Where to be at sunset, and where not to

People ask where to watch the sunset, and we give them a different answer depending on the person. This is the long version, with our reasons.

Start earlier than you think

The mistake most visitors make is arriving at sunset. By then the best light has gone. In Lisbon the golden hour comes about an hour before the sun touches the horizon, when the sun is low and the roofs turn the colour of toast. The twenty minutes after that are blue and soft and lovely. The sunset itself, the part with the red sky, is often the least interesting part.

So plan to be in your seat an hour before the time on the weather app. If you get there early and nothing happens, you will still be sitting somewhere nice.

Our terrace

The terrace on the roof faces south and west, so it catches the sun for most of the afternoon and the first red of the evening. It is small, with eight chairs, a plunge pool four metres long, and a view down over the roofs to the river. From June to September the wine bar sends up a tray at half past five.

The terrace is for guests only, which is why we can promise it is quiet. It is also why we cannot promise a seat. On a clear Friday in August, it is full by six.

Three viewpoints, ranked

Miradouro de Santa Luzia is the nearest, five minutes down the lane. It is sheltered, green and calm, with a pergola, but it faces mostly toward the river and the sun disappears behind the buildings early. Go there an hour before sunset, not at it.

Portas do Sol is wider, with a longer view, and it is the busy one. There is a kiosk, a busker and a crowd. If you like the feeling of a city sharing the moment, it is the best place. If you do not, avoid it between eight and ten in summer.

The viewpoint at Graça is up the hill, a twenty minute walk, and it faces west straight into the sun. It has a café with a terrace and the best view of the castle. It is the one locals choose, and we think it is the finest of the three.

The sunset itself, the part with the red sky, is often the least interesting part.

Where not to be

Do not stand on the tram tracks at Portas do Sol for a photograph. Every year somebody is surprised by tram 28. Do not climb onto the walls, which are older and steeper than they look. And do not book a dinner for half an hour after sunset unless it is next door, because the walk home in the dark is slow.

The bench we will not name

There is one bench, five minutes from the house, that has the whole river in front of it and a plane tree over it. It is not on any map. We do not say where it is, because it only fits two. If you want it, ask Rui, and he will tell you if you ask on a quiet evening, with a very good reason.