38.72° N · 9.13° W · Lisbon
Start at the highest viewpoint in the centre and let the slope do the work. In about 2 km you link four viewpoints over the Tagus and lose yourself in the stairs of Alfama on the way to the cathedral. It is free and takes two hours with stops.
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Step by step
The highest of those in the centre. You see the castle head-on, the Baixa and the river. You get there on tram 28 or 12 to Graça and walk up five minutes.
A few metres away, next to the church and convent of Graça, with a terrace and pines. The view looks to the castle and the 25 de Abril bridge.
You go down streets and stairs to Largo das Portas do Sol: from here Alfama falls in rooftops to the river.
Right next to the previous one, with tile panels, a garden, bougainvillea and a pergola. It is the most photographed.
Go down without a map through the alleys and stairs of Alfama. Everything ends at the cathedral or beside the river.
Lisbon is understood from above: seven hills, red roofs and the Tagus so wide it looks like a sea. This route links its best balconies in the logical order, from top to bottom.
Lisbon has dozens of miradouros, but four of the prettiest are in a row on the castle hillside, and can be linked on the way down. You start at the highest one in the centre, Senhora do Monte, continue to the one at Graça, which is a few steps away, and go down through streets and stairs to Portas do Sol and Santa Luzia, side by side above Alfama. From there, Lisbon's oldest district falls towards the river in a maze of alleys that ends at the cathedral.
Each viewpoint looks at a different place. From Senhora do Monte you see on the left the church of Graça and St George's Castle and, further off, the Mar da Palha, the broad estuary of the Tagus, the ruins of the Carmo, the green of Monsanto and the Avenidas Novas. It is also one of the least crowded. The chapel that gives it its name was founded in 1147, and tradition places here the camp of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, when he conquered the city.
At Santa Luzia, what you look at is at your feet too: tile panels by António Quaresma showing Praça do Comércio before the earthquake and the taking of the castle from the Muslims. There is a garden, a pond and a kiosk with a terrace. From the railing, the white dome of Santa Engrácia, the church of Santo Estêvão and the two towers of São Miguel help you get your bearings in Alfama.
For anyone who can go down slopes and stairs. You do not need to be fit if you do the route in the direction we suggest. With children it works well: it is short, there are stops every few minutes and the yellow trams passing through Portas do Sol keep them entertained. With a pushchair, not so good: bring a baby carrier. With reduced mobility, go up by transport to Graça and stay at the viewpoints at the top.
Tram 28 or 12 takes you up to Graça, and from there it is five minutes' walk to Senhora do Monte. If you prefer to walk from the Baixa, it is a hard climb: precisely the one this route saves you. Don't come by car: Alfama and Graça are narrow streets with very little parking.
All year. The best time is the end of the afternoon: the sun sets in the west, behind the city, and golden light falls on the castle and the river. Portas do Sol and Santa Luzia are the most visited: first thing in the morning you have them quieter. In summer, avoid the middle of the day: there is little shade on the stairs.
Nothing. The viewpoints are public, open spaces. You only pay for the tram going up and whatever you have at the terraces of Graça or Santa Luzia.
Lisbon's cobbles are very slippery when wet, especially on the slopes of Alfama. In rain, go up by tram, look from Graça and Senhora do Monte and come down by tram too. Leave Alfama for a dry day.
Who it's for
It is your first time in Lisbon and you want to understand the city at a glance, you like wandering without a plan or you are looking for a free sunset activity.
You have a pushchair or someone who cannot manage stairs: do only the viewpoints at the top, using the tram.
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Itineraries
Tips
Almost everyone climbs up from the Baixa. If you arrive at the top by tram and walk down, you save yourself the slope.
The sun sets to the west, behind the city: golden light falls on the castle and the river.
There are stairs on almost every shortcut in Alfama. A baby carrier works better.
Don't follow the map in the last part: all the descents end at the Sé or the river.
The panels show Lisbon as it was before the earthquake. You see them in a minute and they explain a lot.
Questions
About two hours with stops. Walking straight through, less than an hour.
No, if you start at the top: almost all of it is downhill. The other way round, the climb up to Graça is steep.
No. They are all public, open spaces.
Yes. The viewpoints are lit and there is atmosphere until late, especially at Graça and Santa Luzia.
On tram 28 or 12 to Graça, and five minutes' walk to Senhora do Monte.
Senhora do Monte, the highest, usually has fewer people than Portas do Sol and Santa Luzia.
Yes. It is about 2 km, almost all downhill, with stops every few minutes. With a pushchair, a baby carrier is better.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/lisbon-region/lisbon/things-to-do/alfama-viewpoints-walk
