Chiado

Chiado is a of the most vibrant and most beautiful areas of Lisbon.

Any visit to the Portuguese capital would be incomplete without a walking tour through its streets.

On the map, you can find this neighborhood between Baixa and Bairro Alto.

The Chiado area was the epicenter of Portuguese Romanticism, a meeting point for writers and artists, some of whom have been immortalized in statues such as that of Fernando Pessoa in front of Café A Brasileira, that of António Ribeiro right beside it, and just a few meters away the statue of Luís de Camões, in the square that bears his name.

Today, Chiado is a central Lisbon neighborhood full of life. Its cafés, streets, and shops are frequented by tourists, artists, fashionistas locals, and residents who grew up in this neighborhood.

If you'd like to explore the area with a professional tour guide, we recommend this Free Tour through the neighborhoods of Lisbon.

If you're considering Chiado as your accommodation in Lisbon, just keep in mind that it's a very lively neighborhood.

What to See in Chiado

Chiado is culture.

It's an area full of theaters, such as Teatro S. Luiz, Teatro da Trindade, and Teatro de São Carlos, Portugal's only opera house.

The Chiado Museum and the Convento do Carmo are also located in this area.

You can reach the latter from Baixaby taking the Elevador de Santa Justa, one of the city's must-see landmarks .

If you visit the Convento do Carmo, you'll notice the Quartel do Carmoright next to it — a special place in Portuguese history, as it was the final scene of the Carnation Revolution of April 25th. It was in this barracks that the Estado Novo regime ultimately surrendered to the Portuguese Armed Forces Movement.

The shops in this neighborhood are not your typical souvenir with the city's name made in China. Instead, you'll find design pieces, Portuguese brands with a history, and emerging artists. There are plenty of great shopping spots where you can take home an authentic souvenir of the city.

The Café A Brasileira is one of the classic stops in this neighborhood. It's a meeting point where tourists traditionally take the obligatory photo next to the bronze statue of Fernando Pessoa located on the terrace.

The café, as is often the case with very famous places, is pricey — if you know it, it's the Lisbon equivalent of the "Café Majestic" in Porto. But luckily, you don't have to order anything to get your photo.

Chiado borders Bairro Alto, one of the areas of Lisbon that gets most crowded, especially at night thanks to its bars and restaurants. It's one of the most popular places to go out and party.

If you want to experience a different night out and discover some of Lisbon's best clubs, join the Lisboa Pub Crawl. You'll get in without waiting in line and have a great time with fellow travelers.

Chiado and the great fire

During the 18th and 20th centuries, the area had Rua Garrett at its heart as the center of intellectual Lisbon. The dictatorship, not particularly open to freedom of thought, harassed this movement for a long time.

In August 1988, much of what remained of this Lisbon was devastated by a fire that reduced the city's only two department stores to ashes. Today that space is occupied by the "Armazéns do Chiado" shopping center.

The reconstruction of the neighborhood took into account its greatness, including its cafés, bookshops, theaters, and boutiques.

Getting there

There is the Baixa/Chiado metro station on the blue line, which exits on one side into Chiado and on the other into Baixa. Tram 28 and several bus lines also pass through here. Tram 28 and several buses.