Fado Bars, Lisbon

As wonderful as Lisbon's historical area of Alfama is by day, its culture can be even better experienced at night, in one of the legendary Fado Bars of the area. Fado (meaning 'fate' or 'destiny') is a traditional genre of music dating back to the early 19th century, and characterised by mournful songs about ill-starred sailors. Essential to the music is the emotion of nostalgia - or in Portuguese, sausade, the sensation of loss and its permanent and life-changing consequences. Fado music is traditionally performed by two or more musicians (usually men), using Portuguese guitars and violas to augment the hauntingly sad vocals. An immensely popular pastime amongst Portuguese locals, the atmosphere inside any one of the Alfama area's Fado Bars can be truly magical on any given night - and tourists to Lisbon are strongly encouraged to join in and become part of the unique (and strangely therapeutic) atmosphere.

Jeronimos Monastery, Lisbon

One of Portugal's most iconic tourist sights, the Jeronimos Monastery is an absolute must-see attraction for visitors to Lisbon. A stellar example of Manueline (or Portuguese late-Gothic) architecture, the Jeronimos Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, earning its place in the registry on the basis of its architectural splendour, which 'exemplifies Portuguese art at its very best'. The construction of the Monastery was begun in 1501 at the bequest of King Manuel I - at the height of Portugal's power during the Age of Discovery - and to this day, remains a potent symbol of the historical might of Portugal, and of its important role in the development of modern history. The Jeronimos Monastery is an absurdly photogenic building: a gleaming ivory colour, with sharp spires and intricate sculptural details and maritime motifs. The cloisters are particularly magnificent, with each column individually carved with coiled rope, sea monsters, coral and other designs that bespeak an era of nautical adventure. Inside the Monastery, visitors can view the stone tomb of Vasco da Gama (which actually does hold his mortal remains), as well as the tombs of other notable figures from Portugal's history. An overwhelmingly beautiful sight, budget at least three hours to take it all in - and whatever you do, don't forget your camera.

Opening Times:
Open daily from 10am to 5.30pm (October to May); and from 10am to 6.30pm (May to September)

Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium, Lisbon

Older kids are enthralled by a visit to the Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium. Here they are invited to explore the universe and its bounty of astronomical wonders. The planetarium hosts astronomical shows daily, offering an entertaining and educational experience for young minds.

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm

Admission:
EUR4 (adults), EUR2 (10-18s), free for children 6-9. Children under 6 only admitted on Sunday mornings.

Evora, Lisbon

For many years, Evora was one of Portugal's best-kept secrets: a gorgeous medieval town, full of fascinating historical sights, Evora miraculously managed to stay off the mainstream tourism circuit. For better or worse, this has begun to change, as more and more eager visitors are making Evora an essential part of their Portuguese holiday itineraries. Boasting a remarkably well-preserved Old Town centre, partially bordered by medieval walls, as well as the outstanding Roman Temple (built in the 1st century AD), the entire city of Evora has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It also belongs to the Most Ancient European Towns Network. A small, compact and easy-to-navigate city, Evora is best explored on foot. Visitors will feel immersed in history as they pass by Evora's wealth of sights, which include the Aqueduct of Silver Water, the Cathedral of Evora, the Palace of Vasco da Gama and the Renaissance Fountain at Largo das Portas de Moura (built in 1556). A short distance from the perennially-popular beach resort area of the Algarve, tourists to Portugal are strongly advised to make a stop in Evora to sample some of the unassuming city's rich cultural attractions.

Colombo Amusement Park, Lisbon

Kids will love the indoor amusement park at the Colombo Shopping Centre, happily entertained by taking rides on the roller coaster, playing video games, going bowling and racing go-carts. The centre also boasts a vast selection of cinemas, restaurants and shops for families to enjoy together.

Vasco da Gama Aquarium, Lisbon

The Vasco da Gama Aquarium is a great attraction for children in Lisbon. This aquarium is home to cute little seals with ears (otariids), which all kids will love to see. As well as its wonderful collection of live fish and sea life, there are also preserved water birds, fish and mammals from King Carlos' oceanographic expeditions on display.

