Discover Belem: History, Attractions, and Tips
Belém is a laid-back area on the Tagus River, known for its seafood restaurants and houses decorated with colorful tiles. Among the area's shaded green lawns are historic landmarks that recall Portugal’s seafaring past, like the 16th-century Tower of Belém and the sail-shaped Discoveries Monument. Near the vast Gothic Jerónimos Monastery, the popular Pastéis de Belém patisserie is famed for its custard tarts.
Belém is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Lisbon and should be on any visitor’s itinerary when in Portugal’s capital city.
Packed with history, landmarks, unbeatable views, and delicious eats, this neighborhood is well worth committing a few hours, or full day to. This guide will give you all the details for planning your perfect day in Belém.
Here You Will Find
Padrão dos Descobrimento
Torre De Belém
Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar
How to get to Belém
Transit
Belém is easily reached by public transportation.
🚌Bus 201 reaches Belém within about 25 minutes from Cais do Sodré. Fare can be paid onboard for €2 or Navegante card can be used, reducing the fare to €1.50
For route and schedule, click here
🚃Tram No. 15E from Praça da Figueira to Belém takes approximately 35 minutes. The One Way cost is €3.10 when paid by tapping your contactless credit card/apple pay. The fare can also be paid with the Lisbon Navegante card, which will reduce the cost to €1.47.
For the full 15E tram route, click here.
Google Maps is a great resource for mapping public transportation to Belém .
Car
🚕Belém is also easily reached by car and an Uber or Bolt will cost around €10-15 depending on starting point, traffic, and demand.
The ride should take approximately 20 minutes, but during peak times can take considerably longer in traffic.
🅿️The drive to Belém is quite straightforward, and there are several parking lots in the area. Generally, parking can be quite easy to find, however; the parking lots fill up quickly during peak season and times.
Walk
If you are up for a good stroll, it is possible to walk to/from Belém in about 2 hours. Many parts of the walk are along the river and offer beautiful views. The walk along Av, da India is also almost entirely flat.
There are as also several points of interest to stop at along the way, including: Chapel Santo Amaro, Ajuda Garden, DOCAS (“Food, Leisure, Fun”), The Rainbow Underpass, and LX Factory.
Belem Monuments
Padrão dos Descobrimentos
The Monument of the Discoveries is a monument on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary, in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon.
Located along the river where ships departed to explore and trade with India and the Orient, the monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or "Age of Exploration") during the 15th and 16th centuries.
🗺️Av. Brasília, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal Hours: 10am-6:30pm
💶 3€
This stunning monument is located next to Doca de Belém and is a great place to start your visit to Belém.
The main attraction here is the monument itself, but you can climb up to the viewing platform on the monument for great views over the River Tagus.
Torre De Belém
Belém Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. This tower symbolizes Portugal's maritime and colonial power in early modern Europe.
💶 €5-9
🕰️ 10am-6pm (summer)
🌐 https://www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt/pt/museus-e-monumentos/dgpc/m/torre-de-belem/
Probably the most famed of all the monuments in Belém, standing on the edge off the riverfront, The Belém Tower is a sight to behold. Reviews are very mixed as far as whether it is worth the lines and cost to visit the inside, but there is no lack of beauty on the outside, and in the surrounding area.
This is an incredible place to catch a sunrise or sunset.
Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar
🗺️1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
🕰️24 hours
This beautiful memorial is located just past Torre de Belem and is worth a visit.
The Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar was built in memory of the 9,000 soldiers that died in the Portuguese Overseas War. The war was fought in three different theaters from 1961 to 1974 in an effort to keep the colonies of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique.
Built in 1992, it is one of the newest monuments on Lisbon’s waterfront. The pool symbolizes the oceans that separated the soldiers from their home and the pillars represent unity. The monument is outside the Bom Sucesso Fort and just to the west of the Tower of Belém.
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos
💶12€
🗺️Praça do Império 1400-206 Lisboa, Portugal
🕰️ Cloister Tues-Sun 9:30am-7:30pm (last entry at 5:00pm)
Church Tues-Sat 10:30am-5:00pm
Closed: Mondays, January 1, Easter Sunday, May 1, June 13, December 25
The Jerónimos Monastery replaced the church formerly existing in the same place, which was dedicated to Santa Maria de Belém and where the monks of the military-religious Order of Christ provided assistance to seafarers in transit.
With its beautiful architecture and vast history, Mosteiro dos Jeronimos is a great place to visit. It can be covered in an hour, or half a day depending on how you want to experience it.
Make sure to check out the church on your way out, which is included in your entry.
Church of Santa Maria de Belém
Attached to the Jerónimos Monastery, the Church of Santa Maria de Belém is free to enter and well worth visiting.
Open Tues-Sat 10:30a-5p, Sun 8a-5p and closed on Mondays
Museums
Belém is home to many unique and beautiful museums, including:
National Coach Museum, MAAT - Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Museum of Contemporary Art – MAC/CCB, Popular Art Museum, Museu de Marinha, Museu Nacional de Arqueologia, Navy Planetarium, Museu da Presidência da República, Bom Sucesso Fortress, Centro Cultural Casapiano, Cordoaria Nacional, Presépio Fort, Museu Nacional de Etnologia
With such a variety of museums, Belém truly has something for everyone and is also a great area to head on a rainy day as the museums are quite close to each other.
