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If Lisbon has a soundtrack, it’s undoubtedly made up mostly of guitar-driven fado, the poetic hymns of the downtrodden born in 1820s Portugal. A night spent wallowing in the delicate, heartbroken melodies of the country’s national song style is certainly a quintessential Lisbon experience, but the fado houses of Bairro Alto and the Alfama can be complete tourist traps. Keep on walking to Mesa de Frades, an 18th-century chapel lined with exquisite Portuguese tiles, where just a few intimate tables are up for grabs each night. Be sure to make a reservation, and a late one at that—locals tend to go after midnight.

Down by the river, the fine Art Nouveau Mercado Adolpho Lisboa—Manaus’s main market—is modeled on Paris’s long-gone Les Halles; the mercado’s wrought iron was even imported from France. Visitors can find indigenous foods, herbs and handicrafts, and it’s a great place to take photos of the amazing fish.

Old Recife’s attractive plaza on the waterfront is called Marco Zero, or Ground Zero, because during the colonial era it was from this spot that distances were measured to the rest of the state of Pernambuco. Many of the buildings surrounding the square have been renovated in recent years and old warehouses were converted into restaurants and shops. In the evenings, families stroll here, and Sunday nights are party time, with live music stages and food vendors.

When in Lisbon, most tourists make a beeline to Antiga Confeitaria to try its world-famous pastel de Belém. The legendary custard tart is indeed delicious, especially when dusted with a healthy dose of cinnamon, but what these travelers don’t know is that is that the ones at Manteigaria are just as good—if not better. Plus, Manteigaria features an open kitchen, where you can watch the creamy treats make their way from dough to delivery. Avoid the crowds in Belém and get your pastel de nata here instead, then ride out your sugar rush nearby on the atmospheric Praça Luís de Camões in Chiado.

In the posh neighborhood of Príncipe Real, this shopping galleria, located in an exquisite 19th-century neo-Moorish palace, showcases Portuguese brands and designers. In addition to the shops, you can find temporary exhibitions and a restaurant with garden seating. A stone staircase, flanked by bronze statues holding lamps, leads to the second floor.