Stripe Alley

Set on the ground floor of a 200-year-old, traditional building, this little studio home is an ideal base if you're keen to explore the Alfama neighbourhood and beyond. Recently refurbished to blend together period features and modern convenience, it's a stylish retreat in the city. White walls and pale wood floors ensure the place is light and bright, and the clever use of a drop-down table means you have a place to eat that can fold away if necessary. As it's a studio, it's only suited to a single traveller or a couple, but there's plenty packed into the space – including a surprisingly well-equipped kitchen, a modern shower room and even a washing machine. The streets of lower Alfama are close to the riverside, as well as the iconic Sé Cathedral and numerous fado houses that fill the streets of this neighbourhood with song.

Home truths:
* There's no elevator in this building but this apartment is on the ground floor (however the neighbourhood is very steep)
* Due to the narrow pedestrian streets there's no vehicle access to the doorstep
* As with most homes in Alfama, the internet is quite slow here
*This is a studio home so there's no separate bedroom
*You could fit a child on the sofa bed