This was part of our Western Portugal (2016).
(Click here to see all our trips.)
Day 1: Jeronimos Monastery, Pastéis de Belém, Monument to Discoveries, Belem Tower
Even though Lisbon was not as famous as other European capitals such as Rome, London and Paris, there were still enough attractions for tourists to easily spend a few days there. Our plan for the day was simply to go sightseeing in Belem.
After breakfast, we rode Metro to the Commercial Plaza near the Tejo River. The weather was very nice today. From there we could see April 25th Bridge. The bridge had a familiar look to the Golden Gate Bridge because it was built by the American Bridge Company. To reach Belem, we had to take a bus ride. On our way to Jeronimos Monastery, we passed a store with a long line of people waiting. Surely enough, it’s the famous Confeitaria de Belem selling Portugal style custards, which we planned to try sometime later.
We continued walking to Jeronimos Monastery, which was only a very short distance away. Jeronimos Monastery was a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The construction of the monastery expanded a century starting from 1501 under King Manuel. The Manueline cloisters were not to be missed!
The monastery also hosted the tomb of Vasco da Gama, one of the most important navigators of Portugal. Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to reach India from Europe and brought enormous wealth to the country. The building of the monastery was financed by tax on spices brought from the east.
The monastery was huge, and it took us a long time to explore. Then it was time for the custard break before checking out other famous landmarks in Belem.
The bakery shop had a very large interior for sit-down customers. The people waiting outside in line were “to-go” customers. The custards (sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon) were indeed very delicious. They tasted best when they were fresh.
Monument to Discoveries was rebuilt in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. Prince Henry was the sponsor, planner and organizer of many great voyages that contributed to Portugal’s Golden Age of Discoveries. Since the site was covered by our Lisbon Card, we went inside to take the elevator to the top of the monument. From there we had a great view of the Tejo River and the Jeronimos Monastery.
Built in the early 16th century, Belem Tower was one of the most recognizable landmarks of Lisbon. It’s a fortified tower located by the Tejo River. The decorations were Manueline style too. We went for an inside visit but didn’t climb the tower, because the line was too long!
Afterwards we went to the Rossio Plaza neighborhood to look for a seafood restaurant for dinner. Cervejaria Ramiro near the Intendente Metro Station had a very long line waiting outside. It looked like a good bet, so we joined the wait. This proved to be a very wise decision; their seafood was among the best we’ve ever tasted! They only serve seafood dishes and garlic bread. When Rei asked about soup and salad, the waiter answered, “We don’t do that nonsense!”
(Rei and I dined in this restaurant again in 2022, after our Portugal Coastal Camino Walk. They now had a reservation system, and there was no longer a line waiting.)
Day 2: Sintra, Oceanarium
When I first saw a photo of the Pena Palace, I knew immediately that I had to see it in person. That was a strong motivation for me to decide a trip to Portugal.
Sintra was only about an hour’s train ride away from Lisbon. The National Palace was in the city center, which was only a short walk away from the train station. The National Palace has been the main residency of the Portugal royal family. The palace was easily recognizable with the two long cone shaped chimneys.
The other two famous attractions, the Moorish Castle and the Pena Palace, were located high on the hills. Even though there was transportation available, we’ve decided to hike up there instead. It was very pleasant to walk on the shady pedestrian path, and view of Sintra from above was truly amazing!
The walking passage first led us to the 10th century Moorish Castle. The castle tended to be overlooked by tourists who only had limited time. However, walking on the ruined castle walls was not only an interesting adventure, but also offered an excellent view of the Pena Palace high above.
Even though we could see Pena Palace from the Moorish Castle, it was still a long hike to the palace compound entrance. Colorful Pena Palace was probably the most recognizable attraction of Sintra. The place was crowded with hundreds of visitors. Everybody was busy taking photos or selfies. We took many pictures outside of the palace before finally going for an inside visit. I had to say that Pena Palace was more impressive from the outside than inside.
After returning to Lisbon, Sister and I still had enough time for a quick visit to the Lisbon Oceanarium located in Parque das Nações, the Expo ’98 exhibition grounds. (Rei and Cutie didn’t want to go, so they simply returned to the hotel.) Lisbon Oceanarium was among the best aquariums in Europe. It had rich varieties of marine animals and fishes. The building itself was interesting too. Sister and I both enjoyed the displays very much. At the end of the visit, we also went to the gift shop to buy two matching Oceanarium T-shirts.
Day 3: Santa Justa Elevator, Trolley Ride, Sao Jorge Castle, Gulbenkian Museum, Bairro Alto
Today would be our last sightseeing day in Lisbon and in Portugal.
We headed to Santa Justa Elevator after breakfast. Santa Justa Elevator was probably more of an attraction itself rather than a transportation. Due to its popularity, there could be a very long waiting line to get on the elevator. Fortunately, we arrived early, and the line was not too long. We rode the antique elevator to the top to enjoy an excellent 360-degree view of Lisbon. We even saw some buildings which were ruined during the 1755 earthquake.
Of course we had to ride the famous Lisbon trolleys! We got on Trolley #12 from Praça da Figueria to Alfama, where we took a short coffee break and enjoyed wonderful view of Lisbon. Then we hiked to Sao Jorge Castle at the top of the hill. The view from there was even more impressive!
After lunch, we went to visit Gulbenkian Museum, a private museum by the billionaire Calouste Gulbenkian. There were a lot of beautiful paintings, ceramics, statues and jewelry in the museum. It’s hard to imagine a single person could have such an impressive art collection!
After the museum visit, we decided to go to Bairro Alto and have dinner there. We rode the Gloria Funicular from the Restauradores Square (not too far from Rossio) to the Sao Pedro de Alcantara Viewpoint in the Bairro Alto district. From there we were rewarded with another fantastic view of Lisbon from the viewpoint.
Our dinner at a restaurant in Bairro Alto was nice, but it was not as good as the one we had in Cervejaria Ramiro. After dinner, we strolled around the barrio before finally returning to the hotel to pack our luggage.
Amy 'n Rei 