Northern Cities Voyage: Lisbon and Belém

In this first part of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Lisbon and Belém as she kicks off her Northern Cities Voyage cruise on Azamara.

June 2022 was big for me…it was the month I turned the big 5-0! In order to celebrate properly, I booked myself on my first non-river cruise, the wonderful 10-night Northern Cities Voyage cruise on the Azamara Pursuit (what I lovingly refer to as my “Fabulous 50 Cruise”!). This cruise starts in Lisbon, Portugal and ends in Stockholm, Sweden. As with my other cruises, this one covers entirely too many wonderful stops along the way to fit into just one single post, so this series is broken up into several parts. This first post spotlights the two days I spent in Lisbon and Belém prior to embarking on the Azamara Pursuit.

Lisbon

My flight from Tampa had a stopover in Newark, New Jersey. I had a gorgeous view of the lights of New York City during takeoff on the night of Sunday, June 5, 2022. The landing into Lisbon was equally gorgeous as the sun was rising the morning of Monday, June 6, 2022.

Rossio Square

Once I landed in Lisbon, it was a fairly long line to get through Customs at the airport. But once I cleared Customs I took a taxi the short distance (about 5 miles) to the city center. I dropped my bags off at my hotel and headed out to do some exploring. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, perfect to walk around and work off some of the jet lag from my flight. My first stop was just outside of the hotel, a beautiful spot called Rossio Square. Rossio Square is the popular name of the Praça de D. Pedro IV (King Pedro IV Square). This was my first peek at the gorgeous tile and stone work that is found throughout the city of Lisbon!

Castelo de S. Jorge (Saint George’s Castle)

From Rossio Square I headed out to the Castelo de S. Jorge (Saint George’s Castle). It is quite a hike up lots of winding and hilly cobblestone streets to get there, but the views from the castle are absolutely worth it! This castle hill was occupied by humans back to at least the 8th century BC. The first fortifications built here date back to the 1st century BC. The current site is a national monument and museum. The grounds are beautiful to walk around and explore. You can explore the grounds at your leisure or join a guided tour. I chose to explore at my leisure and I really enjoyed wandering at my own pace, taking in the glorious views over the city, meeting some of the resident peacocks that also enjoy wandering the grounds, and enjoying a fresh crepe from a food truck as a light lunch.

Altis Avenida Hotel

For my one night pre-cruise in Lisbon I stayed at the lovely Altis Avenida Hotel, located in Praça dos Restauradores and next to Rossio Square. The boutique hotel is centrally located…I was able to easily walk to all of the attractions I wanted to see and several public transportation options are within an easy walk as well. The hotel’s architecture and décor have a 1940s vibe to it. My room, a Classic Room, was very comfortable and quiet. It overlooked the hotel’s inner courtyard and had a view of the castle. The rooftop Rossio Gastrobar had stunning views of the city…a perfect spot for a light dinner and a refreshing glass of wine after a long day of exploring!

City of Tiles

As I explored the vibrant city of Lisbon on foot I came across many examples of gorgeous tile! Many of the buildings have colorful azulejos (painted tin-glazed ceramic tiles) on the exterior. There are also lots of intricately patterned and eye-catching tile mosaics on sidewalks, walkways, and courtyards throughout the city. It was fun to just wander through the winding streets to see all of the beautiful tiles.

In and Around the City of Lisbon

Praça do Comércio (Commerce Plaza)

After a good night’s sleep I awoke on day two in Lisbon and set out to catch the tram to Belém. Although I could have caught the tram near my hotel I chose to walk a bit further down to Praça do Comércio to see that plaza and catch the tram there instead. The Praça do Comércio is a large plaza on the waterfront of the Tagus River. It is home to many vibrant yellow buildings, with a large statue of King Joseph I in the center. The glorious Arco da Rua Augusta (Rua Augusta Arch) is at the northern end of the plaza.

Belém

After walking around Praça do Comércio for a few minutes I hopped on the number 15 tram, heading west to Belém. This tram is one of the modern trams, not the quaint yellow ones that trundle through the heart of Lisbon. I lucked out and the tram I took wasn’t too crowded, but this tram can get very crowded at peak times. It is also known as a prime target for pickpockets, so ensure you keep an eye on your possessions! I had no trouble at all and enjoyed the approximately 30 minute ride from Lisbon to Belém.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery)

I was considering visiting the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery) once in Belém. However, the line to purchase tickets was extremely long by the time I got there. Since I only had a few hours in Belém I chose to skip this visit and move on to my next stops. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time online, so I do recommend that option for anyone who wants to visit. The exterior of the very large monastery is quite beautiful.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries)

After getting off the tram in front of the Jerónimos Monastery I walked a short distance to the banks of the Tagus River. I walked around the exterior of the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). This beautiful monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries. There are a total of 33 figures from the history of the Discoveries depicted on either side of the monument. There are also exhibitions, a film, and a viewing area within the monument, however I chose to just enjoy the exterior on this glorious, sunny morning.

Torre de Belém (Belém Tower)

A beautiful walk along the Tagus River took me to the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower). This ceremonial gateway to Lisbon is a 16th-century fortification that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here again I encountered a fairly long line to go up into the tower itself, but I was still able to wander around the grounds and the main levels of the tower.

Museu Nacional dos Coches (National Coach Museum)

A pleasant 20 minute walk from Belém Tower took me to my final stop in Belém, the Museu Nacional dos Coches (National Coach Museum). Visiting this museum was a wonderful experience! I always try to find at least one “off the beaten path” museum in each city I visit, and this one fit that bill nicely. There is a wonderful variety of vehicles from the 17th, 18th, and 19th century on display. The details on the coaches were breathtaking. This was a fun (and cool…the air conditioned museum felt wonderful after walking around in the hot sun earlier!) way to wrap up my exploration of Belém.

Conclusion

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Lisbon and Belém prior to starting my Northern Cities Voyage cruise on Azamara. Of course, just two days is not nearly enough time to really see and do everything on offer here, but it gave me a wonderful overview of the cities. The cities are very easy to navigate and are walkable. There is also a good public transportation system here for those who prefer not to walk everywhere. The people here are warm, friendly, and welcoming. I highly recommend Lisbon and Belém!

Links

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Note: I fully funded this trip on my own and received no compensation or any other benefits from any service providers I used along the way. The opinions expressed here are my own and I am not being compensated by any service providers.