Enjoying a tuk tuk ride in Lisbon, from left, Bruce Keller, Jane Milder, driver Thomas Neves, Christene "Cookie" Meyers, Rick Cosgriffe. All aboard for a fun tour of this lovely Portuguese city. |
TOURING LISBON BY TUK TUK YIELDS HISTORY, STORIES, FRESH AIR, FUN TIME
STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER
Lisbon's seven hills stretch from the city center to the sea, with architecture typical of one of the world's great cities. |
WE LOVE LISBON! It's a favorite European city. So we wanted to show off "our town" to my brother Rick and his partner Jane during our two weeks together in southern Europe.
We did it in style, by tuk-tuk, that time honored transportation mode invented in 1879 and offering close-up views along with a few fun bumps.
LISBON OFFERS a wealth of architectural wonders and sea views making it a perfect city to explore by this three-wheeled cart, originally pulled by a person. My dad told lively stories of traveling by rickshaw during his Army days in post WWII China. He became fast friends with his trusty driver, as we have with Tomas Neves, who has shown us around his native city several times.
Miradouro das Portas do Sol is Lisbon's most photographed wiewpoint, a central location near the cathedral and castle. Here Rick and Jane enjoy the view as we photograph them. |
OUR FAVORITE Lisbon tuk-tuk is electric and driven -- not pulled -- by the amiable Tomas, and manufactured in an Amsterdam factory, where most licensed electric auto-tuk tuks or rickshaws originate. There are many types of tuk-tuk tours offered by Tomas and a host of other outfits.
There are over 500 tuk-tuks in Lisbon, offering a range of tours from gardens to museums. Enthusiasts may concentrate on the oldest part of the city, the Alfama, or the narrow lanes of residential districts. One may also concentrate on Lisbon Castle and other popular destinations including Lisbon's famous Cathedral, the Convento da Graça, the National Pantheon, Jardim São Pedro de Alcântara and the lively Thieves' Market. Tomas took us to the Graça Viewpoint at the Igreja, where Rick and Jane enjoyed the view and took selfies.Most tuk tuks accommodate two to four people but some such as this one are larger and can accommodate six or seven. |
Some tours focus on history, others on architecture, others on food. So you can tailor your tour to your interests.
Lisbon's famous Cathedral, the Se de Lisboa, is one of the stops driver Tomas always includes. |
The tuk tuk is a wonderful way to savor a city. On an earlier tuk tuk tour, we sampled flavors of Portugal, with typical sweets and chocolate cups.
Lisbon's sights are muted and lovely on a sunset cruise. A tuk tuk tour then a relaxing cruise are a fine pair. |
and get more detailed information about the main attractions.
A full-day tuk tuk tour will cover most of the major attractions, most likely taking passengers to Belem which is a bit outside the center.
Lisbon is a city of majestic architecture and many fountains. |
WHETHER YOU see Lisbon by tuk tuk or walking tour, or taxi ride, you won't want to miss Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. As one of Lisbon’s must-see sights, it is Belem's undisputed architectural showstopper, an impressive honey-stone Manueline cloisters inside a UNESCO-listed 1495 monastery. On the nearby riverfront, another famous sight is the tower, or torre of Belem. It's an imposing fortress which epitomizes the excess of the Age of Discovery. We climbed to the top for splendid views over the Tagus River.
Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers took a tuk-tuk tour then hopped on a sunset cruise, framed by Lisbon architecture. |
Consider Lisbon by boat and tuk-tuk. For tuk-tuks, contact To book Tmas Neves: tomasneves95@gmail.com
For a fun cruise: taguscruises.com