As much as I have been to this neighborhood and enjoyed the monuments and sites, I have not made it to many museums, though I am hoping to change that soon.
MAAT
🗺️Av. Brasília, 1300-598 Lisboa
🕰️Wed-Mon 10a-7p, Tues-closed
💶11€ (free first Sunday of each month until 1p)
I considered going to the MAAT for 2.5 years. I am not big on “traditional” museums, and have heard mixed reviews on the MAAT, but a feature exhibit and free admission finally got me there. The museum is smaller than it appears from the outside (which is a piece of art in and of itself), and I found it a bit underwhelming, but still interesting with some unique aspects.
Would I have been disappointed if I spent the 11€ to visit? Proabably. Did I love the exhibit I went for and found the rest of the musemum interesting enough? Yes. Would I recommend the MAAT as a rainy day activity? Sure!
National Museum of Archeology
The National Museum of Archaeology is the largest archaeological museum in Portugal and one of the most important museums devoted to ancient art found in the Iberian Peninsula. Located in Lisbon, the museum was founded in 1893 by the archaeologist José Leite de Vasconcelos
National Coach Museum
🗺️Av. da Índia 136, 1300-300 Lisboa
🕰️Tues-Sun 10a-6p, Sun- Closed
💶€8 Coach Museum €10 for combined ticket Coach Museum & Riding School
I put off visiting the National Coaches Museum for far too long and it immediately became one of my favorite attractions in Lisbon.
Everything about this museum is stunning. From the Riding School (“old building”) itself, to the immaculately preserved and beautifully displayed coaches themselves. I was in awe of all the detail and descritpions of each of the coaches.
If you are like me, and love a non-traditional museum, this one is an absolute must on any visit to Lisbon.
⚠️Currently closed for renovations (until 2025) ⚠️
🗺️Praça do Império, 1400-026 Lisboa
🕰️Tues-Sat 10a-6p, Mon-closed
💶€5
Sunday and public holidays: free entrance from 10 am to 2 pm
🌐National Museum of Archaeology
I am yet to visit this museum, and unfortunately will have to wait until next year (but at least then it will be all shiny and new!) but the stunning exterior is a sit in and of itself. It is hard to miss on any trip to Belém, as it is huge and also attached to The Jerónimos Monastery (pay attention with which line/entry is for each, it can be a bit confusing).
Belém Gardens
Belém is a perfect place to enjoy some perfect (and flat!) green spaces. There are numerous beautifully manicured and peaceful parks and gardens in Belém. Some of the most popular, and stunning are:
Jardim da Praca do Imperio: located between Belém Tower and The Jerónimos Monastery
Vasco da Gama Garden - featuring a large statue of Vasco da Gama
Jardim Oriental - Located in the Belém Botanical Garden
Belém Waterfront
The Belem waterfront (between Doca de Belém and Torre de Belem) offers sweeping views of the Tagus River, and is lined with food trunks, vendors and performers several months out of the year. There are bike and scooter rentals available, which are easy to navigate as the walkway is flat.
This is a great place to catch on of Lisbon’s incredible sunsets.
Sunset in Belém
While many people will say to get to Belém early to avoid crowds and long lines at attractions, especially during high season, I highly recommend going for, or staying through, sunset. Belém offers some of the most remarkable sunsets, especially along the waterfront with views of the bridge and Belém Tower.
Sunset Boat Ride
One of the best ways to see Belém is from the Tagus River. A sunset boat tour offers incredible views of the main attractions from Belém all the way to Praça do Comércio with unbeatable views of the 25 de Abril Bridge and Statue of Christ the King.
You can book a sunset boat tour through popular booking platforms like Airbnb Experiences, Viator, and Get Your Guide.
The tours leave from Doca de Belém (near the base of The Monument of the Discoveries.
⭐Rush hour traffic often coincides with the start of sunset, so be sure to leave with plenty of time - they boat will leave you (believe me, I know).
Pastéis de Belém
🗺️R. de Belém 84 92, 1300-085 Lisboa, Portugal
🕰️Open daily 8am-9pm
Many would argue these are the best pasteis de nata in all of Lisbon. I will remain impartial, while also encouraging anyone going to Belém to try one. The line can get VERY long, but does seem to move quite quickly.
If you are not a fan of pasteis de nata (gasp!) there is a large variety of other delicious sweet treats (my favorite is the almond croissant).
For a Tastey Bite
Miolo
🗺️R. de Belém 36, 1300-083 Lisboa
🕰️Daily 9a-5p
💶€–€€
🥬Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly
My favorite brunch/lunch spot in Belém , Miolo is a chic and warm space with fresh and delicious food and pastries. The service is incredible and that menu has a great variety. A bite at Miolo should be added to any Belém visit.
