Book a terrific time on a fun, educational tuk tuk tour in Lisbon

Enjoying a tuk tuk ride in Lisbon, from left, Bruce Keller, Jane Milder, driver Tomas 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. It is  manufactured in an Amsterdam factory, where most licensed electric auto-tuk tuks or rickshaws originate. There are many types of tuk-tuk treks offered by Tomas and a host of other outfits. 

With over 500 tuk-tuks in Lisbon, tours range from gardens to restaurants, churches and museums.  Enthusiasts may concentrate on the oldest part of the city, the Alfama, or the narrow lanes of  residential districts. One may also "tuk-tuk" to 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. 

OUR TWO-HOUR tour focused on Lisbon highlights, with Tomas providing entertaining commentary and stopping wherever we saw a photo opportunity. Because it's a city built on seven hills, its neighborhoods spread out from the city's historic center, blending into one another, to the Belém area near the water.
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.
 

Typically, the two-hour tuk tuk tours focus on a specific area of the city, usually the Alfama and historic area.

A half-day tour allows one to see more of the city 
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.

The longer tours also give time to go inside museums, churches and gardens rather than just driving by, which we did this last time.

Lisbon is a city of majestic architecture and many fountains.

During themed tuk tuk tours, you’ll visit the main landmarks of the city but with a special focus. Passengers can choose from desserts to art to national heroes, museums and more.
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. 

OUR GUIDE Tomas knows where to find the best views for photos. He drove us to historic places, waiting patiently and helping us plan the next stop.  As one of the oldest cities in western Europe, there are more stops than possible in a single tour. So Tomas helps narrow the field, describing how his city has evolved through various occupations, wars and conquests, asking which aspects interest us most. 

HE EXPLAINED that the region was home to the Celts -- founded by well traveled Phoenicians around 1200 BC, making it 400 years older than Rome. These educated people established a settlement called Ulissipo, and became successful merchants, traders and colonizers until they were conquered by the Greeks and Carthaginians. 

TOMAS IS rightly proud of Lisbon.  As Portugal's thriving capital city it maintains its strategic geographical position at the mouth of the Tagus, the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. After a tuk tuk ride, we recommend Tagus Cruises, which takes it name from the famous river.

Consider Lisbon by boat and tuk-tuk. For tuk-tuks, contact Tomas Neves: tomasneves95@gmail.com

TripAdvisor offers many tuk-tuk tours.

Or contact Lisbon's tourism office at: www.visitlisboa.com/
For a fun cruise: taguscruises.com 

Puerto Rico's El Yunque Rain Forest is a tropical treat.

UP NEXT: We continue our look at Puerto Rico, where the government has stepped up its tourism in the last year and is spending millions to attract us. It's more than coffee, casinos, rum and beaches. After leaving Ponce recently, we headed into the El Yunque rain forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. Then, a visit to seductive San Juan, with adventure, night life, fine dining and an inviting old town and gorgeous hotels and resorts.