Ask anyone who has visited Lisbon what they remember, and Belém is usually near the top of the list. This riverside district, about 6 km west of the city centre, is where Portugal's ships set sail during the Age of Discovery. It holds two UNESCO World Heritage monuments, one of Europe's most photographed towers and a pastry shop that has used the same secret recipe since 1837.
It's also where many visitors lose half a day in queues. Here is how to make the most of Belém, what each monument means, and how to fit it all into one morning.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the beach at Belém (then called Restelo) was the departure point for Portugal's great voyages. In 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed from here on the journey that opened the sea route to India. The wealth from that trade paid for the monuments you see today. The Jerónimos Monastery was funded by a tax on the profits of the annual India fleets.
Belém was then outside the city. That turned out to be lucky: the area survived the great earthquake of 1755 far better than central Lisbon, which is one reason its Manueline monuments are so well preserved.
The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is the masterpiece of the Manueline style, Portugal's own late-Gothic architecture, full of ropes, armillary spheres, sea creatures and exotic plants carved in stone. Construction began in the early 1500s under King Manuel I, near the spot where da Gama had departed.
Inside the church you'll find the tombs of Vasco da Gama and of the poet Luís de Camões, author of The Lusiads, the epic poem about da Gama's first voyage. Both were moved to their carved tombs in 1880, a few metres from the tombs of kings Manuel I and John III.
The highlight for most visitors is the cloister: two storeys of arches carved like stone lace. Entry to the church is free, but the cloister needs a ticket, and that is where the long line forms.
In 1983 the monastery was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the Belém Tower.
Tip: the monastery is closed on Mondays and on some public holidays. Check the official opening hours before you go, as they change between summer and winter.
About a 15-minute walk west along the river stands the Torre de Belém, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent. Built in the 16th century as a fortress and ceremonial gateway to Lisbon, it is a 30-metre, four-storey tower on a bastion, made from local lioz limestone. Look for the Moorish-inspired watchtowers and, at the base of one of the turrets, a carved stone rhinoceros. It is considered the first sculpture of a rhinoceros in Western European art, and probably depicts the animal that arrived in Lisbon from India in 1515, which King Manuel I then sent as a gift to Pope Leo X.
A popular myth says the tower once stood in the middle of the Tagus and that the 1755 earthquake moved the river. In fact, it was built on a small island close to the shore, and land reclaimed since then has joined it to the riverbank.
The interior is small, with narrow stairs, so the number of visitors inside at once is limited. On a short visit, many people choose to admire it from the outside, which is where the best photographs are anyway.
Between the monastery and the tower, on the waterfront, stands the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. It's shaped like the prow of a caravel, with Henry the Navigator at the front, followed by explorers, monarchs, missionaries and cartographers.
The monument has an interesting story of its own. A temporary version was built for the Portuguese World Exhibition of 1940. The permanent monument you see today, in concrete and stone, was inaugurated in 1960 to mark 500 years since the death of Henry the Navigator.
Don't miss the huge compass rose and world map in the pavement in front of it. It shows the routes and dates of the Portuguese voyages, and it's best seen from above. You can take the lift to the viewpoint at the top for views over the river, the 25 de Abril Bridge and the monastery.
No visit is complete without a custard tart from the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém, about a three-minute walk from the monastery. The story goes back to the monks of Jerónimos, who made sweet pastries using leftover egg yolks. After the monastery closed in 1834, the recipe was sold, and the shop opened in 1837. The original recipe is still kept secret, and the shop says it is the only place that makes the original pastéis de Belém.
Tip: the take-away queue outside can look long, but it moves fast. If you prefer to sit, the shop has large rooms inside, and the table service line is often shorter than it seems.
From central Lisbon, tram 15 runs along the river from Praça da Figueira and Praça do Comércio to Belém, and trains on the Cascais line from Cais do Sodré stop at Belém station. Once you're there, everything is within walking distance: from the monastery to the tower is roughly 1.5 km along the river.
A good order is:
That's about three hours, at a relaxed pace.
Our Belém Walking Tour follows exactly this route in about three hours, with a guided visit of the Jerónimos cloisters, the Monument to the Discoveries and the Belém Tower from the outside, and a taste of the famous pastéis de Belém. Groups have a maximum of 8 people, so you can ask your guide anything about Portugal's role in the Age of Exploration. Prefer something private? We also run a private Belém tour for your group.
Sources: Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, Padrão dos Descobrimentos and Pastel de nata entries on Wikipedia; MAAT official information. Opening times and prices change; check the official websites before visiting.