Blog ≫ 2026 ≫ Portugal holiday part four
As previously mentioned my "contemporary notes" for this section are just a transcript of an ai thing wife did. So this should be a blockquote kind of thing I'll put at the end of the post. Point is next thing we did is went to Belem. We got the tram there, the E15 I think. Quite confusing trying to work it out as there are buses and trains that run that way too, and it's not even that far. But we wanted a tram, so a tram we got.
We arrived at the big old monastery there, no intention of going inside, if you even can go inside. Next to the original traditional place where you're meant to get your Pastel De Nata, big queue but it moves fast. Only wife and T2 could eat this here, but eat it they did, so that's ticked off. Not sure it was any better than the other places you can get this but they did it. Then we went looking for a little sit down stop, partly to use the loo. Several proper trying-to-usher-you-inside tourist trap cafes there, but just round the corner we found a lovely spot called Folks. Coffee and breakfast and no hassle at all. Lovely coffee and I have a vegan smoothie breakfast shake thing, "Champion's Breakfast". Cold brew, vegan soy protein, peanut butter, coconut, maple syrup. Pro-tip (it says on the menu), add banana, and I should have done, to thicken it up, but I did not. I am clearly only an amateur vegan shaker drinker. we all enjoyed this place, very nice little spot indeed.
Next more of a walk around, saw the big old monument thing.
There was a little market there and someone playinglive music, it was nice. But then we were done with Belem, it doesn't take long. The others got yet another taxi back to the hotel but walked instead. Should have been a quicker and nicer walk, but I detoured off the route to get more of a look at the waterfrontage, and after that trying to recover the directions took me on a dull and hot walk back through less picturesque things. I went through a nice little park, and hoped I'd get the Ginjinha on my way too, but failed. This is our last full day in Lisbon and we have not done this year, are we in danger of missing out?
Here's the original advice wife had about what to do:
Want to see monument of discoveries, Belém tower and pasteis de Belém. Arriving on 15E tram from Lisbon. What is the best place to get off the tram and the best order to visit things?
Where to Get Off the 15E Tram
The best stop to disembark is Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (or Belém). This stop drops you right across the street from the Jerónimos Monastery, placing you just steps away from the original bakery and providing direct access to the pedestrian underpass leading to the waterfront.
Best Route & Order of Visit
A linear route starting from the east and heading west along the riverfront minimizes backtrack walking:
Pastéis de Belém
Why start here: Lines grow significantly longer as the day progresses. Grab your warm pastéis de nata (custard tarts) and coffee first thing after arriving. Tips: If the takeaway queue outside looks long, walk inside to sit in one of the large dining rooms—table service is often faster.
Monument to the Discoveries
How to get there: From the bakery, cross the main street (Praça do Império) and take the pedestrian subway underpass beneath the train tracks to reach the waterfront side. Highlights: Walk right up to the massive carved monument shaped like the prow of a ship. You can take an elevator up to the top observation deck for panoramic views over Belém and the Tagus River.
Belém Tower
How to get there: Take a scenic 15-minute walk west along the riverfront path (Avenida Brasília) directly from the Monument to the Discoveries. Highlights: Enjoy the iconic view of the 16th-century Manueline fortification standing right in the water.
Return tip: Once finished, you can either walk back to the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos tram stop or board the returning 15E tram closer to the tower at the Largo da Princesa stop.
We didn't even go to the tower.
That evening we went to another Canil beer bar, one near our hotel this time though, and it was good! They had self serve beer taps, you paid per 100ml you had. We didn't have time for this though. ate at Local again, all four of us this time though. I had paprika tofu this time, also nice.
⬅️ Lovely flying visit back to Portchester :: Health stats 31/8/26 ➡️