Parque da Bela Vista is an 85,000m2 park situated right in the middle of a residential area. It's not the type of park where you will find tight-jungly-paths or ancient trees — it's a more functional and spacious one, visited by families-with-children-and-pets, mainly locals. This park is a good alternative if you want to run away from the touristic-big-clichés.
Its high up position in the city invites you to peek into different views — only the wire fences between you and Lisbon. On one side the modern face of Lisbon; on the other, the bridge. There is plenty of space to exercise or to sit down in the grass. Some throw boomerangs into the sky; others train their dogs to catch the ball — now and then a children's cry because a bigger one dared to approach.
There is not a coffee shop or a restaurant in the park. But there is a spacious picnic area with wooden tables ready to use. Bring some rissóis and croquetes and enjoy them in nature.
If you are a music festival lover, it's fun to look around and spot where the stage usually is located. Behind it, the backstage and what you imagine to be the parking lot the artists use. And in front, all the way up the stip green hills, the crowd — you can almost hear the claps.
Rock in Rio festival:
https://rockinriolisboa.sapo.pt
