What To Do In Lisbon Portugal, Exploring Belem

After an amazing time in Spain, we made a quick stop in Portugal before heading home. We had 3 full days here and wanted to make the most of it! There is so much to do in Lisbon, even if you stayed a month, I still think you would not see everything the country has to offer. With that said 1. We will definitely be making a trip back; 2. Here is an itinerary for a day in Lisbon.

We took a short flight on TAP Portugal from Madrid to Lisbon. It was only about an hour long, plus you gain an hour, so that was an added bonus for us. TAP Portugal is an excellent airline. Their service was great – we even got an egg tart at the end and it wasn’t too bad!

Morning:

We landed in Lisbon around 10 am, dropped our luggage off at our hotel, and went straight out to explore! (Most hotels won’t let you check in until after 1 or 2 pm, but they do hold your luggage which is great!)

Getting Around:

I thought I had done my research on the trains and metro, but they proved to be more of a challenge (especially when the station was under construction and there were no signs). There are four Metro lines and 4 CP urban train lines. (hint: if you are looking for the CP train, it is usually above ground, and the Metro is underground).

We bought the green Viva Viagem transportation card at the station and put around 14€ on it. You can get a day pass as well or top it off as you go if you are using it more than we did. (Hint: some stations do not have a standard validator, and some stations have only one off to the side). This card works for the Metro, CP trains, and buses.

The trains can be a bit tricky, but there is usually a sign that tells you when the different trains will be arriving. They are not too consistent either, we waited at least 30 minutes before the train we wanted to arrive (this could have been an error on our part, but we still aren’t quite sure).

To get to the Belem area we took the train from the Entrecampos station to Alcantara-Terra had to exit, walk three blocks to the Alcantara-Mar station, and then just one more stop to Belem.

Lunch:

Because we were still a bit jet-lagged and had a small breakfast, we decided to stop for lunch before doing any more exploring. We found a perfect spot with outside seating, called Queijadas De Belem, they had the yummiest fried cod and tomato rice!! All for 6€! Keep in mind everything that is put on the table, you pay for; they will not be offended if you refuse the bread or whatever food is placed on the table before you order.

Afternoon:

Jeronimos Monastery:

I had heard the Jeronimos Monastery was one of the most photographic places in Lisbon, and I just had to see it for myself!! We got there around 1 pm and were a bit disappointed to see a line out the door to get in! Normally we would have skipped it, but we really hadn’t planned anything else for the day, so we decided to stick it out. The line did move fairly quickly and it was just 10€ for both of us. (Hint: keep a close eye on your belongings and make sure your bags are closed tight – tourist attractions are the places where pick-pockets are the boldest).

The Monastery is the most gorgeously designed place I have seen! Such beautiful arches and passages – not to mention the intricate design of the pillars and cloister. There is a beautiful church you can visit as well – the Church of St. Maria. It has the most stunning stainless and paintings I have seen!

Padrão dos Descobrimentos:

After exploring the Jeronimos Monastery, we headed towards the Padrão dos Descobrimentos or the Discoveries Monument.

The Discoveries Monument was created by Cottinelli Telmo and a sculptor, Leopoldo de Almeida. It was first erected in 1940 but was reconstructed in 1960 and marked the 500th year since the death of Henry the Navigator.

The monument looks as if it is a ship, ready to set sail, I could definitely see the sails blowing in the wind. On each side there is a total of 32 figures from the Age of the Discoveries; it includes navigators, cartographers, warriors, colonizers, missionaries, chroniclers, and artists.

There are two inscriptions on the monument, one reads:

‘TO THE INFANTE DOM HENRIQUE AND THE PORTUGUESE WHO DISCOVERED THE SEA ROUTES’. 

The other reads:

‘ON THE V CENTENARY OF THE INFANTE DOM HENRIQUE 1460–1960′.

You can climb up into the monument and have a great overlook of Belem; you can also climb another flight of stairs to see the inside of the monument. The prices are 3-5€. It is a great way to see the city from above!

Tower Of Belem:

Our next stop of the day was the Tower of Belem. This was one of my favorites to visit! It was a gorgeous walk from the Discoveries Monument, right along the water! We could not have asked for better weather either – sunny and in the 70s!

There were food carts along the way too, selling smoothies and even a chair and wine to watch the sunset! This was such a great place to just sit and relax.

Built between 1514 and 1520 as part of a defense system, the Tower of Belém is a beautiful tower right on the water! It was classified in 1983 by UNESCO as a “Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.  You are able to visit inside the tower, for just a few euros. You will get another great view of the city!

Evening:

By this time we were getting hungry! There are so many awesome restaurants to choose from – but we already knew where we wanted to go! We made our way back to Pastéis de Belém, we heard they have the best pastries in Portugal!

We had made the decision to come back to the cafe, due to the fact the lines were super long! Around 6 pm, there were a little better. Plus, if you decide to sit and eat it is a much shorter wait, than taking it to go.

We ordered sandwiches for dinner, as we had a big lunch. The main treat was the pastries! The pastries are egg tart but made with a secret recipe all the way from 1837. If you order coffee or hot chocolate with them and sprinkle cinnamon or sugar on top, it is absolute heaven! (Seriously, we went back the next night).

We took a Tuk Tuk back to our hotel, and that was certainly an experience. Our driver was so sweet, he gave us a blanket and even gave us a small guide of the city as we drove back. I held my breath as we made our way into the evening traffic – thankfully our driver was an expert!

That was our full day in Lisbon, we wished we could have had more time, as there is so much more to explore! But we are so happy we got to see the highlights of this wonderful city!! We will be back!

If you have any specific questions about Lisbon or Portugal do not hesitate to contact us or comment below!

Extra Tips:

Another great restaurant we tried out in Lisbon was the Clube Do Peixe. It was the best seafood restaurant I have ever been to! When you walked in, there was a case of fresh fish – and when we ordered, the chef came from the kitchen, got the ones we wanted, and cooked them right then! Our waiter was so friendly too! He explained all the different kinds of foods they offered and how he used to work on an American cruise line – at the end of dinner he thanked us and said we would be welcome back in Portugal anytime! So sweet!

More of Portugal:

If you have more than one day in Lisbon, here are some more destinations to explore:

A great day trip out of Lisbon is the fairytale city of Sintra! Just an hour or so out of Lisbon, we got the chance to visit 5 palaces and castles – Pena Palace, Castelo dos Mouros, Monserrate Palace, and the Quinta da Regaleira Palace.

The easiest way to get to these palaces, once you reach Sintra, is by bus, or by walking – but keep in mind Sintra is one big hill, so wear your walking shoes!

Another great day trip out of Lisbon is Cascais. Portugal has some of the best coastlines in Europe, we took a day trip to Cascais and it was beautiful! We took the same train as we did going to Belem, but rode it all the way to the end of the Cascais station.

Cascais is the definition of a beach town – filled with cafes, shops, and a beautiful beach! We visited the Boca Do Inferno – or mouth of Hell. It is a part of the coast where constant waves crash the cliffs, creating beautiful caves!