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| View from the Castelo de Almada |
Just south of Lisbon, on the other side of the 25th of April bridge, you've got the city of Almada. Placed on the top of the hills is the old city center and from there you can enjoy the best view there is of Lisbon and the Tejo river delta. There are very few tourists who find their way up there but the short passage over the river, the view and the many restaurants and cafés in the area make up for the effort of finding this spot that mostly only the locals know about. Make it a 2 in 1 day tour and visit also the enormous statue of Jesus Christ in the Sanctuary of Christ the King which lies on the outskirts of the city.
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| View over Lisbon |
Since Neolithic times (around 5000 years ago) there have been people living in this region, the Phoenicians and Romans have also passed by, but the ones leaving a more lasting impression where the Moors. The name Almada probably comes from the Arabic word al-ma'adan (the mine). Since it has a military strategic position just in front of Lisbon as well as being positioned at the opening of the river delta the Moors created a proper fortification and a harbour there. When the Portuguese king D. Afonso Henriques and his crusader army arrived in the region in 1147 they had to fight off the Muslim army residing in Almada amongst other forts in the Setúbal Peninsula. Almada was also much inflicted by the earthquake and tsunami of 1755, thousands of people died and most of the buildings were destroyed.
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| Lunch at Ponto Final |
The easiest way to get to the Castelo de Almada, the Medieval Museum and the Miradouro da Boca do Vento, is to start from the boat station in Cacilhas. Find the small street called Rua do Ginjal which is the one in front of all the buildings by the docks and runs around the river front westward. Enjoy some great graffiti on the facades of the abandoned houses on way, take some pictures of Lisbon and maybe have a snack/lunch/dinner at one of the two restaurants called "Atira-te ao rio" $$ or the "Ponto Final" $, both have the nicest view imaginable over the bridge and Lisbon, better book a table on weekends at least. A little bit further ahead you will find the panoramic elevator which cost 1 Euro and is open between 8 in the morning until midnight, just await your turn and it will take you uphill in a minute. If you prefer some stairs you can also find them next to the restaurants which will take you all the way up. Continue forward instead of grabbing the elevator and you will arrive at the Naval Museum and the local History & Archaeological Museum.
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