Lisbon's Marvelous Alfama Quarter

Alfama, the oldest part of Lisbon, is a quarter just begging to be explored. It spills downhill south of the castle and is a ‘must’ for those looking for the soul of this city.

Visiting Alfama is to visit the architecture, the sounds, and the smells of old Lisbon. On its narrow and winding streets you'll find all sorts of treasures and on its steep stairs you will be able to learn mush about what makes Lisbon so special. The atmosphere in the quarter is considerably defined by the different noises and smells. Life is lived for the most part on the street.

In Alfama, it is still possible to see Roman and Arab remains, two of the most dominant civilizations in Lisbon's past. There are a few grand buildings such as the cathedral and some other churches that are well worth seeing. There is little doubt, however, that you will find the unique atmosphere prevailing in the streets and alleyways of far greater interest than individual buildings.

The narrow streets place little value on building facades but a much greater value is given to the interiors of the houses. Some houses in this quarter still stand on foundations dating from the times of the West Goths, but the whole structure of the area was essentially shaped by the Arabs. Although no houses remain from this era, the confused arrangement of its maze of streets and alleyways certainly does. On warm days the shade offered by the densely built houses explains the reasoning behind this style of construction.

Alfama was once home to the unlucky, delinquents or non-grateful and due to its proximity with the river it was also the home of many sailors. Some of this remains today but the quarter now has its other side. The advent of mass tourism has brought gentrification to the area.

It is now full of curious little cafés - many of them serving bacalhau, the rehydrated, salted cod that is one of the city's staples. Many old houses are being repaired or painted. Whitewashed houses are picturesquely framed by a sudden riot of colour and a blaze of geraniums, while upmarket restaurants and fado houses make it a tour group mecca.

The many tourists who stream through Alfama in the summer appear to be tolerated in a serene and friendly manner.

Quick Tips:

You should have plenty of time when you visit Alfama and take a map with you. You can easily spend half a day or more looking, wandering, and taking in all the new sounds, smells, and sights. Allow time to watch the daily life of the area playing out on the streets.

It’s probably best not to plan your route in detail because you will have problems following it anyway. Just follow your instincts. Wandering through the labyrinth of winding alleyways, small archways, and little flights of steps, will lead you to many idyllic and picturesque corners.

While climbing the stairs, turn around from time to time to admire the view. Better still take tram 28 to the top of the hill then walk down. This is much easier on the legs but it also means you don’t miss any of the spectacular views.

Alfama is furtive ground for timeless exploration and getting lost is par for the course. Blind alleyways reveal a bewitching world of medieval customs and rituals, where women still haul their washing to public fountains and late at night the brooding sound of fado seems to come from every nook and cranny.

There are a few streets not to be missed. Rua da São Pedro is one of the most animated streets where craggy old fisherman and fishwives, still proffer the catch of the day.

Largo do Chafariz is the tourist hub where steep stepped streets meander to your own private view point where the shimmering River Tagus is framed by a latticework of terracotta rooftops, lone palms, and wayward bougainvillea. Most of Alfama’s shops and tourist restaurants are clustered in this area.

Along Beco do Carneiro houses are stacked a meter apart, nestled with tiny taverns and chaotic corner grocers.

Rua da Judiaria marks the area where Lisbon’s Jewish population fled during the bloody Spanish Inquisition.

Don’t miss some of the best viewpoints. Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Largo das Portas Da Sol, and Miradouro da Graca are three of the best.

Best Way To Get Around:

The only way to properly explore the area is on foot and what a wonderful experience this is. Many of the streets have no vehicular access and others are just a series of stairs.

For a different experience catch tram 28 from the downtown area and ride it all the way to the terminus. Stay on board and return part-way before starting your walk.

It is possible to take a taxi from downtown to the castle. This shows you the edges of Alfama and saves some leg power. The area near the castle has restricted vehicle access so it’s not a bad idea to walk the last few hundred meters even though it is quite steep.

Saint George's Castle can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. Its oldest parts date from the 6th century, when it was fortified by the Romans, Visigoths, and eventually the Moors. It served as a Moorish royal residence until Portugal's first king Afonso Henriques captured it in 1147.

Today, Saint George Castle is an interesting place, a charming hilltop citadel with geese and ducks roaming around the castle gardens. Once used as a fortress, today it is a popular visitor place that certainly deserves an hour of your time.

Visitors can climb the towers and walk along the reconstructed ramparts of the castle walls and wonder at the spectacular views over Lisbon and the Tagus River. While visitors are taking in the sights, local men play backgammon and cards under the trees.

As Lisbon became the capital of the Kingdom, in 1255, the castle became the seat of the Royal Palace. It was dedicated to Saint George in the late 14th century by King John 1, who had married the English Princess Philippa of Lamcaster. The warrior-saint, represented fighting the dragon, was popular in both countries.

In the early 16th century, as Manuel I built the new Royal Ribeira Palace by the Tagus River, the old medieval Lisbon Castle started losing importance. An earthquake in 1531 damaged the castle and only contributed to its further decay.

