Top 8 Viewpoints in Lisbon and When to Go

A miradouro is a viewpoint, usually with a kiosk, and Lisbon has dozens. Eight that earn a place in a short trip, and the time of day to see each.

## The eight 1. Parque Eduardo VII. The city and the river lined up below the park. Best in the late afternoon. 2. Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. The highest and widest view in Lisbon. Go at sunset, early enough to get a spot. 3. Miradouro de Santa Luzia. Tiled terrace over Alfama and the river. Best in the morning light. 4. Portas do Sol, next door, for the classic rooftops-and-river photograph. 5. Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara. Looks across at the hill opposite. Pleasant in the evening. 6. Miradouro da Graca. A local favourite with a kiosk under the pines. Late afternoon. 7. Cristo Rei across the river in Almada, for the view back at the bridge and the whole city. 8. The riverbank at Belem, flat and open, for the bridge and the sunset over the water.

## Getting the light right Lisbon faces south and west over the Tagus, so the afternoon and the evening are when the city looks best. Morning is better for the Alfama terraces, which face east.

## Practical notes Most viewpoints involve a climb on cobbled streets. Tram 28 and the Gloria funicular cover some of the hills. Kiosks at the larger miradouros sell drinks and stay open into the evening.

On a private day we usually place a viewpoint at the end, after the monuments, because it is the stop everybody wants to linger at and the only one worth being late for.