Portugal Travelogue Part 7: Lisbon Sea Life Adventures & A Fishy Farewell

Lisbon was our final stop on this slow adventure through Portugal, and this is the last of the series travel blogs about our time there in the summer.

Track back through to find the rest of the blog series, starting with: Wandering & Wondering: Finding Porto's Alma, One Cobbled Street at a T – Hen's Tooth

However... you can still enjoy this little moment of armchair escapism, as you're here...  

Lisbon Sea Life Adventures

Arriving in Lisbon, we were a fortnight into our travels and we were already hill‑weary, and still somehow excited for one last round of exploration.

This chapter is all about water: aquariums, rooftop pools, dolphins, and a tiny curated collection of fish‑themed treasures swimming their way into Hen’s Tooth.

🌊 Oceania Lisbon: Beauty, Chaos & A Moment of Stillness

We visited Oceania Lisbon, one of Europe’s largest aquariums.

We love an aquarium, just dreamy… until we remembered it was the school holidays.

It was packed.

Children everywhere.

Pushy crowds. Personal space? Absolutely not.

At one point I could feel myself spiralling: overstimulated, anxious, and ready to rage‑quit the entire experience.

But then I found a quiet curve of glass overlooking the main tank. Pressed into it, breathed and relaxed.

Rays drifted past like slow‑motion birds. Sharks circled with quiet confidence. Curious fish swam right up to me, eyeing me as if I were the exhibit. It reminded me why I was there - to be curious, to slow down, to enjoy the wildness of the world.

I took so many photos and discovered the slow‑mo and time‑lapse settings on my phone, which unlocked a whole new level of joy. Three hours slipped by.

If you go (and you should. If you love an aquarium this one is great), choose a midweek, term‑time slot; unless you enjoy being hit in the face by teenage boys’ backpacks while trying to watch otters.

This visit also inspired a tiny curated edit for Hen’s Tooth.

This is my accidental business partner Graham's moment to sink or swim with his own Fish Fish Fish Curation.

Featuring a handful of fish‑themed pieces sourced in Portugal, perfect for anyone who loves maritime motifs. You'll find the fishy goodies at our seasonal market stalls.

Inspired by the sea, the Fish Fish Fish collection, celebrates all things seaside.

🏊 Rooftop Pool Therapy & Chorizo That Fights Back

Back at the hotel, I took a dip in the rooftop pool. It was only a few metres long, two strokes and you’re done, but floating in cool water after the aquarium chaos was a much appreciated reset.

Plus, a rooftop bar, so a cheeky glass of wine after - but just the one - rip off hotel prices for a mediocre white wine!

Dinner was chorizo flamed at the table, cod fish cakes, and a rich Douro red wine. Delicious… but it repeated on me the rest of the evening. Graham had a dodgy belly and skipped the wine; I heroically powered on.

🛍️ Flea Markets, Ceramics & A Few Hidden Gems

The next morning we tackled the killer hill up to the Feira da Ladra - Lisbon's famous Flea Market.

Before we even reached it, we were knackered, but sill found the stamina the spend ages wandering stalls: lots of made‑in‑China tourist tat, but also weird antiques, beautiful ceramics, and a few genuine treasures.

We found Himalayan hemp bags and accessories, plus some hand‑painted trinket dishes that will be perfect for Hen’s Tooth.

Little pieces of Portugal that fit our slow‑living, nature‑inspired ethos.

The indoor food market was overwhelming, so we escaped downhill to a street café for fresh lemonade and orange juice. Portuguese lemonade is simply lemons + water + optional sugar sachets. I went tart with one sachet; Graham went full hardcore, no sugar, face‑suck mode.

🍝 Lunch in Chiado & Another Rooftop Bob

Chiado was heaving - laminated menus thrust at you from every direction  - so we ducked down a side street and found a quiet Italian restaurant.

After lunch, we returned to the rooftop pool for another two‑stroke swim.

Even a tiny dip in the pool feels heavenly when Lisbon is scorching.

We walked so many steps this holiday. Not a single day under 10,000. Most between 15,000 and 20,000. And mostly uphill.

Lisbon’s cobbles are beautiful but slippery, polished by billions of feet over centuries.

⛵ Sunset Sailing, Dolphins & Steering the Boat

For our final evening, we booked a sunset boat trip. We took the bus to the marina, grabbed a cheeky beer, and watched fish bobbing around the dock scavenging for scraps.

The yacht set off cosy and crowded, but once we left the marina everyone spread out. Our captain, Vinny, narrated the history of Lisbon with endless enthusiasm.

Then, a little piece of Lisbon magic.

A pod of dolphins joined us.

Twenty to thirty of them, gliding, jumping, weaving through the wake.

Other boats followed, all of us mesmerised.

The pod stayed with us for a good fifteen minutes before peeling away upriver, bored of playing with the humans.

As the sky shifted from yellow to orange to pink to purple, the crew poured wine and port. Vinny asked if anyone wanted to steer. Everyone else was shy. Obviously I said yes.

It felt intuitive after a few minutes. A few gentle corrections, letting the boat glide, straightening the line.

Graham didn’t want a turn. He said he was just happy watching me enjoy it. One of those small, perfect moments.

🍷 Pink Street, White Sangria & Cinnamon Straws

After docking, we wandered to Pink Street. Officially Rua Nova do Carvalho, this small pedestrian street is better known as “Pink Street” since 2013, when an urban renewal project painted the pavement between the terraces, bars and clubs in pink.

It was loud, chaotic, and full of competing music, so we tucked ourselves into a bookshop‑wine‑bar hybrid under the arches.

We ordered white sangria, which was dangerously delicious, served with apple, orange, and a cinnamon stick.

Use the cinnamon stick as a straw. Trust me.

🖼️ Modernism, Masterpieces & Terrapins

On our final morning, we visited The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (Museu Calouste Gulbenkian). The architecture and gardens were the real highlight: 60s modernism, shady paths, ponds full of terrapins and ducklings.

Inside, the Gulbenkian’s collection ranged from ceramics and rugs to Rembrandts, Monets, Turners, and Manets.

Beautiful, but after a while there are only so many old rugs, plates and landscapes you can take.

Lunch was at Honest Greens - healthy, filling, beachy décor, fruit‑infused water refills. The kind of place that would thrive in Bristol.

✈️ Homeward Bound & Allotment Dreams

The flight home felt endless, made worse by the man‑spreading gentleman beside me.

We flew during a solar eclipse, but we were on the wrong side of the plane to see it.

Now we’re home, ready for a couple of days of doing nothing except checking on my allotment. Fingers crossed the heatwave hasn’t destroyed everything. Thankfully one of my neighbours has been watering it for me.

🐠 A Fishy Little Hen’s Tooth Edit

Lisbon’s maritime energy - the aquarium, the dolphins, the dockside fish, the ceramics - inspired a tiny curated collection Fish, Fish Fish.

Graham's own curation. We've already debuted at markets in Bristol, and the stock is moving fast so catch it while you can:

• Portuguese trinket dishes
• Fish themed plant pots
• Kitchen linens
• Handmade, whimsical pieces 

A slow‑made, sea‑soaked farewell to Portugal.