The great 1755 Lisbon earthquake severely damaged the castle and contributed greatly to its degradation. The castle's period of neglect ended in the 1940s, when an extensive renovation was undertaken. Most of the incongruous structures added to the castle compound in the preceding centuries were demolished.

The castle area is square-shaped and was originally completely encircled by a wall, forming a citadel. It consists of the castle proper, some buildings (including the ruins of the Royal Palace), gardens and a large square with terraces to observe Lisbon. The main entrance to the citadel is through a 19th-century gate with the coat-of-arms of Portugal, the name of Queen Maria 11 and the date, 1846. This gate gives access to the main square which is decorated with old cannons and a bronze statue of the conqueror of the castle, King Afonso Henriques.

The remnants of the Royal Palace are located near the main square, but all that is left are some walls and rebuilt rooms

On the northwest side of the citadel area, on its highest point, is located the medieval castle. It is rectangular in shape and has a total of ten towers. A series of stairways allow you to reach the wall walk and towers, from which magnificent views of Lisbon can be enjoyed.

The best way to reach the castle is by taxi from downtown. Alternatively, you can take tram 28 and walk the final steep few hundred meters. After looking around here, you must walk down hill through the Alfama quarter for one of the best experiences in Lisbon.

As far as churches go, this is not a 10 on any scale but it is worth seeing and it is the best on offer in Lisbon. You can walk here from the downtown Baixa district or take tram 28. The cathedral opens from 9am to 7pm. We visited late afternoon on our way down from the castle. We had spent hours enjoying the narrow streets and small squares and watching the people live life on the streets so this was something different.

The cathedral stands within the old, densely built quarter of Alfama on the southern hillside below the castle. It was a pleasant change from the earlier experiences of our day. The cathedral was built in 1150, soon after the city was recaptured from the Moors, by Portugal's first king on the site of an old mosque. It was built for the city's first bishop, the English crusader Gilbert of Hastings.

The cathedral is a Latin cross building with three aisles, a transept and a main chapel surrounded by an ambulatory. The church is connected with a cloister on the Eastern side.

There is insufficient room available here for the spacious square which would allow the church to appear more striking. You only get a good view of the building in one direction. From outside, with two bell towers and a splendid rose window, it resembles a medieval fortress, while inside it appears predominantly Romanesque, with a Gothic choir and ambulatory.

Beyond the rough exterior are many treasures. At the entrance, to the left, is a baptismal font said to be used in 1195 to baptize Saint Anthony who was born nearby. In the first chapel on the left is a beautifully detailed nativity scene.

In the 14th century cloisters, in what were once the gardens, there have been excavations which have revealed Roman and Visigothic remains as well as parts of the former mosque wall.

A notable feature is the 14th-century Gothic chapel of Bartholomeu Joanes. Other items of interest are a crib by Machado de Castro, the 14th-century sarcophagus of Lopo Fernandes Pacheco, and the original nave and aisles.

A visit to the sacristy and cloister requires a guide. Admission to the cathedral is free while the cloister costs €1.50.

While Lisbon cathedral is the prime church in Alfama, as you wander the streets you will run into several other interesting churches and religious buildings. One of these is the Baroque church of Saint Anthony which is adjacent to the cathedral.

Santo Antonio, revered as a matchmaker, protector of young brides, and patron of the lost and found, was born in Lisbon, supposedly on the site of this church.

Work began in 1757, and the facade blends the Baroque style with neoclassical Ionic columns. Inside, the altar features an image of the saint with Christ in his arms, the sacristy is faced with 18th century tiles, and there is a modern tile panel commemorating the visit of Pope John Paul II to the church in 1982.

Next door is a small museum with images and manuscripts relating to the life of the saint, as well as gold and silverware used to decorate the church.

Canonized in 1232, charismatic Saint Anthony, is the most beloved of Lisbon’s popular saints. "Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, find me a husband", remains one of the most popular prayers. It is now traditional for the newly betrothed to visit the church and leave flowers as a gift for him on their wedding day.

You find the church at Largo Santo Antonio à Sé, Alfama. It is open 8am to 7:30pm daily. The museum opens from10am to 1pm and again from 2pm to 6pm but it is closed on Mondays.

In the 12th century King Afonso Henriques made a vow to build churches on sites where Portuguese soldiers and northern European crusaders who fought the Moors lay buried. Today's São Vicente de Fora Church, built in 1582, stands on the site of one of those churches, which was located outside the city walls.

It was inaugurated in 1629 but was severely damaged in the 1755 earthquake, when the main dome and roof collapsed. It was then restored, and in 1855 the old monastic refectory became the pantheon of the Bragança dynasty. Those here include Catherine of Bragança, a Portuguese princess who became the Queen of England when she married Charles II, and the bodies of all kings from 1640 to 1910. The first actual burial here, in 1907, was King João IV, swiftly followed just a year later by King Carlos. The remains of Portugal’s last king, Dom Manuel II, who died in exile in Brazil in 1932, also lie here.

