Is Lisbon safe for a woman alone? In this episode we talk about our experiences as women living alone in Lisbon. We talk about the fears we had before moving to Portugal and how living abroad alone has made us more cautious and confident at the same time. Also we share some moments and situations in Lisbon where we felt really unsafe and what we secretly do to make ourselves feel safer. Lastly we have some advice and recommendations for any woman living alone and women that are moving abroad alone for the first time.
Enjoy listening and don’t forget to rate the podcast and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, like Spotify – it will help more hearts find our little corner of the world.
With love, April Betts & Anna Jirina.
About From Lisbon With Love
Welcome to From Lisbon With Love! A podcast about real stories of love, laughter, and life in Lisbon — from women who have left it all behind. We share real stories about moving to Lisbon, starting over and figuring life out along the way. We talk love, dating, friendships, breakups, healing, growing, all of it. Basically, the stuff we usually talk about over coffee ☕️ or vinho 🍷. If you’re thinking about moving to Lisbon, already here or just love honest conversations with heart: you’re in the right place! Learn more about our story here.
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How safe is Portugal?
It might surprise you that Portugal is considered one of the safest countries in the world. Portugal also frequently ranks in the top 10 of the Global Peace Index. The country not only has a low violent crime rate but also a very welcoming culture. However, in the touristic areas in big cities like Lisbon and Porto, it’s always good to be aware. As for many cities, there’s a lot of pickpockets operating, especially around Baixa-Chiado and tram 28 – which has become a very popular tourist attraction over the last years. Also in some places in Lisbon, like Bairro Alto and Pink Street (where most bars are located), you need to watch out for people selling fake drugs: often marihuana or hash made of crushed herbs.
No go zones in Lisbon
Lisbon has only one “no go zone” that’s also a restricted area for Uber and Bolt-drivers, called Cova da Moura. It’s far from the touristic areas so it’s very unlikely to end up here if you’re visiting Lisbon as a tourist. Cova da Moura is known as Lisbon’s favela and is located in the municipality of Amadora, North-West from National Park Parque Florestal de Monsanto.
However this area is the only so called no go zone, there’s also some areas where it’s good to be a bit more cautious, especially at night. These neighborhoods include Martim Moniz, Intendente, Anjos, Mouraria and the area around the Santa Apolónia train station. The areas Anjos, Intendente and Martim Moniz are rapidly gentrifying: nowadays it’s home to many foreigners, offering great restaurants, bars, and cafes. Despite this, unfortunately there’s still problems with homelessness and drug use in these areas.
Is Lisbon safe for women alone?
In this episode we talk about our experiences as women living alone in Lisbon and our view on the whole “is Lisbon safe”-topic. We share some moments and situations where we felt really unsafe, not to make you scared, but to make you aware. In general Lisbon is considered safe for women alone, however it’s always good to be cautious, trust your intuition and take safety measures, especially if you’re out alone at night. Also there’s some areas you’ll prefer to avoid as a woman alone during night time, as you could read in the section above.
Curious to hear more stories about real life in Lisbon? In this episode we share our worst experiences in Lisbon so far and here we share how we found our Lisbon apartment.
