The Alfama is Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhood. Stretching between St George’s Castle and the banks of the Tagus River, the area is one of Lisbon’s most visited areas, popular with locals and tourists alike.
The Alfama was named after the Moorish word ‘alhama’, meaning springs or bath, in reference to the hot springs that rise in the area. To this day, many of the Alfama houses incorporate the ancient walls that were built by the Visigoths.The Alfama was once inhabited by many of Portugal’s aristocrats – indeed some still reside here. The distinctive coats of arms on the facades of the 16th-century houses are a nod to times gone by. The district was fortunate in that many of its buildings survived the 1755 earthquake that devastated of much of Portugal’s capital city.As a result, the streets in the Alfama area are much narrower than those of the more newly developed areas, having been built before cars and road traffic were even dreamed of.