Opening Times:
Daily 10am to 6pm

Admission:
EUR3 (adult), EUR1.50 (6-17), free for children under 6

Oceanario de Lisboa (Lisbon Oceanarium), Lisbon

Marketed as the second best aquarium in the world, the world-class Lisbon Oceanarium is the most impressive achievement of EXPO '98, which used to be an abandoned waterfront. The centrepiece of the stone and glass building is the 1.3-million gallon (5-million litre) holding tank and the Oceanarium consists of four distinct ecosystems that replicate the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Antarctic oceans, each featuring the aboveground birds, amphibians, and reptiles associated with those waters. Otters splash and dive in the warmer Pacific waters, while penguins shuffle around in their tuxedos in the Antarctic section. This attraction is one that the Portuguese nation is proud of and is an absolute must-see for the whole family.

Opening Times:
Daily, 10am to 8pm (summer) and 10am to 7pm (winter)

Admission:
EUR12 (adults) and EUR6 (children under 12). Concessions available.

Museu de Marinha (Maritime Museum), Lisbon

With such maritime icons as Vasco de Gama and Bartolomeu Dias, its no wonder that Portugal's Maritime Museum is one of the best in Europe, evoking a sense of what it was like when the victorious Portuguese dominated the high seas. Visitors can marvel at the hundreds of models of 15th- to 19th-century sailing ships, merchant marine vessels, fishing boats and pleasure boats as well as a full range of Portuguese naval uniforms, including one worn at a Mozambique military outpost in 1896.

Opening Times:
10am to 5pm (October to April) and 10am to 6pm (May to September); closed Mondays.

Admission:
EUR4 (adult) and EUR2 (6 - 18 years), free for children under 6. Concessions available.

Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon

Gulbenkian was an Armenian oil magnate who died in 1955 having put together one of the world's finest private art collections. The collection is now housed in a modern centre where the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation sponsors a host of cultural and performing arts projects, and has a rotating exhibition of works by Portuguese and foreign artists. The Gulbenkian collection itself covers Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Islamic ceramics and textiles, Syrian treasures, Chinese ceramics, Japanese prints and lacquerware and European medieval illuminated manuscripts. The collection is so vast and varied as to be breathtaking. Among the paintings are two Rembrandts, a Rubens and a Renoir.

Getting There:
Bus 16, 726, 56, 718, 742 or metro to S. Sebastião or Praça de Espanha stations

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5.45pm

Admission:
EUR4, concessions available.

Sé de Lisboa, Lisbon

Although this cathedral in Largo da Se in the Alfama district is not outwardly appealing, it was the first church in Lisbon, built on the site of a Saracen mosque after the city was captured by the Crusaders in the 12th century. Inside, this ancient church features some treasures, like the font where St Anthony of Padua was baptised in 1195, and numerous notable relics, images and icons.

Getting There:
Tram 28

Opening Times:
Daily, 10am to 7pm.

Admission:
Free

Alfama, Lisbon

The oldest part of Lisbon, the Alfama quarter sprawls down the hillside from below the Castelo de Sao Jorge, retaining much of the traditional colour and atmosphere from the days when it was the ancient seat of the Saracens. Along the narrow cobblestone alleyways are taverns and street markets, interspersed with close-packed houses still occupied by stevedores, fishmongers and sailors. At the edge of the Alfama, Lisbon's renowned flea market, the Feira da Ladra, is held in the Campo de Santa Clara every Tuesday and Saturday. The Alfama is also full of historic buildings and churches, which are well worth exploring. Some of the buildings display fading coats of arms, which bear testimony to the fact that the Alfama was once home to aristocrats. At night the Alfama takes on a more mysterious aspect with street lanterns throwing shadows on the medieval walls, and it is advisable to avoid the area after dark in favour of the Bairro Alto café and nightclub district.

Cristo Rei, Lisbon

Like the iconic Christ the Redeemer in Rio, the Cristo Rei spreads his massive arms as if to embrace all of Lisbon. Situated on the bank of the Tejo River opposite the city, the statue is over 328 feet (100m) tall, and provides amazing panoramic views of the city from the top, which you can reach by elevator.

Opening Times:
9am-6pm daily

Admission:
EUR5 for the elevator to the top.

Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon

The walls of Saint George's Castle, sitting atop a hill guarding the Tagus, date from the Moorish occupation in the 10th century, but the site has been a fortress for centuries, possibly from 500 AD. The castle is regarded as the cradle of Lisbon, and today it provides a panoramic view of the River Tagus and the Alfama medieval district, which is spread out below it. Visitors can walk the esplanades and climb the ramparts. A multimedia show is available during the day which brings alive the history of Lisbon. The castle grounds are planted with olive, pine and cork trees and provide a pleasant spot to relax.

Getting There:
Bus 37 or tram 12 or 38

Opening Times:
Daily, 9am to 6pm (November to February) and 9am to 9pm (March to October)

Admission:
EUR7, concessions available

Parque das Nacoes, Lisbon

Lisbon's exhibition park was upgraded and renamed for the Expo '98 world exposition, which revitalised the city and brought international tourists and interest flooding in. The site is now worthy of a full day's sightseeing, featuring several attractions, not least of which is the Lisbon Oceanarium with its 15,000 living examples of marine life. The main tank holds enough water to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools, and is viewed from two floors through curved glass panels that provide a 180-degree view. Another popular diversion is the Virtual Reality Pavilion, which showcases the Portuguese age of discovery. Other attractions include a science centre, cable car, the Vasco da Gama Tower and numerous bars and restaurants offering Portuguese cuisine.

Getting There:
Buses, trains and the metro go to Oriente Station

Opening Times:
Oceanarium: daily 10am to 8pm (until 7pm in winter)

Tower of Belem, Lisbon

The famous Tower of Belem is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is one of Lisbon's most photographed landmarks because of the decoration on its exterior. The outer walls are adorned with a stone-carved rope and beautiful openwork balconies, along with Moorish watchtowers and battlements shaped like shields. The tower was built in the 16th century to serve as a fortress in the middle of the River Tagus.

Getting There:
Bus 27, 28, 29, 43, 49 or 51; tram 15

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm (October to April), 10am to 6.30pm (May to September)

Admission:
EUR7 (adults), free for children under 14. Concessions available

Monument to the Discoveries, Lisbon

One of the most famous sights in Lisbon is the imposing Padrão dos Descobrimentos, situated on the riverbank in the Avenida de Brasilia in the district of Belem and designed to commemorate the Portuguese Age of Discovery. Belem, where the Tagus meets the sea, is the point from which the maritime explorers of yore set forth in their sailing ships to discover the world. The monument was unveiled in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1460, the monarch who was largely responsible for Portugal's role in world exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries. The massive monument takes the form of a caravel with Prince Henry at the prow, backed by images of renowned mariners, royal patrons and others who participated in the golden age of discovery.

Getting There:
Bus 27, 28, 43 or 49

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday, 9.30am to 6pm.

Bairro Alto, Lisbon

The Bairro Alto district (literally the Upper City) is, like the Alfama, an historic enclave dating from 1513, which is reached in a novel way via the Santa Justa Elevator (a structure reminiscent of the Eiffel tower in Paris) from the lower city. The colourful district resounds to the calls of vendors and fishmongers, and the windows and balconies are festooned with laundry and bird cages. At night the area comes alive with some of the finest fado cafes in the city, along streets lit by Victorian lanterns. Fado is the famous brand of music and dance brought to Portugal by African slaves in the 19th century, characterised by songs of sadness and despair, and there is no better place in Portugal to experience this musical genre than in the Bairro Alto of Lisbon.

Setúbal, Lisbon

A popular touring destination 25 miles (40km) south of Lisbon is Setúbal, one of Portugal's oldest cities, renowned for producing the most delicious muscadel wine in the world. The city is also the centre of Portugal's sardine industry and has been a fish-salting centre since the 1st century. White mounds of sea salt drying in the sun are a familiar part of the local landscape. There are some outstanding beaches near the city and some pretty countryside dotted with orange groves, orchards and vineyards.

Fatima, Lisbon

In 1917 the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared above an oak tree and spoke to three peasant children in the valley of Cova da Iria, 88 miles (142km) north of Lisbon. The children claimed to have seen the apparition on five different occasions, and the spot has now become one of the great pilgrimage shrines of the world, known as Fatima. Between May and October the 13th day of every month is pilgrimage day, when hundreds of the faithful gather in a square twice the size of St Peter's in Rome before the Chapel of the Apparitions. The original oak tree is gone, but has been replaced by a simple white column inside a basilica, which is flanked by statues of the saints.