Lisbon is built on hills, as the old joke goes, to give the trams something to do. The city rises from the north bank of the Tagus river on seven hills, a tumble of tiled houses, church domes and steep cobbled lanes, with yellow trams creaking up the slopes, and the great red suspension bridge, the 25 de Abril, spanning the estuary. In 1755 a huge earthquake, followed by a tsunami and fires, destroyed much of the centre and killed tens of thousands, and the flat grid of the Baixa district was rebuilt afterwards under the Marquis of Pombal. The hill quarters of Alfama and Mouraria, which came through, still have their medieval twists and turns.
The city's character lies in small things. Fado, the melancholic music of longing, comes from cellars in Alfama and Bairro Alto, and the best places are small and quiet. Tiled walls cover buildings in blue, white and yellow. At Belém, just west of the centre, the Tower of Belém and the Jerónimos Monastery commemorate the age of exploration, when Portuguese ships sailed to India and Brazil, and a bakery nearby sells custard tarts, the pastéis de Belém, made to a recipe that is a close secret. Cod, grilled sardines and strong coffee fill the rest of the day.
The ride out of town toward the Atlantic is a favourite. The N247 follows the coast west from Cascais, passing Guincho beach, a windy surfing spot backed by dunes, and then reaching Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, a cliff of about a hundred and forty metres above the ocean. Inland lies Sintra, with its palaces hidden in misty hills. Roads are generally good but busy, and the cobbled streets in town are very slippery when wet, so take care on tram tracks, which can catch a front tyre. Wind and sea fog are common on the coast.
Fuel is easy to find, though on the city's one-way streets finding parking can take time. Motorway tolls are electronic, so check how to pay if you plan to use them. Late spring and early autumn are the best seasons, and August brings crowds and heat.