Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, castle and city viewpoint. Igreja de São Roque, dating from the 16th century, is a lesson in not judging a book by its cover: the inside dazzles and it has to be seen to be believed. Fado, a style of folk-music meaning ‘fate,’ involves women dressed in black singing melancholic themes of saudade – longing and heartbreak – accompanied by a Portuguese guitar. It’s a great night out and there are often some upbeat songs thrown into the mix. Casa de Linhares (www.casadelinhares.com) and Clube de Fado (www.clube-de-fado.com) are two well-known Fado restaurants in Alfama. Follow Your Destination have ‘free’ (tip-based) walking tours and a variety of other interesting tours: www.followyourdestination.com.
Visit Belém: from Lisbon’s Praça do Comércio, take the number 15 tram (€2.90, about 35 minutes) or bus 714 (€1.85, about 30 minutes).
Torre de Belém
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (NM), an awe-inspiring and beautiful monastery, was begun in 1501 under King Manuel I (on top of an existing Order of Christ church) to house the Order of St Jerome and provide spiritual support for seafarers before they set sail. It oozes the King’s maritime ‘Manueline’ style in addition to late Gothic and Renaissance styles. Among the many tombs is Vasco da Gama’s opposite the poet Luís de Camões. Allow a few hours at least: www.mosteirojeronimos.gov.pt, closed Mondays, entrance €10 (the church alone is free), or €12 for a combined ticket including Torre de Belém. The torre (tower, NM) – built as a fortress in the Tagus and commemorating Vasco da Gama’s advantageous voyage – was completed in 1520 and drips in Manueline style with twisted ropes, knots, armillary spheres and the cross of the Order of Christ: www.torrebelem.gov.pt, closed Mondays, entrance €6. Pastéis de Belém are the best custard tarts (in the world) and use a secret Jerónimos Monastery recipe. Even if you have to queue, it’s worth it! Rua de Belém 84–92, www.pasteisdebelem.pt. MAAT is the Museum of Art, Architecture & Technology: www.maat.pt.
Specialities:bacalhau (cod) has been a staple of the Portuguese diet since at least the Age of Discoveries. It was originally fished in Newfoundland, then salted and dried to preserve it for the long sea journeys. Today it is still salted and dried but mostly imported from Norway. One of the many (supposedly 365) ways to cook it is as croquettes called pastel de bacalhau. Ginjinha is cherry brandy; try it at the original small tavern on Largo de São Domingos, with or without cherries. O Melhor do Mundo Bolo de Chocolate, ‘the world’s best chocolate cake’, is sold in slices from a green kiosk of the same name on Av da Liberdade just before Rua das Pretas. If you can’t get to Pastéis de Belém, try the second-best custard tarts at Manteigaria opposite Praça Luís Camões, near Baixa-Chiado metro.
Where to eat: try Time Out Market in Cais do Sodre or Casa da India near Praça Luís de Camões for traditional Portuguese food. At Cervejaria Trindade you can eat in a beer hall in a former 13th-century monastery surrounded by azulejos (tiles); touristy but worth it!
Accommodation: Largo da Se Guest House (Calçada do Correio Velho 3, tel 218 861 393, www.largodase-guesthouse.com, 7 rooms, opposite the cathedral). Lisbon Destination Hostel (Rossio Train Station, second floor, tel 213 466 457, www.followyourdestination.com, shared and private rooms). Lisbon Story Guesthouse (Largo de São Domingos 18, tel 218 879 392, www.lisbonstoryguesthouse.com, 11 rooms, next to Praça Rossio). Artbeat Rooms (Rua de São Nicolau 23, tel 960 375 698, www.artbeatrooms.com, 7 rooms, central Baixa location).
Lisbon Cathedral and the start of the Camino
STAGE 1
Lisbon to Alpriate
| Start | Lisbon Cathedral |
| Finish | Albergue de Peregrinos, Alpriate |
| Distance | 21.8km |
| Total ascent | 161m |
| Total descent | 170m |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Time | 5–6hr |
| Cafés | Lisbon, Parque das Nações (7.5km), Sacavém (12.7km), Granja (20.2km +130m), Alpriate (21.8km) |
| Accommodation | Lisbon, Parque das Nações (7.5km), Alpriate (21.8km) |
| Note | You can get a credential from Lisbon’s cathedral or Basílica dos Mártires. The albergue in Alpriate has limited space (12 beds). |
| Waymarking | Follow both blue Fátima and yellow Santiago waymarks until Santarém (Stage 4). |
Starting at Lisbon’s cathedral, this initial stage takes you past the Fado and tile museums before arriving in Parque das Nações with nearby Oriente train station and accommodation – a convenient stop-off if you want more time to explore the city’s delights. The route then continues along a scenic esplanade by the River Tagus where you can look out for flamingos, before following the Trancão tributary and ending in Alpriate.
Find the yellow arrow on the bottom right corner of the cathedral entrance facade and take the street to the right, Cruzes da Sé, heading east. Continue into Rua de São João da Praça, through Largo de São Rafael, take the right fork at the orange building onto Rua de São Pedro, then keep right into Largo do Chafariz de Dentro (580m). The Museu do Fado is across the road: www.museudofado.pt, closed Mondays, €5. Cross the square onto Rua dos Remédios, go uphill and straight into Rua do Paraiso, under an arch, into Rua do Mirante then downhill. KSO across a junction into Rua da Cruz de Santa Apolónia, passing Café Santa Clara (RH corner), and go straight onto Calçada da Cruz da Pedra, passing the Santa Apolonia container terminal (RHS) then taking the right fork onto Rua Madre de Deus. Shortly after, pass the Museu Nacional do Azulejo. 2.7km
This decorative tile museum is housed in the opulent 16th-century Mosteiro da Madre de Deus and includes a panoramic Lisbon pre-earthquake cityscape. (Rua da Madre de Deus 4, www.museudoazulejo.pt, closed Mondays, €5.)
Continue under the railway line into Rua de Xabregas, Calçada Dom Gastão, Rua do Grilo, Rua do Beato, then pass old warehouses on Rua do Açúcar. Keep right at the leafy Praça David Leandro da Silva opposite the former splendid
