111 Best Sights in Lisbon, Portugal

Way off the beaten path and far from the city center, this palace by the modern district of Benfica and on the edge of Parque Florestal de Monsanto is one of Lisbon’s most beautiful buildings. Built in 1670, it’s known for some of the finest examples of Portuguese tile panels, both inside the palace and outside around the garden. It's tricky to reach by public transportation, but a taxi from the Jardim Zoológico metro stop, about a mile away, will be quick and inexpensive.

With a striking neoclassical pink facade, this sumptuous 18th-century palace features a Louis XIV–style interior inspired by the Palace of Versailles. In the basement is a former restaurant from the early 1900s, with an intriguing mix of esoteric symbols and neo-Gothic architecture. Before World War I, it was a casino. Today, it houses a tourist office and a shop selling reproductions from the country's state museums. It is scheduled to reopen for guided tours in mid-2025.

Built in 1802 as a royal residence, today the ornate neoclassical building functions as a museum, allowing visitors to see how Portuguese monarchs lived. Admire 18th- and 19th-century paintings, furniture, and tapestries, then pop into the neighboring Museu do Tesouro Real, a new addition filled with precious jewels, medals, and gifts. Both are a 20-minute walk up Calçada da Ajuda from the Museu Nacional dos Coches.

A palace built in the 1700s for a nun, who just so happened to be one of the king’s mistresses, is now the main branch of the Museu de Lisbon. The king spent summers at the palace, so a formal garden was laid out behind the building. There are peacocks roaming around, as well as a few ceramic animals created by the great 19th-century sculptor and satirist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. The museum houses a collection of archaeological finds, historic tile panels, paintings, and sculptures, all related to the history of Lisbon. A highlight is a model of the city, showing it as it was before it was laid to ruins in the 1755 earthquake.

At this innovative interactive attraction you'll be whisked up to a glass-floored viewing platform alongside the beautiful Ponte 25 de Abril. You'll learn how this engineering marvel was constructed, get a glimpse inside one of the massive pillars, and take a virtual-reality tour of parts that nobody can otherwise reach.

The Navy Planetarium is an immersive space that presents astronomical films with various themes several times per day. Headphones can be used to translate the presentations into English, and there are special sessions designed for kids.

Lisbon's first bridge across the Tagus River, linking the Alcântara and Almada districts, is a double-decker suspension bridge that stands 230 feet above the water and stretches more than 2 km (1½ miles). Reminiscent of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, it's slightly shorter but still a spectacular sight from any direction. Cars and buses cross on the top tier while trains use the lower level, offering some great views. (The bridge is closed to cyclists and pedestrians.) Overlooking the bridge from a hill on the south bank is the Cristo Rei (Christ the King) statue, which is smaller than its famous counterpart in Rio de Janeiro but still an imposing sight. The interactive Pilar 7 Bridge Experience lets you access a panoramic viewing platform.

Sesimbra's beachfront stretches the entire length of the historic downtown area, divided in the middle by a whitewashed fort jutting out to sea. The eastern side, known as Praia da California, is rocky at the far end, with some currents and small waves. During the summer it's packed with sun loungers, pedal boats, and splashing families, but it's blissfully quiet from mid-October through June. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (summer); showers (summer); toilets (summer). Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Still under the radar even among Lisboetas, Cova do Vapor is a fishing hamlet perched at the point where the Tagus meets the Atlantic. The soft-sand beach is Caparica's closest point to Lisbon, and while there are glorious views over the city, the rustic beach shacks make it feel like another world. While crowds of surfers pack most of the Costa da Caparica, there are still vast swaths of space on the sands and gentle dunes here. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Mammoth white sand dunes separate the calm lake at Lagoa de Albufeira from the crashing Atlantic waves on the other side. Kite surfers whiz by, families splash in the waters, and locals wade through the shallows, harvesting shellfish. It's a fascinating scene that gets very busy in summer, but the sunbathing and people-watching opportunities are unparalleled. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); water sports. Best for: walking.

