[Lisbon, Portugal, May 6, 2025]

My second day in Portugal was also a workday, so I had limited time to sightsee. I waited for Teddy to arrive (a whole day late!), then I headed out for the Belem district of Lisbon. I was itching to see central Lisbon but I knew I wouldn’t have enough time. It would have to wait for the tail end of my trip when I’d have 2 full days back in Lisbon.

Belem lies along an estuary of the Tagus river just west of central Lisbon. Historically, Belem was the location of Lisbon’s shipyards and docks. It was from here that 16th century explorers embarked on their discoveries of sea routes to East Africa, Brazil and India. The exact point of embarkation and disembarkation was at Belém Tower (officially the Tower of Saint Vincent).

The tower was built in 1519, at the height of the Portuguese Renaissance. It commemorates Vasco da Gama’s expedition to India in 1498. Although it is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style (a Gothic style), it also incorporates minarets inspired from Moorish architecture. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Unfortunately, the interior of the tower is closed for restoration work till Spring 2026. I’d heard that the narrow interior staircase that connects all 5 floors of the tower can become a bottleneck and lead to long lines. I was just as happy to see it from the outside.

Afterwards, I walked to the Jeronimo’s monastery. On the way, I passed by the Navy Museum. This maritime museum is dedicated to the history of navigation in Portugal. Many of the items in it belonged to King Luís I (1838–1889). He had a strong interest in oceanographic studies and was an accomplished navigator himself. He began collecting items related to the preservation of maritime history of Portugal. His collection culminated in the inauguration of the Maritime Museum in 1963 in its present location. Part of the museum is housed in the west wing of the old dormitory of the Jeronimos Monastery. In fact, when I first saw the museum, I thought I had reached the monastery!

I was also confused by the barricades and crowds in front of the monastery. I finally realized there was some sort of parade going on in the square right outside the monastery. Despite googling several times, I never figured out what the parade was about. Unfortunately. the line for the Jeronimos monastery was pretty long and I ended up waiting about an hour in the sun. But at least the parade provided plenty of entertainment.

It all began with the church of Santa Maria de Belem, which was dedicated in 1495 as the resting place for members of the house of Aviz, a Portuguese dynasty. In 1880, da Gama’s remains and those of the poet Luís de Camões (who celebrated da Gama’s first voyage in his 1572 epic poem The Lusiad), were moved here.

Construction on the monastery began in 1501 and continued for over 100 years. The funds came from a tax on the profits of the annual Portuguese India Armadas. Like the Belem Tower, the monastery is also in the Manueline style. The style flourished under King Manuel I (1495 – 1521), which is why it bears his name. He is also the one who commissioned the monastery.

While waiting in line to enter, I marveled at the fabulous South Portal. The shrine-like entrance is huge – two stories (105 ft) high and 39 ft wide. lt is the visual center of the Monastery’s façade and the most detailed portal of the Manueline period.

Above the double doors, the tympanum depicts scenes from the life of St. Jerome, such as the removal of a thorn from a lion’s paw and the Saint’s penance in the desert. A statue of the Virgin Mary, also known as Our Lady of Bethlehem, the patron saint of mariners, is a prominent feature, flanked by other saints, prophets, and apostles.

The cloisters were like nothing I’ve seen before. Intricate carvings, elaborate stonework and delicate arches were all around. I couldn’t stop taking photos!

The refectory was also magnificent. It served as the dining hall and it’s where the monks had their meals. I saw the famous Portuguese azulejo tiles for the first time – panels of azulejos depicted biblical scenes along the walls.

Directly across from Jeronimo’s Monastery is the Monument of the Discoveries. This huge stone caravel commemorates the Age of Discoveries and features statues of the most accomplished Portuguese explorers. It sits right on the Tagus at the very end of the square, Praça do Império.

The marble world map on the ground in behind the monument is inside a 50-meter(164 feet)-wide compass rose. It was a gift from South Africa in honor of Portugal’s rounding of the Cape of Good Hope, which led to a new sea route to the East. The map shows the routes and dates of the Portuguese voyages, which essentially covered the entire globe. Surrounding the map and the compass rose is the traditional Portuguese wave-patterned cobblestone pavement.

The auditorium and temporary exhibition space were not open, but the elevator to the top terrace was. From there, I had fabulous views of the square, the Jeronimos Monastery and the 25th of April bridge.

That bridge looks like the famous Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco because they were built by the same company about 30 years apart. Its name celebrates the date of the Carnation Revolution, which in 1974 overthrew the repressive government in power at the time. I only got to see the bridge from the monument and from my uber on the way to the next destination. Some people like to go across the bridge and visit the statue of Jesus on the other side. I didn’t have time for that, sadly.

My last stop was on my way home. The Azulejos Museum celebrates the traditional Portuguese tile I had already seen in the monastery. It was established in 1965 and is housed in a former convent. The museum collection features decorative ceramic tiles or azulejos from the second half of the 15th century to the present day. Besides tiles, it includes ceramics, porcelain and faience from the 19th to the 20th century.

This was the last day on the trip that I worked, and I was excited to go into full vacation mode from now on. I was also glad I got to fit so many great sights with limited time!