5 Best Sights in Alcântara, Cais do Sodré, and Santos, Lisbon

Portugal has a rich history of using puppets—from cute to creepy—to tell stories, and this fascinating museum is an opportunity to see the marionettes and masks up close. The only one of its kind in Portugal, the Marionette Museum has expanded in recent years to include an impressive collection of African and Asian puppets, and big-ticket visiting exhibitions have included a selection of puppets from Tim Burton's animated movies. The location, inside a former convent, adds an extra dash of drama to the proceedings, and there’s a chance to get hands-on with some of the puppets.

A local landmark since 1892, the Mercado da Ribeira is worth a visit to see where locals go to buy some of the city’s freshest fruit, vegetables, fish, and seafood. The adjoining hall has become a bustling food court, Time Out Market. Some of Lisbon’s top chefs and most popular restaurants were invited to set up counter-service stalls with food to be enjoyed at communal seating areas. Although the clientele is predominantly tourists, it still offers a solid overview of local gastronomy.

This museum celebrating Lisbon's public transport past and present is next to the creative hub Village Underground and donated the distinctive double-decker buses that now house that attraction's café. It's worth taking the opportunity to climb aboard a classic tram that trundles from one converted warehouse to another, allowing visitors to admire vintage buses, streetcars, uniforms, and other artifacts from Lisbon's public transport history. A gift shop sells cute miniature buses and trams.

Portugal has a rich history of using puppets—from cute to creepy—to tell stories, and this fascinating museum is an opportunity to see the marionettes and masks up close. The only one of its kind in Portugal, the Puppet Museum includes an impressive collection of African and Asian puppets alongside the Portuguese exhibits. The location, inside a former convent, adds an extra dash of drama to the proceedings, and there's a chance to get hands-on with some of the puppets.

At this innovative interactive attraction you'll be whisked up to a glass-floored viewing platform alongside the beautiful Ponte 25 de Abril. You'll learn how this engineering marvel was constructed, get a glimpse inside one of the massive pillars, and take a virtual-reality tour of parts that nobody can otherwise reach.