Belém Guide: Jerónimos, the Tower and the Tarts

Belém is where Portugal's age of exploration left its most famous buildings. Vasco da Gama sailed from this shore for India in 1497, and the fortune that followed paid for a monastery and a fortress carved with ropes, sea creatures and armillary spheres. Plan at least half a day. Here are the questions people ask most.

How do I get there?

Tram 15 runs from Praça da Figueira and Praça do Comércio along the river to Belém in about 25 minutes, but it's often packed. The train from Cais do Sodré is faster and calmer, and takes the same Navegante card. Get off at Belém station and walk under the road to the waterfront.

Is the Jerónimos Monastery worth the queue?

The church, yes, and it's free to enter. Look at the south portal on the way in, then find the tomb of Vasco da Gama just inside and the poet Luís de Camões opposite. The ticketed part is the two-storey cloister, a square of limestone arches carved so finely it looks like lace. It's the high point of Manueline architecture and the reason to come. Buy a timed ticket online from the official Museus e Monumentos de Portugal site, and aim for opening time. The monastery is closed on Mondays. Free Sunday entry applies only to residents of Portugal.

What changed at the Belém Tower?

The little fortress in the river reopened on 27 May 2026 after a year of cleaning and repairs, and the white stone now looks almost new. Entry is now limited to a set number of visitors every half hour, with around 900 a day in total, so the old hour-long queues should be gone. Book a slot online or at the Jerónimos ticket office. Inside, the rooms are small and the spiral stair is narrow and one-way, so the outside and the view from the top terrace are the real draw.

Where do I get the custard tarts?

Pastéis de Belém, a few doors from the monastery, has baked them since 1837 from a recipe said to come from the monks. The takeaway queue looks long but moves fast. Better still, go inside: the maze of tiled rooms behind the counter seats hundreds, and you get your tarts warm, with cinnamon and icing sugar in shakers on the table.

What else is there?

The Padrão dos Descobrimentos, a 1960s monument of navigators carved in stone, has a lift to a viewpoint and a huge compass rose in the pavement in front of it. The MAAT, the art and technology museum, has a wave-shaped roof you can walk over for free. The Coach Museum, full of gilded royal carriages, surprises most people who go in. Skip the Belém Palace unless you have a particular interest.

Combine Belém with LX Factory on the way back, as we do in our three-day itinerary. The waterfront has almost no shade, so check our what to wear guide in summer.