With large cities come large swathes of tourists. With large swathes of tourists come large amounts of pockets. Are you wondering if Lisbon is safe and whether there are things you should look out for? A bit of traditional holiday anxiety? Don’t worry, we’ll go over the safety situation in Lisbon so you can plan your holiday prepared.
Safety in Lisbon and in Portugal
Portugal is, thankfully, one of the safer countries in the world, ending up on the 29th spot in the 2023 Global Finance Magazine safety ranking. The UK, for contrast, was at 38, and the US at 71 (cough). The ranking takes into account the risk of natural disasters, terrorism, crime rates and the possibility of a war.
Or, rather, this used to be all. COVID-19 changed the ranking heavily, as, back in the day, Portugal was actually at the very top. In 2019, it was nr 4. But because the country handled the pandemic relatively poorly and death rates there were very high, its safety rating dropped a lot as well. Still, when crime rates, terrorism and natural disasters were the primary mode of evaluating the safety of a country, Portugal shone the brightest, and you should keep this in mind too.
Even though Portugal, and Lisbon as its capital, was regarded as one of the safest places in the world doesn’t mean, of course, that we can completely abandon common sense because dangers don’t exist all of a sudden. The biggest dangers you may face in Lisbon are pickpockets and ‘drug dealers’. Let’s go over both.
Pickpockets in Lisbon
Pickpockets are a common issue in Lisbon. The city is obviously not as dangerous as the more popular tourist destinations like Barcelona or Prague, but you should still keep it in mind, as they’re quite plentiful. Places to watch out for pickpockets the most in Lisbon include Baixa and Cais do Sodré. You should also be mindful of public transport, with tram lines 28 and 15 having particularly bad reputations. You can always take a taxi or an Uber to get around the city if you want to be on the safe side. You should also be careful in markets, around major tourist attractions and in large crowds in the evenings.
This isn’t some epidemic of pickpockets that you see in Lisbon, but rather a phenomenon present in every city – keep them in mind, use common sense and you’ll be just fine. Don’t carry too much cash, and if you have to, then carry it in front, in well-protected pockets. Don’t flaunt your watch, jewellery or fancy camera. If you’re leaving your car on the street with some valuables inside, try to hide it in the back or generally just keep it hidden. And do be mindful of random strangers stopping you for a chat or a particularly attractive guy or gal suddenly being very into you. Thieves don’t dress up as thieves, believe it or not.
‘Drug dealers’
Okay, this is a bit of a plague though. We’re not talking your clandestine hard drugs from a shady hooded figure in a back alley. We mean drug dealers stopping tourists on the main street. Offering ‘drugs’. You look at the bag that you’ve just purchased, and what do you see? Basil. Or flour.
While you may encounter real drug dealers too, the reality is that fake drug dealers are the main tourist trap of Lisbon. Millions of tourists visit Lisbon every year, and so many of them are asked if they want drugs. Because most tourists are uninformed, many get tricked and buy said flour for real drug cash. Vendors may show you a real sample only to then sell you the bagged fake. There’s nothing theoretically illegal about what these vendors are doing because they’re not selling actual drugs. The police have been trying to get a hold of the situation for years now, but you may still encounter one of these friendly flour vendors. So do be mindful. Your traditional shop flour will probably do just as well for bread.
And, for the record, just possessing a limited amount of drugs is not illegal in Portugal, at least since it was decriminalised in 2001 (more on that here). Still, even if you were interested in that business, looking for actual drugs in street vendors is not a great fit. There have been stories of street dealers departing after a successful transaction only to be swiftly replaced by thugs pretending to be policemen and extorting money from the clueless tourist. And, still, the clueless tourist most likely just bought a bag of oregano. If you encounter a street vendor, just ignore them. Not the kindest response, but it’s one you sadly grow into. You’re more likely to encounter them at Rossio Square, Cais do Sodre station and around Principe Real.
What else to look out for?
As for the rest, it’s your typical tourist traps known in any other city. For instance, do be mindful of taxi drivers. Specifically the route they take and the fee you agree on, as some may try to catch a clueless tourist off guard.
Another thing to look out for, though not related to other people but rather natural circumstances, is… pavements. The polished stones can get very slippery after heavy rainfall (which you may encounter quite regularly), especially given that you may not have particularly steady footwear with you. Lisbon can also get quite hot, so cover your head, carry some water and use sunscreen.
Though there are neighbourhoods in Lisbon which don’t have a great renown, they’re so far away from the tourist centre of Lisbon that tourists never really venture there. There’s also no realistic risk of a terrorist attack in Portugal or Lisbon, so don’t fret. As long as you don’t opt for a hundred quid worth of bay leaves, you’ll probably be just fine in Lisbon.
