Two Lisbon neighborhoods are worth building a day around with kids, and neither involves climbing a single hill.
Belem is the riverside district where Portugal launched its great age of exploration, and for a kid who likes ships and maps it is a thrill. The Monument to the Discoveries juts out over the water like the prow of a ship. The Belem Tower is a little fairy tale fortress right on the river. The huge Jeronimos Monastery is grand, but with kids I keep it to the outside and the cloister.
Then the real reason everyone comes to Belem. Pasteis de Belem, the original custard tart, still made from a secret recipe in the same shop since the eighteen hundreds. Warm, dusted with cinnamon, and worth the line. Buy a box. Your kids will each eat three.
Across the city, the Oceanario is one of the best aquariums in Europe, built around one enormous central tank you circle on ramps, with sharks, rays, and a sunfish. It is a reliable rainy day or hot afternoon winner and easily two hours.
Both are easy to reach, Belem by tram or train along the river, the Oceanario by metro to the modern Park of Nations area.
The full Lisbon with kids guide is here: Lisbon With Kids. Ready to hand it off? Work with me.
Share this:
Discover more from Adventures We Seek
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.