Crashing waves, jagged cliffs, and tall dunes make for a dramatic view at Praia do Meco, which found fame in the 1970s as one of the first nudist beaches in Portugal. Today, this 5-km (3-mile) sweep of beach is a popular spot with surfers and day-tripping families, but those keen to get an all-over tan can head due south to Rio da Prata, a clothing-optional section of the beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee). Best for: solitude; surfing; walking.

One of the most celebrated of the famous Arrábida beaches, Portinho is a photogenic crescent of golden sand and turquoise waters, flanked on all sides by pine-covered hills. A high-season car ban makes access tough in the summer months, but it's a joy to visit at any other time of year. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

The wild hard-to-reach Ribeiro do Cavalo has dazzling white sands and crystal-clear water in several shades of turquoise. Curiously formed rocks jutting out of the water are encircled by all manner of colorful fish, so bring your snorkel gear. During the summer, regular boat services speed sun seekers to and from the beach and Praia do Ouro in Sesimbra (a 10-minute ride), but for the rest of the year it can only be reached by private boat, kayak, or by a steep half-hour walk along a very rough track. Look out for the purple markings on the rocks that indicate which way to go. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Dominating the center of Marquês de Pombal Square is a statue of the marquis himself, the man responsible for the design of the "new" Lisbon that emerged from the ruins of the 1755 earthquake. On the statue's base are representations of both the earthquake and the tidal wave that engulfed the city; a female figure with outstretched arms signifies the joy at the emergence of the refashioned city. The square is effectively a large roundabout and a useful orientation point, since it stands at the northern end of Avenida da Liberdade.

Adjacent to Rossio train station, this square marks the beginning of modern Lisbon. Here the broad tree-lined Avenida da Liberdade starts its northwesterly ascent. Restauradores means "restorers," and the square commemorates the 1640 uprising against Spanish rule that restored Portuguese independence. An 1886 obelisk commemorates the event. Note the elegant pink-hued 18th-century Palácio Foz (under renovation into mid-2025) on the square's west side. The only building to rival the palace is the restored Éden building, just to the south. This Art Deco masterpiece of Portuguese architect Cassiano Branco now contains a hotel. You'll also see the Elevador da Glória, the funicular that travels up to Bairro Alto and its famous viewpoint.

In 1755 a catastrophic earthquake changed the face of Lisbon forever. This modern immersive museum aims to take visitors back in time to experience some of the horrors. Wander through a series of themed rooms that explore the quake, fires, and tsunami that rippled across Lisbon, and learn about the history and science of the event. Tickets are timed and the experience takes around 90 minutes.

Fado, the mournful Portuguese folk music, is said to have been born in the Lisbon neighborhoods of Alfama and Mouraria. This street is redolent with its history, with large black-and-white photographs and information about famous fadistas pasted on its walls. One famous fadista, Maria Severa, lived on this street, and her former home is now a performance space, Maria da Mouraria. Mariza, one of contemporary fado's biggest stars, also hails from the area.

Your eyes do not deceive you—there really is an ornate gilded Thai pavilion beneath the jacaranda trees in Belém's Jardim Vasco da Gama. Built to celebrate 500 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Portugal, the structure was opened by Thai princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Together with nearby LxFactory, Village Underground is a colorful symbol of Lisbon's cool side. Beneath the Ponte 25 de Abril, shipping containers and double-decker buses have been transformed into spaces for eating, drinking, coworking, and partying. DJ sets, vibrant murals, and the chance to eat and drink in a converted bus atop a shipping container are all on offer.

On the west side of Praça do Comércio is an impressive showroom for hundreds of wines, representing Portugal's many demarcated regions. Tastings (three or four wines, from €15 per person, for a minimum of two people) can be adapted to suit personal preferences. Note that the wines that you taste may not necessarily all be on sale, but there are plenty of alternatives; or head round the corner to Rua da Conceição for branches of two major wine merchants, Garrafeira Nacional and Napoleão.

One of the original buildings on Praça do Comércio houses the Café Martinho da Arcada, a literary haunt since 1782, favored by modernist poet Fernando Pessoa. The main rooms contain an expensive restaurant; adjacent to it is a more modest café-bar.