Nurtured by green-fingered students, the Jardim Botânico is a quiet, 1500-species pocket of lushness fresh off a €500,000 renovation that mostly improved infrastructure but also included a new amphitheatre. Look out for Madeiran geraniums, sequoias, purple jacarandas and, by the entrance (upper-level gardens), a gigantic Moreton Bay fig tree. It's also worth a peek inside the butterfly house.
Jardim Botânico
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
3.34 MILES
Belém’s undisputed heart-stealer is this Unesco-listed monastery. The mosteiro is the stuff of pure fantasy: a fusion of Diogo de Boitaca’s creative…
14.17 MILES
The star of Sintra-Vila is this palace, with its iconic twin conical chimneys and lavish, whimsical interior, which is a mix of Moorish and Manueline…
0.86 MILES
Towering dramatically above Lisbon, these mid-11th-century hilltop fortifications sneak into almost every snapshot. Roam its snaking ramparts and pine…
1.18 MILES
Wander downhill (to save your legs) through Alfama's steep, narrow, cobblestoned streets and catch a glimpse of the more traditional side of Lisbon before…
1.14 MILES
Set in a lemon-fronted, 17th-century palace, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga is Lapa’s biggest draw. It presents a star-studded collection of European…
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian – Coleção do Fundador
1.43 MILES
Famous for its outstanding quality and breadth, the world-class Founder's Collection at Museu Calouste Gulbenkian showcases an epic collection of Western…
14.46 MILES
This magical villa and gardens is a neo-Manueline extravaganza, dreamed up by Italian opera-set designer, Luigi Manini, under the orders of Brazilian…
0.71 MILES
Don't leave the city without riding popular tram 28E from Largo Martim Moniz. This rickety, screechy, gloriously old-fashioned ride from Praça Martim…
Nearby Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela attractions
0.09 MILES
Shaded by a giant cedar tree, this is a relaxing shady plaza with an al fresco cafe for watching the world go slowly by. The surrounding district is…
0.2 MILES
Swooping palms and banyan trees shade tranquil Praça da Alegria, which is actually more round than square. Look out for the bronze bust of 19th-century…
0.21 MILES
The inconspicuous, graffitied white facade of this 17th-century fort-like convent contrasts with the rich blue-and-white tiles and gilded carvings of the…
0.22 MILES
One of Lisbon's loveliest squares, Praça das Flores is a leafy gem surrounded by some of Príncipe Real's trendiest hot spots.
5. Convento de São Pedro de Alcântara
0.27 MILES
This convent is small in size but grand in baroque decor. The inconspicuous box-like facade hides a chapel (1690s), and a church (1681) that survived the…
6. Casa-Museu Medeiros e Almeida
0.3 MILES
Housed in a stunning early-19th-century mansion, this little-known museum presents António Medeiros e Almeida's exquisite fine- and decorative-arts…
7. Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
0.32 MILES
Hitch a ride on vintage Ascensor da Glória from Praça dos Restauradores, or huff your way up steep Calçada da Glória to this terrific hilltop viewpoint…
8. Casa Museu de Amália Rodrigues
0.34 MILES
A pilgrimage site for fado fans, this is where the Rainha do Fado (Queen of Fado) Amália Rodrigues (1920-99) lived; note the calçada portuguesa …