The entrance is through a gate to the right of the facade, and the interior and cloisters are adorned with exceptional 18th-century tiled panels. A visit to the cloisters is probably the main highlight, accessed through the fanciful arcaded courtyard with its tinkling water fountains.

You find the church on Largo de São Vicente, Alfama. It opens from 9am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 12:30pm and from 3pm to 5pm on Sundays

The café serves light snacks but its major draw is the views across the Alfama and the Tagus.

One of the real joys of wandering Alfama is the spectacular views which are seen from many terraces and street corners. It is a photographers paradise as the sun reflects of bright coloured walls and interesting shaped roofs.

From the cathedral head upwards onto Rua da Rosa, edged with dusty antique shops and tourist pit stops. Streets fan out into warrens of tiny blind alleys and lovely miniature squares.

Lisbon’s dazzling vistas are the most memorable images of the city and the Miradouro de Santa Luzia is one of the most romantic. Under vine-draped pergolas lovers swoon, old men play cards and a constant stream of tourists gasp at the views across Alfama, the Tagus and the Graca. The tourists noisily taking photographs here starkly contrast with the elderly Lisboêtas, who somehow manage to relax over cards and coffee.

Close-by, the tiled scenes on the outer walls of the church of Santa Luzia depict Martim Moniz, Lisbon’s famous knight and martyr, who tied himself to the castle gate in order that Afonso Henríques’ crusaders could take Lisbon from the Moors.

The narrow, cobblestone streets of Rua de Chão da Feira lead up to the castle and it's an  unashamedly touristy prelude of brash souvenir shops and suited waiters brandishing laminated menus. The castle provides some of the best vistas available in the whole city so don’t miss them. Walk out on the ramparts and gaze over the central city. It really is a lovely view.

Go back to the church and climb Rua de São Tomé, where tourists flock, and justifiably so, to another stunning viewpoint. The Largo das Portas do Sol, or the ‘Gate of the Sun’, was named after the city gates which once stood here and the views are truly spectacular. To the north the pristine white towers of the church of São Vicente de Fora and the dome of the church of Santa Engrácia, soar from above Alfama.

From Largo Portas do Sol, Rua de São Tomé leads to the Calçada de Graça, where, just off to the west, the Miradouro de Graça provides more breathtaking views over Lisbon. The terrace café is more popular with locals than tourists – especially on Sundays – enjoying ritualistic strong bicas, buttery torradas and the weekend papers.

To the right is a former convent and about 700 metres north-west is the Miradoura da Senhora do Monte which is the best point in town for views of the castle and the area to its north. There are also excellent views back towards the central city.

Tram 28 deposits passengers on the Largo de Graça, the area’s social hub which goes about its business with lackadaisical charm

This actually serves much of the Alfama quarter with public transport but in recent years it has become a big tourist favourite. It is not hard to see why. We just loved it.

The tram winds along narrow streets, across little squares, and climbs steadily revealing great panoramic views over Alfama and the wider Lisbon area. The trams themselves are an attraction as well as they are almost miniatures, necessary because of the confined route they serve.

Vintage trams still ply the well-worn route from the city centre on sea level towards the heights of the Castelo de São Jorge (St George's Castle). En route, the tram slices open Lisbon, providing insights into its way of life, as well as offering sweeping views back towards the city and out over the River Tagus.

This is the classic tram route of Lisbon with extensive hilly and narrow streets in the Alfama district. Eastbound trams for the Alfama are invariably crowded by the time they reach the Rua da Conceição in central Lisbon, so it can be wise to board in the opposite direction (towards Estrela and Prazeres) and return to the Alfama from that end of the route. There is an impressively steep curve at the west end of the Rua da Conceição as the line leaves the city centre, heading west. The Estrela Park is a pleasant spot, opposite the basilica, to break the journey.

All trams are one-person operated. The driver checks passes and issues tickets. The trams should be entered at the front and exited by the rear doors.

The first building to catch your attention in Alfama after you leave downtown will likely be the immense Sé (Cathedral), rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake in the Romanesque style in which it was originally constructed in 1150, rather than as the florid Rococo edifice that had been destroyed. Secreted along the nearby Rua Saudade are the ruins of a Roman Theater accompanied by an excellent museum.

A stop marked by the church of Santa Luzia (just ask for "Santa Luzia"), is the best place to begin an ascent (along the well-marked but tiring path) to the Castelo. Just a little further up the hill you go past the excellent viewpoint of Largo das Portas da Sol and a stop here is highly recommended. This is one of the best places to start a winding descent through the narrow lanes of Alfama. From here the tram climbs still higher untill it reaches Largo da Graca.

If you’re in a hurry, Tram 28’s route offers an alternative to exploring the Alfama on foot, although you won’t fully appreciate its charm without actually walking through it. We personally struck a balance by riding Tram 28 from Bairro Alto through the central city to Largo das Portas da Sol and strolling down through the Alfama after we’d visited the Castelo de São Jorge.