In July 2025, I traveled with my friend Lauren to Lisbon and the Azores to celebrate her 40th birthday. We spent 3.5 glorious days in Lisbon (both of our first time in Portugal) before heading to the islands off the coast for the remainder of the trip.
Here are some of my favorite photos from our first day there.
The ruins of the Carmo Convent were the first stop on our list. I saw photos of the ruins online before our trip and immediately knew I needed to see them in real life. The shapes of the arches and the vacant rose windows reminded me so much of the Arco and Vetta rings. We got there late in the day so the shadows were cast at a deep angle, which made the ruins all the more visually stunning. It's hard to believe that this structure was originally built in 1389 and destroyed hundreds of years later in 1755.
If you visit The Convento do Carmo, I highly recommend eating or enjoying a glass of wine at the nearby restaurant, Maria do Carmo.
Took the trolley home to our hotel, Locke de Santa Joana.
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