Located on the first floor (second US), the two front balconies overlook the (mostly) pedestrian street/square and receive both morning and afternoon light. Open the balcony doors in the evenings and traditional far-off fado floats in. Close them and the double-panes keep things quiet inside. The clothes washer is great but even better is hanging your laundry on the lines outside the front balconies, like a true Portuguese, and watching as tourists snap photos of this age-old ritual. Once in a while we greeted them with a smile and hearty “bom dia” and it seemed to make their day.

Inside the flat we found the kitchen utterly delightful with its beautiful tiles, vintage sink, large pantry, and ample equipment. The bathroom shower was roomy and has a large window. In fact, the flat has windows on all four sides so you have lovely cross ventilation. The bookshelf offered several Lisbon, Portugal, and Europe guidebooks, a color printer was available for use, and the Wi-Fi was excellent. Each bedroom had ample space for our belongings and we appreciated all the room when guests came to visit.

Alfama is the most emblematic area of Lisbon, steeped in history going as far back as the 5th century. Steps from the front door, we explored the winding cobblestone streets and alleys, the medieval city walls, gorgeous miradouras (viewpoints) including Santa Lucia and Graça (plus their delightful kiosks), the famous cathedral they call the Sé, and of course, just a few blocks away, the ever-flowing Tagus River and the recently upgraded river walk.

This beautiful flat is ideally located on the downtown side of the Alfama, where you can be part of it all without enduring endless steps to get home (unless you choose to, there’s always that option). Nearby are two Pingo Doce grocery stores, an abundance of small food and trinket shops, restaurants and cafes, and plenty of opportunities for people watching. Out the front door in either direction you’ll find the Metro (both Santa Apolonia and Terreiro do Paço) equal distances, an easy 10-minute walk, the Santa Apolonia train station, the Terreiro do Paço ferries (fluvials), and tram stops.

As if all of this isn’t enough, the icing on the cake is the fabulous, kind, and ever-so-helpful Dulce. She made every effort to make our stay pleasant and memorable. From showing us the neighborhood on our first day to recommending things to see and do to referring us to her dentist, Dulce is the consummate hostess. Always available and happy to help when and where needed, we can’t say enough about how wonderful she was to us.

We highly recommend a short or long term stay with Dulce - in this flat or any other that she may make available. The experience was genuine, pleasant, and a chapter in our lives we will never, ever forget. Thank you, obrigada Dulce, for everything. We loved your beautiful flat!