Interactive Google map: the best of the bloggers' guides to Lisbon

Where to shop

1. A Vida Portuguesa, 11 Rua Anchieta, off Rua Garrett; www.avidaportuguesa.com; open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm - recommended by www.spottedbylocals.com and Dopplr

What they say: "the kind of store that mesmerizes every visitor"

The best travel guides on the web

Mark Hodson, editor of 101 Holidays, says for the hottest travel tips, turn to the people on the ground

• Times Online's top 100 travel websites 2009

Tram 28 - the 90p city tour of Lisbon

Get your fill of culture, cocktails and the city’s best sunset; all on tram route 28, says Richard Green

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• Cosy boutique-style hotels in Lisbon

Tacky souvenirs abound in Lisbon's Chiado district, but if you want to take home something other than a lurid wooden cockeral to remember your stay, this gorgeous vintage shop is worth a visit. Another blog goldmine, I would never have have wandered down this quiet street without the advice of spottedbylocals.com. Boxed pencils, wooden toys, retro posters, cooking pots... imagine a Portuguese household in the 1950s - this shop sells everything you'd find in its cupboards.

2. Casa das Velas do Loreto, Rua do Loreto 53-55 - recommended by www.golisbon.com

What they say: "an atmospheric old shop"

Another artisanal shop that's tiny and purported to have been going since the 18th century. Peer beyond the counter as you wait for the old lady and her dog to wander over and you'll see shelf-upon-shelf of handmade candles from €3. There's no smelly/floating/arty varieties here - just simple cream candles and some religious ones. Your purchase (and I defy you not to make one just for the urge to do your bit to keep this place alive), is wrapped in brown paper - a perfect gift if it comes with the accompanying story.

3. Conserveira de Lisboa, 34 Rua dos Bacalhoeiros; tel. 21 886 40 09 - recommended by the woman from the Lisbon Tourist Office, and www.thelisbonconnection.com

What they say: "you must go to our tinned fish shop"

No, it didn't sound tempting to me either, but this is a gem. Tins of sardines, tuna and more besides are hand-wrapped in colourful, retro paper adorned with 50s housewives and plates of plastic-looking food. The shop is manned by a group of Lisbon ladies of a certain generation, who climb onto ladders to reach the tins you order, then girft wrap them in brown paper and string - the only time when a tin of fish will make a good gift. Tins cost from €1.69 each.

4. A Outra Face da Lua, Rua da Assunção 22; tel. 21 886 34 30; www.aoutrafacedalua.com; open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm - recommended by www.thelisbonconnection.com and my Frommers day-by-day guidebook

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