range technology (including Japanese-style electronic toilets — more on these later) and access to a well-kitted-out business centre catering to families where one parent may be working remotely. The top floor is residential, and has attracted a lot of US workers doing just this.

All Martinhal hotels are set apart by their focus on Portuguese artists and this one is no different. The hotel is full of engaging art pieces by Portuguese artists including sea creatures made from neon lighting and recycled piping.

With an indoor pool and an outdoor heated one — both accompanied by kids’ pools — and an outdoor trampoline, it’s ideal for a couple of hours’ downtime in the course of a busy city break.

At Terrace restaurant, menus across the day all include a nod to the East; owner Chitra Stern is originally Tamil and carefully oversees every detail from her home at the top of the building.

The resulting fusion features the best of Portuguese fish and snacks in the bar menu with dishes from the Middle East and much further. They include a halloumi snacking plate, bejewelled vegan sushi, and delicious Indian breakfast dishes like a very upscale gobi aloo and a lightly spiced rice dish, as well as superb versions of hipster favourites like Bircher muesli. A hugely creative chef is clearly at work here: It’s a rarity, a hotel you could eat in every night for a week, but for picky eaters, we were assured pasta and pizza could be made available if necessary.

Our two-bedroom apartment came with a fully equipped kitchen including Neff appliances. A washer/dryer, concealed in a cabinet, is always a plus with small boys and meant the only luggage we needed for our three-day trip was a carry-on backpack each.

Separate bedrooms allowed for privacy, something that is usually an issue for families sharing hotel rooms. Seven-inch (we checked) mattress toppers on all the beds made this by a long way the most comfortable hotel room we’ve ever slept in.

It’s impossible to mention our accommodation without reference to the Japanese-style electronic toilet. A remote control beside the hand basin was the subject of much examination when we arrived, but mercifully it wasn’t until day three the kids figured out how to use it. Just as well, because with two inquisitive small boys particularly interested in the wash and dry mechanism of the toilet, we probably wouldn’t have seen Lisbon at all, had it worked on our first try.

Luckily, though, the delights of the city were on our doorstep, and the availability of rental electric scooters on every corner — using the Lime app — meant we zipped around the Park of Nations.

There’s also a cable car stretching the length of it — you can hop on one end (near the hotel) and hop off at the other, where the bars and restaurants are concentrated. Picture yourself on Cork’s big wheel, but on a rope instead of a wheel and there you go. Terrifying. But we’re glad we did it.

A stone’s throw from the hotel lies the Lisbon Oceanarium, one of the largest in Europe, with excellent displays of tropical and Atlantic fish as well as sea otters. While the air-conditioned penguins looked rather sad compared to our pals in Fota, the facility is first-rate. Not just that, but the restaurant is a cut above the usual sad beige fare, with delicious salads and fish options, if you can bear to eat them after admiring their friends.

Also nearby, the Pavilion of Knowledge and Science is without a doubt the best attraction we have ever visited as a family. It is a wonderland of science-based play, experiments and activity.

A massive circus-themed play space with at least 20 separate activities had us all busy keeping balls in the air using air jets, running on human-sized hamster wheels, trying out climbing walls and learning how pulleys work in a mini building site.

There is an area with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs and the full palaeontologist dig experience, with sandpits and all sorts of ways for kids to get their hands dirty. A light-based room, again with at least 30 different stations is where you can run experiments. Spray painting using light boxes, halls of mirrors, experiments using magnets, weights… we could have spent the entire day there, but hunger drove us out after about four hours.

If you’re hankering after the traditional Lisbon experience, the nearby bus will take you right into the beautiful Praça do Comércio, from which you can easily reach the old cobbled streets that define the city. Pick up a custard tart from a specialised bakery or sit with a vinho verde and watch the world go by.

After a quick tram ride, we wandered downhill from Chiado to the Time Out market near the waterfront, which some might find familiar as the inspiration for Cork’s marina market. A pizza, a plate of mystery croquettes — containing everything from sardines to beef stew — and we were replenished. With more relaxed company we’d have stayed for hours, but small boys don’t enjoy sitting around, so back to the hotel we went for more pool time.

We packed an awful lot into a short three-day visit to the Portuguese capital, and being based in the Park of Nations gave us a new aspect of the city to explore.

Two things were notable about our visit to Lisbon. One, it’s no longer a cheap city to visit. While food and drink are a little cheaper than Irish prices, the difference isn’t as pronounced as it used to be. The other was the overwhelming politeness on every transport option we took. People immediately gave up their seats for our kids on every bus, tram, and plane — not something you would expect, or ask for. Obrigado, Lisboa!

Escape Notes

Ryanair and TAP fly direct from Dublin to Lisbon daily.

Deirdre O’Shaughnessy was a guest of Martinhal Lisbon Oriente. Studio apartment rates from €115 per night or €127 per night B&B. martinhal.com